Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-03


loadstone that would draw me there
again, her cathedral is, and | will say
is worth the journey not only OF one
hundred miles to see it, but the trip
across the Atlantic itself.
can never forget the bold impres
sions made by the tall spire and grace.
full architecture OF what was in French
Strassburg called the Cdthedrate, but in
German Strassburg is to-day called the
Dom. Shooting away from the earth to
a dizzy height rises this spire, its top
finished in huge cross that stands so
far above the humble mortal on the
pavement below, that it seems as though
were it at his feet he could almost lift
it with one hand, though never once is
it out of proportion to the eye. Almost
the highest point raised artiiicially
above the ground about it upon the face
of the globe, the dome of old St. Peters
at Rome seems TO drift and float in the
clouds, yet this cross at Strassburg is
thirty feet higher. st. PauPs at Lon.
don, sends her gilded cross away up
where it ever looks dim in the constant
haze of the worlds metropolis. Yet
ambitious Strassburg has reached and
carry the eye from the pavement up to
the cross makes the head to swim. 1t
seems to reach far away into space
four hundred and sixty five feet it rises
in height (fguratively speaking, straight
as an arrow and in the most pleasing
harmony of Gothic architectural pro.
portion. When, in 1870, the German
troops were knocking at the gates OF
Strassburg, shell from one of their
guns accidentally for the gunners were
told to avoid touching the cathedral
struck this elevated cross and twisted
and bent it, but the fearless Strassburg.
ers took off their jackets and clambered
to the top and Strengthened it.
When | was there workmen were yet
engaged over the huge edifce. Like
insects they looked from below, oblit.
Grating the reminders of the siege, for
statutary and other ornamentation had
been swept away by shot and shell,
which had to be restored indeed al.
most one thousand projectiles from the
German cannon had reached it.
This structure has ever been consid.
cred wonder, and it counts among its
visitors emperors and kings, distinguish
ed soldiers and literati, and high up in
its tower the names Of Gnthe and Vol.
taire may yet be seen inscribed amidst
perfect whirlwind of signatures OF
great and small.
The huge pile was commenced in the
twelfth century and gradually crawled
by degrees to completion. Its walls are
replete with the most exquisite OF work
manshlp. The whole cruciform in shape
follows the general plan OF European
cathedrals. From the high tower one
almost imagines he can trace the cross
in the huge and mighty pile OF mason.
ry heaped up upon the ground below
him. The interior of the church is
vast and the effects imposing. But as
to the clock, noon is the hour to see it.
for then the whole concern like pyro.
technics goes off at once. | wandered
about. for nearly an hour, examining
the huge ediiice, and patiently waiting
for midday. A great many others who
seemed to be drawn by the same attrac.
tion kept me company-Americans
English, Germans, French and Italians,
and some few who seemed from their
pilgrim look and dust covered clothing,
to have done the thing on foot from
under the shadow of the great wall of
China. One without information would
naturally look for the clock in the
steeple, but that is not its location, it
stands in the right transept, on the
level of the great floor. Immediately in.
side the door, and is therefore of course
entirely within the church. II is prob
able twenty-five or thirty feet wide,
[ Il. D
completed in 1912, and is the third
erected here, the first having been con.
structed sometime in the year 1911.
About a quarter before twelve went
over to the front of the curiosity and
secured position. Soon the space
about me began to fill with the assem-
bling audience. A tall. fat, polyglot
custodian, clothed in heavy black, edged
with silver, and on his head small
close fitting skull cap, soon put in an
| appearance. In his hand he held a
metallic staff or wand. lie constantly
moved about among the lockers on,
every few minutes letting off directions
in alternate bursts of French and Ger
man. lie evidently considered the
stomach very sensitive organ of the
human system, for as he time and
again admonished the crowd that was
beginning to push forward, not to jostle
each other, with every admonition he
desperately brought the point Of his
wand against the howels OF mild look
ing Strassburg school boy, who had
doubtless dropped in to see the explo
sion every day at noon for a year, and
who now blandly smiled and endeavor.
ed not TO look injured each time he
was recognized by the important beadle.
The clock presents wonder of me-
chanism. Below the symbolic deity of
each day advances in its order, com.
mencing with Apollo on Sunday, higher
an angel strikes the quarters, whilst a
| figure beside him reverses his sand glass
The full hours are struck by skeleton
upon higher point about which stand
boyhood, youth, manhood and old age.
Far above, the twelve Apostles at noon