Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-17

within wcek Of the double catastrophe
Montague CvsIe was burned 10 the ground.
and thus WAS the long-dsiayed curse az
length nslfiied TO the letter,
Tho rrand old waterfall has changcd
sorcly SINCE that day. nature and art having
coosbined 10 spoil II, although Il IL still, Ia
s;stc OF both. one Of the finest sights IN
Europe. The topmost ledge OF the preci-
pice over which poor Lord Montague was
hurled heaalorg TO destruction has long
sincc been worn away by the gnasn,hx
waves, and the river. instead OF shooting
straight over the edge OF shser wan OF
rock, now plubges siantwise down steep.
broken incline, not unlike gigantic weir
Above the s,rster,ng trees on every hilltop
rise The big, many Widowed fronts ofmon-
sier hotels, which are crowded every sum-
mer with as motley n ccncoursc ~ toe
Rhine has seen siuce Attiia led his first
"rcrsonaily-conducte excursion" OF Asia
tic sayancs on a tour through the Roman
empire. Steam-cars rattle over the many.
arcbcd stone bridge that spans the higher
rppids. Even the wood.crowned rock that
starts up In the very midst Of the raging
waters Is surrounded by little metal
rooied "eheiterp very much like worl-
ont Chinese umbrella, while from the face
Of one Of the fsnkInx precpiccs thrusts
Itself out over the fail the inevitable
wooden CELERY, ON which the intrepid
tourist may enjoy to the fun the plea
sure OF an open-air shower-Dath in
wet waterproof IN order 10 see nothing
at all. The ancient castle Of Laufcn still
stands In its old place on the Swiss side OF
the river. upon steep pyramidal bluff. Just
above the main fall, but the massive round
towers and peaked. red.iiled roofs and mar.
row loOpholes OF the past are now strange.
~ mingled with the furnished rooms and
FTeLcb windows OF the present, and along
the front OF the building runs
the inscription, IIo.el du Chateau
dc Laufen." True. Its former mis-
sion OF plundering passing travellers still
goes on us briskiy as ever, but it is now Ell.
fectcd, not with "bill and battle-aXc,'
but with longer and heavier bin OF a very
different kind. Despite all this. however.
the tender green OF the vines on the very
brink OF the swirl!ng foam, the cold steel
blue waters above and the snow-white
spray below, the gray rocks aud green
leaves rising amid the punging, roaring
waves form sight never 10 be forgotten.
The line OF railway from Shaffbausen
boriheastward to Ulm passes many Ia
nous spot. which would be precious In the
sight OF either artist or historian. The jour
Doy being rathera long one, it Ia no lad plan
10 break il NJ SigmarIngen. q snug little
country town on the outskirts OF the do
main which was ruled ages ago by quiet
old country gentleman OF the Hohenzol-
lern family. who little dreamed that the
rule OF the HohcnZollerns would one day
extend from Metz 10 Newell. and from the
Lake Of Constance to the Baltic. l cannot
ssy that 1t appears TO gain much from "the
....4 IL lgff 81 l..r..
London correspondent, who. had he taken
the trouble to visit the spot himself. would
have discovered that his "old castle" was
almost entirely rebuilt by Prince Karl An
ton Of Hohtnzollern in 1862, with few
additions in 1866. But no antique ruins
are needed 10 enhance the charm OF
the quiet little green valley, with it,
sunny meadows and shady woods, it,
group Of white houses, mssscd together at
the foot OF the Rocky Muhlberg. and the
glttering curves Of the Danube. winding
through its entire length like a silver
thread. lie is still in his shallow and peb-
bly, youth, though he has travelled far
since we first caught sight OF the hills amid
which he rises, far away in the heart Of the
Black Forest. But even now he begins to
show signs OF what he will be hereafter in
the fulness OF his might. when he rolls the
gathered volume Of all the great Austrian
and Hungarian rivers past the white walls
Of Belgrade.
From this point the famous river keeps
us company all the way to the frontier OF
Bavaria, now gliding swiftly through rich
pasture-ands, now sweeping around the
base OF some wooded height, now rushing
past the red-tiled cottages OF tiny ham.
let nesting in the shadow Of a vast over
banging cliff Of grayish white Limestone,
on the summit OF which the crumbiing
ruins OF some ancient castle start up spec
tra,ly amid sea OF bright green leaves.
To every successive point Of this
charming panorama our attention il
zealously directed by a jolly old
German conductor, who seems TO take
quite n iatherly interest in us both "Look
TO the right. sir, there's fine ruin on that
hill" look to the left, my lady, and
You'll see n pretty church down in that
hollow" At length. far in the distance,
rises Tie dark tower OF Ulm Cathedral
now covered with a scafiolding which gives
it The look OF Il gigantic skeeton-and in
few minutes more we are rafting past
the long. low. massive front Of the great
Williamsburg BarIack on its sloping ridge
above the town, and fiud ourselves fairly
in Um at last, with the everlasting Danube
in attendance as usual.
Close beside the ancient cathedral city 4
new Ulm has sprung ~, innty, spruce,
modern, like a French millionaire OF the
Bourse running up big, brand new house
in front Of the turreied chateau OF some
impoverished marquis with a pedigree as
long as the list OF his debts. But the elder
town contains everything that is really
worth seeing, and by the time you have
wandered among the quaint old houses
with their peaked roofs and oyerhanging
caves, looked down upon the Danube
from the old city bridge, tried in vain
to puzzle out the meaning OF the half
efTaeed frescoes npon the front of the an
tique Town Hall in the Marktplatz. and
stared up at the lofty tower, in climbing
which from the outside The reckless En-
peror Macmillan was all but graciously
pleased to break his imperial neck four
centuries ago, you will be quite ready to
admit that Ulm /. indeed-as our portly
head waiter said 10 me this morning. with
a momentary tiuae Of emotion in his pas
sionless voice. cine Sch0ne Stddt.'