The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-10-07


superbIy furnished railroad depot 10
Europe. The city is beautifully situ-
ated on an eminence overlooking the
lake, and the scenic views OF the lake
and mountains are grand and i'm posing
We met q great many Americans and
English at Zurich as well as all the
lotker towns OF Switzerland. 1t is the
summer resort for q great many Eng
lish families who come over every sum-
mer to spend the hot months
among the mountains and lakes
From Zurich we went to Bssle. city oI
about $4,000 Inhabitants on the river
Rhine, aud by reason OF its situstion st
the junction Of the frontiers OF France,
Germany and Switzerland maintains
it's position as a place OF great CONNER
cial i'm mportance. 1t contains little to
interest a tourist, unless it would be
the devout pilgrim who would certain
ly visit the cathedral to view among
the relics of the original structure stat
ues OF Christ and Saint Peter and the
wise and foolish virgins.
sTRAsBURG.
From Basle we went to Strasburg,
passing on our way through the prov
inces OF Alsace and Lorraine which
formed the bone OF conteutiou and
were transferred from France to Ger.
many as one OF the results ef the late
war. Here we witnessed some oi the
destruction OF that barbaric appeudage
TO all governments, war. The city
was strongly fortified and we'll gsrri-
soned, but the Frepch had no guns
mounted that would outrsnge those
the Prussians we're mounting on their
batteries acroes the Rhine. The east
ern and southern portions OF the city
were almost destroyed by shells. 1t
was closely Invested by the PrussIsus
and heroicslly defended by the French.
The people lived in cellars to avoid the
shells, which did not consult their con-
venience as 10 where they should tall.
It has been ascertained that 400 houses
were entirely destroyed, 100 civilians
were killed or wounded, 5000 persons
LEFT homeless by the se;ge We were
shown several unexploded bomb shells
that bad been thrown into the city
from the batteries across the Rhine
which the people are preserving as
relics OF the war At the hotel where
we stopped there were several that had
been thrown into the house A couical
one nearly three feet long and over one
foot in diameter, had entered the DIM
ing room window and passed into the
hall and was there found unexploded.
In msny OF the buildings that have
been repaired, the balls have been plas-
tered into the walls jtst as they were
shot in. There are very few houses in
the city that didn't sustain some dam
age. The French defended the city
with their usual vslor but when they
saw th at utter destruction swaiteiit they
surrendered, the soldiers throwing their
arms over bridge into the river as
they passed out rather than deliver
them to the Germans. A great many
house have been rebuilt and the Ger
man government has assisted the people
in every way it could in recovering
their losses and furnishing them with
homes This was done in order to
reconcile them TO their new government
to which they adhere very reluctantly.
The only building in Strasburg worthy
OF note is the cathedral, upon which
millions OF dollars have been expended,
aud which is OF the purely gothic style
Of architecture. It's spi,e rises nearly
800 feet above the pavement, nearly 10
feet higher than ST. Paul's, London,
aud nearly 80 feet higher than the
pyramids OF Egypt. Owing to the
great dimensions Of the building and
the light graceful structure oftbe spire
It does not preseRt the appearance Of
being 80 high This building was
begun about 500 years ago and was in
tended TO have two towers. but the eI-
pense was so enormous that it is probs
bic the other will never be flushed
This deficiency somewhat disf cures the
external appearance OF the building, As
the unfinished tower which is square
rises out halt way. The external ap-
pearsnce oil the cathedral IS character
zsd by q light, airy gracefulness OF
both structure and material. Some OF
the carvings 10 the sandstone, OF which
it is constructed, are extremely delicate
and beautiful, and great number OF
carved images cluster around its por-
tails and adhere to its walls. Although
the abrasions oil time have made lit.le
impression upon this structure yet the
ravages OF cruel war have very much
defaced it. 1t is estimated that it was
struck by shells and other projectiles
nearly 1000 times. Nearly all the
great windows were badly shattered,
the organ was struck by a shell and
very much damaged and some OF the
statues and carving on the exterior
we're broken. The entire damage 10
the building is estimated al two millions
OF francs, or tour hundred thousand dol
lars. In this cathedral we saw the
wonderful and world renowned astron-
omical clock which has been substitut-
ed for 90 older one that has been re-
moved The Growing OF q cock mount.
ed on a pillar, at uoou. and the sp-
pearance Of the apostles one after the
other, is nothing more than childs toy
or puppet show. which excites neither
wonder nor admiration. The most in
terestiog aRd wonderful portion is the
astronomical dial which indicates the
ines and seasons Of ecclesiastical events
az far as they are associated with as
Economical phenomenal the phases OF the
moon and the equation Of time. 1t also
iud Gates the day Of the week. month,
and year and the astronomical calculs-
tioLs on which it is constructed extend
over a period of nine hundred ysArs 1t
indicates the hour, half and quarter
hours, aud the bells are struck by su-
tomston figures; youth strikes the
l..