The Phoenix herald., 1879-06-14
AN OLD MISSION.
4 Graphic Description Of San
 Xavier del Bac.

The Mining and Se!eat5ic Press.
 of June 7th, contains the following
 description of that ancient building,
 the Church ot san Xavier del Bac;
 This interesting rehc of the zeal and enterprise of the padres, Is situat- cd near one ot the oldest towns in the
 United States-Tucson, Arizona. The
 Mission is named San Xavier del
 Bac, and although nearly 200 years
 old, it is still in a good sIate of pres
 ervatIon, and is opened to religious services for the naJives-''a haltcivil- izcd remnant of tine MeXIcO-Indian
 blood. It is the best preserved Mis- sion ruin the Territory, and Is one of the bOldest of its class in design and most elaborate in construction.
 Nine miles distant from Tucson, down the valley, is the old mission St Francis Xavier. which is one Ot the greatest objects in the country. It was built 200 years ago by com munitv of FranciScanS. One of the turrets is gone, but the belfry still standS,in which hang four or five bells in silver cadence, the others having either been stolen or lost. EOV reSck
 
 built in the solid wall, the steps worn into deep holes and Impressions by ascending and descending footsteps in years gone by. The church is cru ciierm, ana is an immense editlce, with immense arches, and with real lY wonderful acoustic facilities. Strange, that there was not a nail used in its construction. it is built of peculiar kind of cement, hard and re- sambling granite. The art of making it is now entirely lost The interior Is elaborately ornamented; the paint ings and coloring upon the walls are still vivid and bright, as though re gently executed, and gorgeous in et- feet. The altar-piece and several other pictures are evidently the work oI artists, but the others, which are numerous, were done by piOus bus not artistic hands. At the end of the .ransept, high up, midway batween- the floor and ceiling, is the most ghastly spectacle imaginable X cross of huge proportions is deeply imbedded in the wall, surrounded by rays of black, or dark brown anu white. The body once extended upon it, has either fallen or been torn down leaving one arm, lean and brown as, that of mummy, with bones pro nailed to the arm Of the cross It is spectacle to make one Shud- der in spite of himself. There are still D lifc-ike statues of apostles and saints l,ft standing in their niches- Upon the faces of some of them the expression is marvellous Some have fallen down, and others are mutilated by time or the irreverent. They all show skillful workmanship and were brought by the fathers from Spain- The gliding over and above the main altar is still verv rich. The main al- tar itself is covered with beaten vir- gin gold, taken by the monks or their Indian proselYtes from the mines. The altar service which Is also Ot solid gold. was carried away a few wears ago by priests who came from Mexico for the purpose. and there are but two small vessels left to Sh LOW what the other and larger pieces must have been. There are still some of the rich veStments left, bat their gor- @eous texture is maTred hy long ser vice and abuse. The heavy doors arc made of solid wood of great thick ness, which is joined together in pan els by grooves. The large outer doors were not only made of thick timber, bat were covered by thick sheets of copper, secured froaa the mines aud smelted by the monks themselves, which, in conjunction with the enur- nous bar on the inside. make them to any attack from their savage enemy In connection with the church is the monastery or cloiS- tcr,and within the surrounding in- closure Is the mOrluary cAapel-a hugh sepulcher, where those who kept their vigilS and t0iled in 8 strange land to lead into the paths of peace the benightcd nations, rest from their labors and arc forgot cn.