The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1880-10-16
SECOND EDITION
Our European Letter.
A VISIT TO COLOaNE-sIGHTS AND
SCENES IN THAT CITY.
From our Regular Oorrespondent.

MA ANCE, Dept' oV, 1oov'
Did we tell you of the musical
clocks of Amsterdam ? Nearly |
every clock in Amsterdam seems to |
be pervaded by musical spirit that
asserts itself just before it strikes the
hour, as prelude to that event.
Some of the public clocks are pom
derous affairs and are furnished with
the musical machinery accordingly,
and were it possible for them all to
be brought up to time they would
give wonderful concord of sounds.
But as every clock goes on its own
sweet will, they scatter the music at
random through the hours. At
twelve, Eoon, and at midnight they
give their choicest notes, aud pro-
long them for several minutes.
Cologne is the point on the Rhine
where we take steamer for trip of
one hundred to one hundred and fifty
miles up that romantic, historic and
beautiful river. Cologne we cross
ell the Rhine to get into the city,
crossed it in the night, whilst full
moon looked down from clear sky
upon the net work of scaffolding that
clustered about the Cathedral like
SPIDERS web, frosted and turned to
jewels by the light. 1t was to us
one of those
"thiugs OF beauty"
that Will be 'Joy forever!
Looming up amid the clouds it
looked indeed like sweet creation
that would fade away in the night,
and leave but the
Rtw yial4 ~
But next morning being Sunday
we found it still there, looking less
ethereal than in the moonlight and
filed with busy life, with breathed
prayers, and with music from a won
derous organ, and bright with silver
and gold and precious stones. 1t
seemed as though all the wealth and
all the art of sculpture had been law
ished upon this one building. And,
indeed, much of both have centered
here in all the past seven hundred
years in which they have been work.
ing at this costly pile. Its two main
spires climb up into the clouds to
the height of five hundred and fifteen
feet. Its interior is gorgeous withclus
tered pillars and its rich stained
glass windows, a hundred feet in
height surpass all others in Europe
or elsewhere. It's choir ceilings are
one hundred and sixty feet in height
and the ceilings of the South portal
is two hundred and thirty four feet.
The scaffolding around it required
thirteen years to erect, and it will
take all the workmen that can pro-
fitably be employed, a year to take
it down.
Beside its wealth in gold and pre-
cious stones the Cathedral is rich in
| relics. Here is buried the heart of
Marie de Medicis. Here are the
tombs of the Archbishops for the
past five hundred years, and here
are. the skulls of the Magi, brought
by the Empress Helena from Con-
stantinople, and many other such
rare collections. There are shrines
and crosses and vessels of gold and
silver blazing with diamonds.
There are also other churches OF
note in Cologne. Here is st..
Ursula with the bones of the eleven
thousand virgins, piled up in awful
array, a grand old pile, but paled
before the unequalled grandeur oi
the new Cathedral,
Did we purchase any of the verita
: BILE Colognel Ofcourse we did, anC
it at the shop of one of the verita.
BILE Johwn Maria Farinas though the
original Johwn has been buried fol
several years. Every one buys the
genuine article from the genuine
shop, and pays little more for il
than when bought at another place
Cologne is an old city Agrippina
was born here before the Christian
Era. Roman remains are standing
/ in various parts, and the Porta Clan
dia and some old walls arc we'll pre-
) served.
After three days we were glad tt
take steamer for the interesting
4 ascent of the Rhine. The steamer:
are large, commodious and swift, be.
ing the best of their class we have
: seen on the Continent, ard make the
up trip of about one hundred ant
forty miles in about twelve hours
The passengers are largely Englisf
who appear to set out with the in
tention of having good time. Their
are few Americans and a sprink
/ ling of other nations; though the En-
Q glish is the ruling language.
The day is one of the "pet days,
t soft and mild, with the rich sunshine
falling upon water and land, givin.
both the richest and brightest col
ors. For the first twenty miles tn,
/, scenery is disappointing, being rathe
! fat, though lined by villages will
their churches and windmills as pro
r minent objects.
e Every eye is directed forward, ant
: every one seems to be awaitisg tn
|, developments Of the charming river
The mountains called "Seven Sis
ters" first loom in the distance, ant
slowly detach themselves from tn
clouds and assume individual form
. and shape; then an old castle tower
q aloft, and when we get within six o
!, eight miles some inspired soul ex
a claims: .==
q THE c ,stled crag OF Drachenfels. q
| Frowns o'er the wide and winding Rain
a | Whose breast of waters broadly swells
Between the ban ks which bear tho vin'
d Yes, there it stands upon the roc
n that rises nearly perpendicular NOR
than a thousand feet above the rive
tbara II stonds ovar1 nOkinu q acor