The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-03-20
THE PORCELAIN TOWER.
History Of Yauous C,iiacse pagc,!a
Description q H. Ermaia-.

't!'a col.'.r-,..-l G',..,--...l .5'sugr,
iitrL Whiting. git.u... Is 'i--. ..--s '.y q.
i-s't ele'. wi'D s-i - III --.-- d. -.,-- f-.s-
i.i;iS W. ""..1 u;.. .t ..-.s ~.-E - lIa
south Ss-,-- taTsEEi. % ,.,-.i--...-. siCf-ti
i"i!n"i, @i-a SHORTY stp-s. .riG 'Ii
cniLciIrr whose -u.i..;-.' U,-: s- 90. s-- %
Ce1F's, consisting rj .-pA BE- .EIr.l>,
tlitS ;tEu iii.sStcT several .,-- tHlrh.
This WAS ;;il-all that " Is i-.- ,.s ihIJ
which. iOE It's historic hstu;E. tl' IN
ccIuitF OF IFS COlst.U t.U:. ,s:j is
gTe.It cost, too, rank witI "a" wonders
Oi the wUTlt-ti!e famous Porcelain
Tower. II must have been ,,-. beau
tliui IN It's perfection. d W. ;g,,-;'is. the
statements of It's yufigs,s hi-.oilus.
who differ 50 little ~ t-ei- E-rDIIts
That one does for all. From .--..I we
learn lis form WIS ;..--r--1a... Hiue
stories high, t;Iperiug "a l. If.s- - tar
height Of PSI feet from tI' ,s-.I.Isil. tIc
circumference OF the lower ,tcrg icing
I2O feet.
The body Of the pagola S.l5 e.. brick.
but It's lac" was cDmpb,et u- jsIr,. -lIII
tiles % many co.u-s. .trt story
formed Il kiGd "a s.;iauu. trough
which :sIn the spiral s.s.iT-.sa i...iIu-
u the summit, and whJs- walls we're
covered with small "il,ltJi Idols resting
IL h!cllca, the eutIrc :put;ae:!t richly
plinteu ana gildc,.. I-J,.i a,JTr WIS
deiihe,l 10y prOi-ctiIgc gcaIilic,.nl green
tiles, from wIiosc points g..iat Sell,
Were hung.
Tie roof Was oYcrlJisi Wltn copper,
aad above l. rJsc = mast ;dlr,, feet
hi5i, capped BY = golden b-Il and
cul!e;! about w an Immense ir;lJ Of
iron, appearing Ike rir.cs from ii.iOW.
Tie b.ISc OF this saGii v-lS ~! jggt JIi!
formed OF tW0 AaiVrS, Tie uua-r sur
face az which i lnaTAi;icvusiy en-
bOSsrd. ! say J., far uu, -.iail rests
where it fell, tho Ualy tangible tIing
lii the ma5S of rHin. The other half.
weigIiuI twelve tons, being h-y.,-n
10y the fail, WIS reciSt into Il Temple
bell.
StanIing before Ju2 hall which it
left. we queTy who We're they that
fashioned this b.la,ifu. eating.
worthy the hand o; Il master? NhJse
writing AMI inscription eInby!liSh2,i It's
face, unlike amy Chinese workman
Shlps WhCSe skill WAS great enough
IN y, ID. l13j to place bali of iron
thirty-six feet IL circumference, WejJh-
ing twenty-fOur tons, upon 4 PEDESTAL
POI feet high? ThiS bal WAS the re-
ceptacle of various treasures calculated
to ward OF all evil Influences, among
which were "hright shining jewels"
pearls, ls94ks, gold, silver, thousands Of
Striaga " cash, satin, silk, ami price
less medicine.
The number Of bells on the structure
Was l522, and the interior w;.s iliUmi-
mated 10y several hundreds Of l.Vaps,
while the exterior required Is 10 light
1t. 1t took nineteen yeaia 90 build it,
and cost S3,jlJ,0IS.
Or all this. iiGt one story rests Oh the
Otheri lightning, fire and war have
lad their hands upon il, and il iail, its
final destrOyers being the T;pping
rebels, about twenty years ago. Il
stood in the grounds of Buddhist
monastery, which fell ut the same time
Il prey to the fanaticism and raaacity
Of the invaders. One work of art
within the grounds escaped deStruc-
ton, pure white mlrble tortoise,
bearing upon his hack perpendicular
tablet with an inscription. This. with
one SOLITARY priest, keeps watch and
ward over the runs of bygOnc glory.