The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1878-11-02
Correspondence Baltimore County
LETTER FROM SWITZERLAND
Strassburg and Some of it's Curiosi
The Swiss lakes and Mountains


which it indicates, and for the many figure s,hich
are in motion when the clock strikes. In = city
we notice particularly the great number Iwk-
ward storks, which, being protected by :, are
permitted to build their nests on the roc / and
chimnies, of the houses. The same thine no.
ticeable in the neighboring city of Bale. Mass
burg, which is large and well fortified, is cap
ital of the provinces taken from the Fren dur
ing the late war, and was until recently the
boundary between Germany, France and S tier
land. -iiit9 -
We make brief stop at Bale, noted
the residence for time of Erasmus the Fl
Luther. In its cathedral is all that rem
Holbeins celebrated frescoes of "The d
Death"
Our next stopping place was SchaGht
the Falls of the Rhine, which is one Of II
cascades in Europe. Neither in hei
volume of, water is it to be compa,
ra, and yet it is well worth Wis
highest in June and July when tt
the Alps is melting. At this time
full and strong, and the water is das
it is hurled over the rocks, and if
is favored with the light of a clear, full m,
will carry away with him picture which
recall often with pleasure. Our hotel here
first in which the walters were girls. The
a costume which, as in many places in Sw
and Germany, is peculiar to the localit
ssts of a black velvet od'''
neck, laced at the sides, ane
silver clasps connected by long silver chains. The
bodice also has wide white sleeves. The costume
is quite pretty which am sorry is more than can
be said of the girls who wore it.
On elT way to Lucerne we stop at Zurich which
is one of the most lourshing of the Swiss cities,
noted for its manufactures Of silk and cotton, its
world renowned Polytechnic Institute and for its
unrvaled location. Situated at the foot of Lake
Zurich it has from nearly every part of the city
superb view of the lake whose green shores are
dotted on each side with villages and summer no.
tells, while the snow capped Alps rise in the dis
tant back ground. The settlement of the place
antedates Roman times and indeed any authentic
history. In the museum here is preserved the
finest known collection of relics from the ancient
lake jewellers who have been as great mystery to
the antiquarians our mound builders, and about
whom next to nothing is yet known. In the
old armory the traveller will be shown one of the
numerous cross bows, which claim the distinction
of having once belonged to William Tell, if in
deed our cold blooded historians do not decide that
such person never lived.
Leaving Zurich we soon reach Lake Tug, a beau
tifu little sheet of water nine miles long by three
in breadth which is deeply set in between green
mountain slopes, while towards the south towers
the lofty Mt. Regi which is here visible from base
to summit.
Shortly after, we reach Lucerne which is loca-
ted at the foot of lake of the same name, is a
favorite resort of tourists A clear, dark stream
which issues from the lake and flows swiftly
through the city, is crossed by four bridges, two
of which are old and very quaint These two are
furnished with roofs and are decorated with paint
ings one with sd pictures representing incidents
in the lives of the patron saints of the city, the
other with 40 grotesque pictures of the "Dance of
Death" In these last death is represented as
present in every profession and occupation of ife
Of course every one hears the great organ, which
is one of the best three four in Europe. But to
me the finest thing in Lucerne is Thorwaldsen's
grand figure of the dying lion. This is % feet in
length cut in the face of solid perpendicular
rock, and is monument to the memory of 90 of
fcers and 760 soldiers of the Swiss guard who
were mastered in the defense of the Tuilleries in
1892. It's simple and grand proportions are Won
derfully impressive and show the power of true
art This work is. study for hours.
From Lucerne a sail of three hours takes us to-
Fluelen, at the opposite end of the lake of the
Cantons, one of the most beautiful sails which all
Switzerland can boast. The whole extent of the
lake is associated with the Swiss hero Tell and
the incidents and scenery are faithfully depicted
in Schiller's William Tell.
We pass the little district Of Gersau, tract of
only eight square miles shut in on all sides by
mountains and lakes 1t boasts the distinction Of
being for four hundred years free state, and 'e
smallest one that has ever had an indep t
existence. Soon after, VS. pass sz >srln-.
rock rising from the lake which is inscr
huge gilt letters in honor of Frederick SchilIv
the Bard of Tell" A few minutes later our steam
err passes close by a little building called Tells
chapel, erected on the spot where it is said lie
sprang from Gessler's boat.
