Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-08-03
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
Our Foreign Letter.
INNSBRUCK, July "a, 1878.

Dear Joatrraal:- My last letter con-
tanned so many historical notices OF
the places which we passed through
on our route to Pisa, our next stop
ping place, that before I was aware, !
had reached my limit and had to de-
lay this city till the next. Our guide
book, which is very compile e, gave
them to US and thinking they would
interest you as they did us, l could
not forbear taking up some of the
space in mentioning them. On our
arrival at this city we were struck
with the cleanliness of the streets,
not the least particle Of dirt being
sible anywhere. 1t is probably the
cleanest city to be found. The streets
are paved with large flag stones and
We're as smooth as table, SO smooth
Iii idcJ that horses We're liable to lall
and in order to remedy this difficulty
workmen were engaged in cutting
little grooves IN them.
Pisa in point Of population is small
Ter than the other cities which we
have visited, for the sake of visiting,
bl4, it is none the less interesting.
Thee a ( -four principal places Of in
terest and they are all near each
ether. The first is the celebrated
Leaning Tower. It's height is l79
feet, and Is feet out of perpendicular.
From the top We had q fine view of
the surrounding ountry which is
beautiful, In the distance, and among
other pls es, was Lucca, where the
6 eat Cae7lr, when he was governor
Of Gaul in B. G. Sc, held conference
with Pompey and Crapus. The
tower was built in l174 and conplet-
ed in 1850. 1t is not known whether
the tower was built originally out Of
perpendicular or not, but it is pre-
sumed that it vas, IN order to show
the architectural skill Of the builders.
It has had several new columns placed
upon it and wo"kmen were engaged in
repairing it when we were there. 1t
has seven bells, the largest of which
weighs six tons. It is only rung on
great fes' walls.
TIE second is the Cathedral, 7063
to lll8 It is adol led with elegant
paintings which deserved a longer
,udy than we could give them. 1t
contains the celebrated lamp called
Galileo's lamp, which gave that phil
osopher the first idea Of the rotundity
of the earth.
The third is the Baptistery, built of
marble and having in it a marble pull
pit, which all the world comes to see.
Baptism is given in it every day, and
persons for miles around bring their
children to be baptized here.
The fourth is the Campo Santo,
which has some elegant tombs and
mo 1ume1ts. The ground used in it's
70. nation was brought from Jne Holy
Land in ffty-three ships, Itpossesses
the strange property Of decomposing
the body in twonty-four hours after
burial.
Pisa has other objects which ought
not be overlooked when giving a
sketch Of tbs city. One is the chapel
Of Santa Maria della Spina, thus call
ed because a piece ofone Of the tborns
IN the crown Of our Savior was pre-
served here. It is right near the
edge Of the river running through
the city, and was built in 1880 for the
accommodation of sailors going out 10
sea. 1t is all marble and The prettiest
chapel of its size We have YET seen.
There is also another church here
which has in it the Turkish flags cap
tured in the battle of Lepanto in 1871,
and still another built exactly Ike
the church IN Jerusalem. She has a
university i'll which Galileo taught,
and an Academy Of Fine Arts. The
paintings N 1t are good and are ali
old, some dating from the 18th CEN
tury There are also preserved many
Of The manuscripts written before The
| art Of printing was discovered The
letters are Of The old style and SO re-
| llarkably well executed that if lou
did not know that there was 70 pint
ing in hose days you would insist that
| they were printed. Nothing but
severe patience and unremitting labor
could have produced such grand
| v orl;s; Indeed, il seem: ibat such c
thing would in QUIZ days be impossi'
bic at any price. We were also shown
the house in which Tord Byron LIVED