The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-29
" Mrs. Min Germany.


Mrs. VI" I'm Germany.
| ANCIENT COLOGNE AND ITS MANY OBJECTS OF
| INTEREsT--THE ZO0LOGICAL GARDEN AND
| THE MCSEUM-THE DOM" OR CATHEDRAL,
ONE OF THE WORLDS WONDERS" BINGEN
on THE RHINE" &C.
| correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch
NAUNKERCHEN. July 6, 1880.
Cologne, where my readers last left me,
is very old city-oId-look indeed TO the
eyes OF young America. 1t was founded
| by the Emperor Caudius Of Rome, and
named after his wife. II is built in a half
moon on the banks of the Rhine. Its
streets are extremely narrow aud winding,
and have the appearance OF coming sud
denly TO a close when looked at in the dls.
tance. II was strongly fortified city. and
its fortifcation 10 this day are as strong as
ever.
The first place OF interest we visited was
| the Geological Garden. There we attended
a fine concert given out In the open AIR.
Several thousand people sat around tables
drinking beer. or strollng about over the
beautiful grounds examining the vast col
| lection Of animals from every part OF the
world, each one accommodated in marvel
lOus manner with the essentials OF its cline
and nature. We there recognized our
American squirrel and homey sparrow.
| They had negro exhibited with the ami
mals-the only negro, | suppose, in Ger
many. | am confident he was q lazy native
OF the United States. He was dressed IN
the old plantation style, only bis cap was
heavily adorned with painted feathers and
long plumes- -Indan.like. He rose when
approached, and seemed to like being eX-
bbiIed with the tigers and snakes. lie was
Obstnately silent.
THE MUSEUM.
The next place of interest was the New
Museum. We saw pictures and statues
there by the thousand, copied from the old
masters in Rome. The oldest one we saw
was picture OF the CrucitiXion, painted in
544. The thieves were represented as being
tied to the Cross and their bones broken,
while our Saviour was nailed, and, as it is
written, not a bone Of Him broken. Holy
subjects seemed 10 be the chief inspiration
OF those old masters. OF later date they
had Cromwell by the death-bed OF his only
daughter" sole daughter OF his house and
bealt," as is evident by the grim old cove
nanter's face. A II my life | have hated his
memory. but j turned from that picture
with dewy eyes. A painting Of Eve when
ings are Il great bureSque upon woman's
vanity. She is viewing herself in clear
brook, while in the apple-tree, looking
down upon her, is the peacock (yainest Of
fowls with all It's eaudy plumage spread.
The serpent-a most dangerous.looking
one-is watching her intently. There were
many hundreds Of pictures-all striking
and Interesting. A lovely one OF DelIlah
when she is having Samson's hair shorn.
A grand one of Vulcan and his stolen wife
the wife looking very sulky, which old Nu-
can, sure Of his power. seemed utterly 10
disregard.
COLOGNE'S CAPITOL.
From the Museum we went to the Rath
| house (the same as our CapitoD. This Is
| one OF the first houses built in Cologne. III
| is built entirely OF rock-roof and all. The
walls are papered with very ancient pic
tures-the roof with the c0at-of-arms OF the
noblemen OF Germany. Candles only are
used TO light up this rather dreary-0Oking
building. We were shown nine marble
statues. 80 old that none could tell their date
or origin, though they had most singular
history, First. three heathenS-iI Hector Of
Troy, Alexander the Great, and Julius
Cnsar: then three HebreWs-JOshua, Dan
IL.
Arduce, and Godfrey.
These statues were hid away during the Re-
| formation (when the taste ran so for de-
stroying) by a wall being built over them.
And thew were forgotten altogether until
so late as 1867, when, in making some atera-
tions, the wall was taken down and these
statues discovered, and now they are Co.
lognes prOudest boast. We went in this
house into a saloon where civil marriages
were contracted. The walls we're hung
from ceiling TO floor with richest tapestry
wrought in siIk-all said TO have been done
| by industrious queens. A couple were mar
ried while we were in the building, but we
were shut out, though anxious to see. We
saw the bride afterwards. She had on a
wreath OF orange blossoms. We went up
the steps Of the steeple-one hundred and
seventy.fve in number; Cologne and the
Rhine Law beneath us. We next went TO the
old stand where Eau de Cologne was first
manufactured, and bought one bottle. Re-
GREETED we could not buy bottle apiece for
| ali our Richmond friends.
THE DOM OR CATHEDRAL.
We went then to one OF the worlds Won
ders-the Dom, or Cathedral, OF Cologne.
This cathedral was begun in the thirteenth
century, and is OF pointed architecture,
and it will take another century to finish ii.
| The interior is in the shape OF a huge cross.
UDon entering one is struck with exceed
| inc awe at The vast and wODdrOus work,
| by which all other churches seem but cells.
Since Zion's desoiatlon, and He fOrsOok his
| former city, surely nothing Of sublimer AS
pect has been piled 10 His honor. Thearchi-
tect who planned the Cathedral has his life
sized picture banging amid the great and
the illustrious In the New Museum. Lead
ing from the principal entrance there are
eighteen columns on each side up TO the
altar and ten along the cross. These
coluhprs are sixteen feet through, fiuted
OF y6fiegated stone. In one end OF the
cross stands the organ sixty feet high, and
on the same side, dressed in mourning. Is
the shrine OF the Three Kings OF Cologne,
containing the relics OF these three kings,
or, in other words, the Three Wise Men
the Magi who came from the East 10
worship the infant Jesus. The skulls
alone are exhibited, and the skeletons
are preserved in silver coffin beneath the
shrine. The coffin Is exhibited. The skulls,
ghastly and black looking, are crowned, and
beneath the crowns is bound fillef, on
which, In gems OF different coIors, the names
OF each OF the Magi Is given. The names so
embiazoned are Gaspar, Melchoir, and Bar
thassr. The ornaments OF this shrine are
said TO be worth E240,00 All the win
dows, from the lofty ceiling down, are coy-
cred with grand paintings, illustrating Bible
and Crusadiog scenes. These windows are
the Gift OF the King OF Bavaria, also the de-