The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-07-17

4 Graphic Description Of Rome's Great
Cathedral.


The great church is before US. Won
ierful st. Peters, with its broad and
inviting approach. The facade rises
like the front of temple not planned
by man or made with hands, while over
all is seen the lofty dome, symbol Of
the heavens out OF which it seems to
have descended. We ascend the spa
cious steps and enter the vestibule,
where marble statues, rich frescoes,
and wondrous doors of bronze give
grand suggestion of the magniticonce
within. We push aside the heavy cur
tain ut the door and enter. Enter, do
| say? AT the first glance you are ar
rested by the magnificence that bursts
resplendent upon your gaze. You
stand entranced. Were it not idolatry
you would fall down and worship.
Standing there, your feet are on the
round slab of porphyry on which the
Emperors were formerly crowned. We
advance along that spacious nave, i'm
paneled with rarest and richest mar
bles, hung with gorgeous tapestry,
adorned with choicest statuary, on eth
or side rising pillars and columns sup
porting lof y arches through which are
seen chapels, tombs, and affairs OF sur
passing splendor; and over all, $50 feet
above that mosaic floor, the richly cof-
fered ceiling. 1t seems as If the lound
world had been searched for treasure
with which to enrich this marvellous
pile. And here are magnificent pict-
ures, SO wondrously executed that they
hold you in their contemplation until
your admiration becomes astonishment
when you find that these are all wrought
with almost superhuman skill and init
mite patience IN mosaic every feature,
even to the eyebrows, accurately por-
trayed. But we are now beneath the
great dome, where we look up throlg h
405 feet OF glorious sun-ni-tt to its vault
ed ceiling. Around the frie.e or rim,
in mosaic letters, each six feet long,
runs the legend in Latin, Thou art
Peter, and upon tins rock / VII build
My church, and to thee give the keys
OF the kingdom of heaven" The dome
is divided into sections by ribs covered
with gilded stucco. Here we see four
series of colossal mosaic pictures more
than two acres of mosaics. Around the
lower part run scenes in the life of
Christ. Above these are seen scenes
in the life OF the Virgin, then series
representing the apostles, while away
on the lofty ceiling, as if looking out
from the heavens, is seen God the Fa-
Their. But let us make the ascent of
this dome. We climb l40 steps, wind
ing our way around central shaft, the
walls of which bear memorial tablets Of
royal personages who have gone fore
,ls, and we come out upon the immense
roof of tie church. Here is village
of small domes and houses of the work
men who are continually busy upon the
great structure. Families dwell up
there, and children are born and die
there. from the roof we obtain "a mag
nificent view of Rome and the classic
Alban and Sabine hills beyond. But
on we go, for there are j0S feet Of climb
ing yet before we reach the summit Of
the dome, and we must yet reach the
44Oth step before we can rest ourselves at
the lantern, and there then will be over
Us the immense copper ball in which
sixteen persons may be seated. 1t
seems as if we are ascending to the very
skies. Here q grand and startling view
is obtained of the interior Of both the
dome and the church. You shrink
back rs you look far down to the mar
BILE floors, where affairs and chapels
seem rs toys, and men as children.
Voices are hushed down there, The
chanting of the priests and the music
of the organ seem far away. Beneath
us is the great altar covered with it's
imposing canopy of bronze OF nearly
one hundred tons weight. And there
is the reputed tomb of st. Petar, be-
fore which burn, with never-expiring
llame, eighty mine lamps.
And now, if we descend from our
perilous height, and examining the four
massive buttresses, which support this
dome, we shall find that there might be
hid inside of either church fifty-eiSh
feet square, with steeple one hundred
feat high. Within that dome could bc
placed the far-famed Trinity Church,
of New York, with is towering spire
Twenty average-sized church cou d
be piled in the nave OF ST. Peters, and
all their steeples packed away in its
dome; while along the magnificent cor
nice, which extends around the great
nave, n span of horses aud carriage
might to driven. In that nave could
rest vessel the size of Noah's ark, with
room ut the end for church ninety
feet long. Beneath that roof are nearly
six acres of surface; and on those floors
$4,000 people can assemble. Once
upon time regiment of soldiers,
numbering 1000, went there TO wor-
ship, aud their commander went in
search of them; he was on the point of
leaving without finding them when they
came fling out of the church. Such is
St. Peters, the erection of which taxed
the skill of nearly dozen of the great
est architects tho world has seen, and
required the patronage OF nearly score
of Popes, and has cost hundred mill
ion dollars. --Reu. John Aid6dster, of
Indianapolis.
Henry Clay's Son John.
Situatad about ono mi1a anil n bo1f