Two miles from Fluelen is the little village of
Altorf where Tell performed his terrible feat of
archery and defed Gessler. The familiar story of
his shooting the apple from his sons head is dear
to every Swiss heart and is often illustrated in or
namenting houses for I have several times seen at
one corner of house the wooden figure of boy
with an apple on his head and at the other a
carved archer with drawn cross-bow aiming at the
apple. sg
At this end of the lake we are in the midst of
snow capped mountains and in sight, nearly over
our heads glacier is working its way slowly, its
lower end dropping almost into the lake. Re-
turning we land at Vitznau, at the foot of Mt.
Regi, where we take the railway up the mountain.
This road is about four miles in length, and in
this distance makes an elevation of nearly 1000
feet. In some places the elevation is one foot in
every four. 1t is constructed like the Mt. Wash
ington railway with heavy cog rail between the
two common rails, which connects with a strong
cog wheel on the main axle of the engine. The
ascent takes about an hour and quarter. To
my surprise found in place of the cheap and
small hotel which was on the summit five years
ago, two fine hotels, one costing nearly $4,000
The Regi is nearly 1000 feet above the level &
the sea, and about $500 feet above lake Lucer1e
which washes its base. From the summit there
one of the finest and most extended views to lie
seen from any place in Europe. This magnificent
panorama has n circumference of nearly 300 mills,
and includes u range of snow covered Alps o
miles long, thirteen lakes of different sizes, one
near that you think you can certainly throwa
stone into it from where you stand, and on ore
side broad open plain which stretches away inc
the Black Forest in the far distance. After eT-
joying the wonderful view for an hour we r.
tire early as we are to be awakened by the Alpine
horn at $3.50 in the morning to see the sunrise
AT that unseemly hour we hear strange, SWEET
sound ringing through the halls of the hotel whiCl
seems to say to us as we are yet half asleep, STR
da- ira da- duida." In few minutes a molly
crowd of sleepy eyed people are shivering in tie
cold wind which sweeps across the summit, ard
looking anxiously toward that quarter of tie
heavens where it is hoped the sun will soon al
pear. No language can begin to describe tie
beauty of the scene as the day light and then tie
rays of the sun glance from peak to peak of the
snow covered mountains. A clear sun rise seel
from Reg is one of the few things which caa
never be forgotten. The botanist of our party
found more than forty varities of flowers growing
within few rods of the hotel.
After breakfast we descend by way OF the IN
clined railway and take the boat for Alpnach from
which we go by carriages over the Brunig Pass ~
Giessbach on Lake BrienZ. The carriage road
over Brunig is wonder Of engineering skill and
many times as we looked ahead at the apparently
impossible mountains it seemed as if the road
must certainly come to an untimely end. The as
cent is comparatively undressing but the de
scent is very fine, beautiful views constantly
breaking in upon us. At Giessbach we are als0
pleasantly surprised to find very fine new hotel
in place of an old one. This place, which consists
of nothing but this great hotel is visited entirely
for the sake of the waterfall and its illumination
by night. It's six cascades are lighted by different
colored Bengal lights, which are burned back Of
them. This gives the appearance of a waterfall
of different colored flame and is certainly striking
however questionable may be its taste. A ride OIL
less than an hour brings us to Intertaken q viii
is most delightfully."- situated on plane between
two lakes and in full sight of the snow covered
Jungfrau. 1t is the headquarters for excursions
into the Overland, and the point from which trips
are best made to the glacier of Gridenwald and
the little waterfall of Staubbach which makes an
unbroken leap of $50 feet, and falls in fine mist at
the base of the precipice.
A ride of three hours brings us to the quaint
city of Bern, which is said to have preserved its
characteristic features better than any other Swiss
town. Along the principal streets the houses are
built on arches the side walk. Bern is the.
capital of the Swiss confederaey, and contaiRsthr
plain and inexpensive but convenient government
buildings The session of their Legislative body
had lust closed and we had the pleasure of only