The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1884-11-06
THE REAL CITY OF CHURCHES.


"a $ a ~
montreal q citywh Churches are Nu-
"a 1nerons and Beantifu1- Of
the Great 6harS II 4, q, Hotss Dane.
A Montreal correspondent Of 1.-The
Hartford Times 4 writes that the ,rea
City Of Churches is Montreal. Here
the Mother Church rules and reigns.
Not,in Rome itself would one ind a
much greater$ preponderancs Of the Ro-
man Catholic religion and its temples,
its symbols, and its constant obser-
Z yancss. Montreal is largely built Of
grey granite, and the great cathedral
like churches, to say, nothing Of the con-
vents and other religious establish;
ments, are Of the same impressive and
fitting material. & How many there are =
know not; but those We have visited!
greatly impressed our party by their
sp1endor and size. The Cathedral is that
particular church, he it large 81 small,
in which the Bishop has his chair. IN
Montreal the Cathed ral Is il il process Of
construction and the lower part Of its
vast and stranger looking round tower
(of granite can already be seen from
distant parts Sof the city, But the
grandest, most remark ab1e of all the
solid church build lngs Of Montreal is.
( unquestionably the great church Notre
Dame, whose grand front, twithaits lofty
granite. portico, and its massive towers,
rises from N otre Dame street, one OF
the city's principal thorough flares;
These noble towers suggesting the
3 front of sstminste Abbey, can be
seen from the sou tn at q distance OF
thirty miles. They rise to q height of
8227 feet above the pavement finely
comple citing the grand effect Of q
stately front, in which the porti-
co. itself is fully SO ieet high.
y One Of these great towers has an
enormous BELIZE gros Bonrd on-the
largest bell, I think in America !; at any
rate, it weighs 25, 900 pounds, is. six
feet high, and nearly nine feet in diam
I eter across its mouth. It's tongue is
correspo ndingly pondr pus. ITS sound
Z is said to be magnificent in its fullness
and grandeur; but is rarely rung.
\ When we saw it yesterday, q part Of its
weight was supported on big beams and
jack screws but when it is rung these,
Of course, are removed. When this
great bell is rung, It lis rung not
pounded with q clapper or hammer. It
takes twelve men to ring it. The last
!. time it was rung was at Easter, and
curiously enoughTi t is to be rung again
to-day, and once more tomorrow; but,
unluckily for us, we shall not be here
to hear il. This great bell, as. on elab-,
crate Latin inscription on 1t testifes,
was cast in London in 1847, and paid
for by the merchants, the farmers, and
the mechanics" Of Montreal or Vile
y Marie as the inscription puts il (Oity
of Mary h " . i 5ll;,
In the other tower hangs a chime.
Il is composed, Of ten bells, beautifully
toned, and IN such perfect harmony that
the most varied musical airs can be ex-
eacuted while they peal. The first bell
alone weighs 6, 900 pounds, and has; q
deep and very musical tone. The ten
bells make q fine Chime; ;sas We can tes-
tify, after hearing the chimes rung re-
peatedly. They are given with al the
I parts, and it is not always easy, when
near BY, to catch the air. It sounds
something like the. Joy peal Of al the
Fourth Of July bells at sunrise in Hart
ford, butt Is more rhy thmical and far
more musical. When on grand festival
dayssthe great aB ourd on' joins its sol
Y emn tones to the chimes Of it's ten sis.
tiers, the effect is such a concert as
never is heard elsewhere on this side of
Z the Atlantic, i should like to be- here
I at Christmas or Easter. The Roman
Catholic Church deserves honor for
. forwhat it does in lifting, up the heart
and soul Of the people BY its liberal pat
d ronage of all the arts that Ebest appeal
to the religious sense the ost impress
sive parts of the science Of q noble
Church architecture, of music, Of sculpt-
1 IRE and of painting. How bare and
4 lifeless Seem our Protestant churches
y IN the: compa rison 81 &, "a.
But let us enter this grand church.
It's, vast nave, its broad side aisles, its
/ spacious two storied gall eties, its charm
I ing stained glass sky ghts,sits lofty and
beautiful mazes Of groined arches its blue
sky studded with COLDER stars, the paint
4 ings on the walls, tie preyale emit gildings
\ that everywhere suggest the religious en-
\ thusiast's idea5of the golden adornments
4of the New Jerusal lem, Che sculptured
Il sacred images, the numerous clustered
columns in red: green, blue and gold,
and especially the enormous and be-
wildering blaze Of gold throughout the
i sanctuary, where the throne-like great
altar is; and, to complete the effect, the
Illuminated windows, i filling. all the
II galleries and all the church with Mil
toms "dim religious ightn-all this is
H well fitted to impress even on-be-
lever. If there is music and service
gong on the, effect is further heighten-
id. 5sss. 81 4 \ n 4
Think Of the size. Of this building.
The nave !, including the sanctuary, il
h 800 feet in length. Looking up to the
points Of the great gllttering arches
and the star studde led sky OF the ceiling,
! we see IT at q heig of eighty feet above
the floor. In vic th the nave and side.
aisles measure. as j makesit, 100 feet.l
leries, two stories Of them, ani
the grand aisle, are softly and beauti
fully lighted up by fourteen side win.
dqws; each forty feet high. ss u
The pulpit is in the midst of the nave
and the acoustic PROF erties Of the churct
Y are said o.be very good To this enc
the architect made his stud and 10,
onces Of least, such q study has proved
successful. ~ MA;
a lofty organ and q large choir d
4 male voices complete the grand effect d
r. service in this church ;s
a series ofFbealtiful chapels erectei;
4 along the outer line Of each side aisli
may be the votiye tributes Of as man