Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1879-02-06
Helena, Montana, Thursday, February 6, 1879.

the work of Giovanni of Pisa. Among the
most conspicuous of the paintings we OBJ
served carefully the four of the great artist,
Andrea del Sarto, st. Catherine, st. Marguer-
ite, St. John and St. Agnes, the last his
masterpiece, and though about 800 years old
the colors are fresh and the expression most
natural and beautiful The interior of the
church is remarkable for containing three
classes of Mosaics-the Byzantine, Florentine
and Roman. These are distributed on the
ceiling, raiings and pavement. The large
bronze doors, three in number. were executed
by Giovanni di Bologna. The cupola is grand
being adorned by many pillars supporting
arches. 30 that it gives the appearance of a
crown, and the fine effect of this can better
be imagined than described. After leaving
this grand old edifce, we proceeded to the
| BAPTIsTERY,
which rises from the ground in the shape of
a huge dome. 1t is just opposite the cathe-
dral, is $50 feet in diameter and 100 feet in
height. The exterior is principally of marble
and is surmouhted by cupola and cone,
upon which is placed the figure of. St. John
the Baptist. The interior is elaborately orna-
mented and is celebrated far and wide for it's
fine echo, heard by the visitor standing on
the floor from the several arched corridors
above. The custodian sang three notes, and
long after he had ceased the sounds were re-
produced above, until the three were united,
forming a perfect chord, and this was con-
tinued so far above as to produce an effect
equal to choir of distant voices. The fount
is entirely of Parian marble of Grecian sculp-
ture; but the principal attraction is the marble
pulpit, of exquisite workmanship, designed
by Nicolo Pisano. A fac simile is the rare
work of art we saw at the South Kensington
Museum, London. Two of the marble pill
lars in the Baptistery were brought from
Elba, and are transcendently beautiful, both
in texture and workmanship.
| After leaving this remarkable edifice, and
passing safely through the usual crowd of
Italian beggars, we proceeded to the Campo
Santo, adjoining the cathedral. This ceme-
terry, though very old, is not so magnificent
in sculpture and statuary as that of Genoa,
but still it attracts the tourist, both on &C.
count of its antiquity and the fact that all the
earth surrounding the structure was brought
from Jerusalem in fifty-three ships, as long
ago as 1928. Among the statues we saw
Bartollnis ''Inconsolal,le, which is the most
prominent. The most conspicuous sarco-
phagus is that containing the remains of the
Countess Beatrice. We also saw the huge
iron chains of the ancient gates of Pisa, a
colossal Roman bath-tub of one solid piece of
marble, and many antiquities in sculpture
and frescoes.
AS valet de place, or guide, is ''neces-
sary evip' in all the principal cities of Italy,
we fortunately secured the services of very
intelligent one, who showed US everything of
interest in Pisa and gave a good deal of in
formation in general and in detail, which
would be impossible to obtain from other
| sources. Having walked through the Campo
Santo and seen everything of interest we pro-
ceeded to the
LEANING TOWER,
which is justly styled one of the ''Seven
Wonders of the World" This is indeed
very extraordinary work, not on account of
its beauty of architecture, (for in this respect
it is not remarkably but in consequence of
its inclination from the perpendicular. 1t is
100 feet in height, consisting of eight stories,
with outside galleries, projecting about seven
feet The effect, looking down from the top,
as can attest from actual experience, is
something akin to the grand and terrific, the
topmost story overhanging the base on one
side not less than 10 OF 20 feet. The ascent
is made by 295 steps, and the view of the sur
rounding country from the top is exceedingly
beautiful. The tower is wonderfully fine in
its proportions, when we remember that it
has been in this leaning position for more
than six centuries. Its summit is still ten feet
within the centre of gravity and is therefore
considered perfectly safe and reliable. In
fact, it looks as though time had no power to
change or lessen its long tested strength and
durability.
We expect to leave tomorrow for Rome to
spend the Christmas holidays there, and may
send you few notes from that city.
D. W. F.
The Chinese Bill.
WASHINGTON, January 31.-Senatcr Sargent
has to-day received assurances from the chair
man and other prominent members of the
Foreign Relations Committee which insure