Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-02-27
ar. pAuL's

Muhlback.
Revond the gates OF Rome stands the
p%as;l;,a of St. Paul, an ediice OF the
rraatest magnitude and elegance, toward
the construction of which the entire
world contributed, much being. due to
munificence of princes and soyer-
e;yns. The altar Of the tribune consists
of Iapis lazuli ard malachite, cemented
and ornamented with gold. 1t is a gift
of the Russian car. The pillars which
support the gilded dome covering the
altar are of transparent Oriental alabas-
ter given by the khedive of Egypt. The
marble statues filling the recesses of the
trancept are offerings of religious princes
of Italy and Germany. Sovereigns and
of the entire world seem to
have united and We'd with each other in
identifying the structure, and, by adding
to its splendor, endeayored to bury In
oblivion old legends connected with the
curious edifice which formerly occupied
the same site.
Prior to the martyrdom of st. Paul,
precisely on the ground where has now
been erected the most splendid church OF
Rome, was Il garden which enclosed a
small habitation owned by the widow
Lucina, a pious matron who enthusiastic
cally embraced at an early date the
christian faith. And having been a wit
ness to the decapitation, the widow had
succeeded in possessing herself OF the
corpse of the apostle, and was able to
carry it into the house situated on the
road to Ostia. There, with the assistance
of kind friends: a grave was dug for our
Saviour's disciple in n of the under
ground passages. At a subsequent per-
iod the Emperor Constantine caused a
church to be erected over the last rest
ing place of the apostle. Subsequently,
under the Emperous Valentinian, Theo-
dosius and Arcadius, the edifice was
greatly enlarged and extended into a
basilica. Thus the splendor of the
church of St. Paul was founded at an
early date and greatly enriched by each
succeeding pope, being looked upon as the
oldest house of God through
out Christendom. The structure,
indeed, seemed to have been
rendered invincible against destruc-
ton, and destined to endure eternally.
Yet the hand of man was impotent to
afford means of protection against the
ravages of devouring elements, or to
stay the gnawing teeth of time. The
stones began to crumble and the mighty
outer walls showed visible signs of decay,
through the lapse of time, while the ele-
ments shared in the work of destruction
through an earthquake which had the eff
feet of shaking even the giant pillars.
Thus, in the beginning of the nineteenth
century the wonderful structure was
found in a weak and lettering condition,
fated to he numbered among the ruins of
Rome. The inhabitants of the Eternal
City looked timidly around and contem-
plated %mournfully the wreck of a by
gone greatness-indeed, regarded it as an
evil forerunner of history or as a sum-
mons which implied a warning of the
end of Rome's glory.
Between each of the pillars in the old
Basilica recesses were constructed in
which, from the earliest period down to
modern times, busts had been placed of
each succeeding pope. But in the year
1923 there remained only one of those
recesses vacant, awaiting the bust of
the coming pope. The Romans timidly
whispered to each other expressing fears
lest the papacy would come to an end
with the filling of this last niche. Vague
hints were thrown out that a terrible ca.
lamity was to befall the Holy City. The
Romans had learned a lesson from the
history of other nations; they apparent
ly felt that hazardous prophecies art
often turned into truths. Thus it hat
happened at Frankfort-on-the-Mai tn,
city where the coronation of the Ger
man emperors used to take place. There
around the hall known as the "Ka;ser
saal," are recesses in which frescoes wer,
placed representing each succeeding em
peror of Germany. The portrait O
Francis III. had filled out the last yacan
recess, and thus had been closed a serie
of German emperors. AS if to stamI
with truth the terrible prophecies whicI
had long been muttered by the peopl
it came to pass that, in the year 1906
the Emperor Francis II. renowned tn
crown of the Germano-R Roman empire.
There was still another analogy. A
Venice, in the large hall of the palace O
the Doges, there remained three vacan
places in the upper lunettes for the r
ception of portraits of Doges. Thos,
who have visited the hall remember il
the corner of the left side the evil looi
ing recess where in lieu of a portrait
found a black screen on which the omir
GUS words are written: "Marino Falier,
behetded in expiation of his crimes.
Near the fatal recess side by side al
placed the portraits of the unfOrtunat
mans predecessor and successor, the la.
remaining lunette being filled out by
portrait Of the Doge Manim. He was il
deed the last Doge, for in the year us
the Venetian Republic succumbed.
Perhaps the Romans had taken alar1
at these incidents; perhaps they tren
bled lest the remaining vacancy in I'll
recess of the Basilica of st. Paul migl
be constructed as an evil omen. A gel
eral feeling of depression had seized tt
inhabitants of the Eternal City; IL
minds of the people were imbued wit
vague notions tending to forebode II
downfall of the sovereignty of the Ho]
See Over the Christian world
Suddenly, during the nights of Il
y AONA, Ouit Ao~c, AsoIiAC VI
startled by the cry of fire. The inhabi
ants learned the sad news that San Pao
Fuori lie Mura was in flames. Durir
that anne night the Pope Plus VII. W;
in a dying state. Stretched on his cout
lay the Pontiff, restless, tossing to al
fro under suffering agonies of feve
With a load and painful moan the dyir
prelate exclaimed in a voice of angui.
that a vision had appeared to him, whit
foreboded that the Roman church wou
suffer great trials. To spare him fro
increased pain the disaster was not col
municated to the Holy Father, and tn
Plus VII. died without hearing of Il
destruction of the Basilica Of St. PAT
The origin of the conflagration h
been traced to the negligence of wor
men who were occupied in repairing Il
s roof of the Basilica; sparks of fire,
Z molten lead must have escaped from Il
+ brasier and caused the woodwork
ignite. The roof, according to O
c~hroniclers, consisted of cedar WOO
= brought especially from Mount Leblanc