The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-09-12
mEHE CATHEDRAL" 1T sTRAS-
URG.

The lovers of architectural bsluty and cathe-
DIAL history must have been considerably az
fected when the news came, a few days ago,
that the Cathedral at Strasbourg was partial
" destroyed" aud that the bombs OF tina
prussiars had demolished, in so short time,
what it required the labor and skill OF years to
produce. The Town of Strasbourg itself, ex-
cept for it's great antiquity land pershaps,
should say, for being the spot where Roger
de Isle frat sung his famous song,) is
generaly uninteresting; stands In very NAT
country about two miles from the lett BANK OF
the Rhine, is irregularly built, and, with some
few exceptions, the streets are 1ntoleraoly
crooked and narrow. Something ct creek,
which is called appropriately the Ill., and ap-
pears decidedly go, runs through the to"n'
and is bridged over in about htty places. Ia
1851 Austria ceded the town to Louis xiv, VINO
directed his attention to STRENGTHENING the
then existing fortifca,ions. The great, and
in fact the only point OF interest in Strasbourg,
IA the Cathedral of "Notre Dame," not 80
aree as its name-sake in Paris, but decidedly
more magnificent beautiful specimen or
the Gothic style. commenced in 1015, and com.
pleted in 1889. Nothing can exceed the Itch
ness of it's western font; before the admrine
ewes of the stranger is vast pile OF solid
stone, so delicate!y carved that wonder arises
in the spectators mind how go fragile and
lace.like piece CT work can withstand the
winds Of heaven. Every detail is wrought
with marvellous perfection, every ornament a
gem OF art. THIS front is divided into
three compartments By elaborately carved
buttresses. Across these, horizontal bands
divide the front of the building into three
stories; tue lower Contains three doorways,
the second srose winlews' OF stained glass
some forty-eight feet in diameter. Eaclosed IN
canopied openings are three equestrian statues
of Clovis, Dasobert and Rudolph of Haps-
burg. A fourth opening is unoccupied, lset
apart probably for Napoleon. The third and
upper portion contains soma superb painted
" indows. From the northernmost corner
rises the celebrated tower and spire, ascend
ing 10 height of fur hundred and si1ty-si1
feet above the pavement, richly ornsmented
from the base until it seems almost to mingle
its spires with the clou1s. On entering the
Cathedral, the vastness and majesty OF the
interior cannot fail to strike the boholder win
awe. The nave extending nearly three hum
dred and hfty-seren feet, and rooted over
sevcnty-nine feet from the marble floor. The
magnificent sculptured Choir, nine monster
pillars separating the nave from the aisles,
while streams Of rosy, mellow light How from
the many stained windows, leach MASTER
piece OF artistic taleat,) aud add in an indss-
cribable manner to the solemnity OF the in
terror. A pulpit of stone, ,nsidered the most
beautiful specimen of the kind in the world,
afford. beauties enough for a days study. In
the south transspt is found the great curiosity
OF Strnsbourg, the world renowned clock, cau-
structed in 1571, after the pal OF certain
mathematician, one "Dasypodiua,' aud per-
forming more wonderful feats each hour than
half of the clocks in Christendom, (so at least
the guide will inform you.) This complicated
clock ran we'll for two hundred years. and then,
to the surprise and disgust OF the Strasbourg'
ians, suddenly stopped. No one in tie town
could remedy its internal disorders, and for
6tty years it remained dunno, until few years
since a matchmaker undertook to set it again
in motion. 1t is, probably, now forever silenc-
ed. Among other curiositles of this clock
cock at one time Came out at intervals aud
crew, but, say the good people of Strasbourg,
"being twice struck by lightning. the bird
only yentured to appear Afterwards on hoh'
lays and fetes."
Il is sad to reflect that this venerable and
splendid pile is being demolished. 1t suffered
much during the French revolu ion, ana
scarceIy has it been restored when war again
threatens it's destruction. u