The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-07-31

| bluCeut Ootnic STRUCTURE, Win 1tS forests
of thousands of spires and pinnacles and
its army of figures and images is one OF
the finest ecclesiastical edifices in Europe
and is pronounced by many the finest In
the world. Its length ia $50 feet and Its
width at the transept 200 feet. From
the pavement to the top of the arcEea Of
the nave is l50 feet aud the South tower
is OIL feet high, the loftiest work of man.
Unlike most cathedrals, it has no central
choir screen, thus giving an unbroken
and most impressive view throughout its
entire length. The attained glass Windows
are especially fine and represent various
scriptural scenes, The chapel Of the
Three Kings contains q gorgeous shrine
which encioses the bones Of tho Magi
which were taken to Constantinople in
the 9th century, afterwards brought to
Milan and from thence transferred by
Frederick Barbarossa to Cologne. Many
other costly relics are kept for exhibition
in the treasury. The church of ST. Ursula,
not far from the Cathedral, is reputed to
contain tho bones of eleven thousand
virgins, who, with st. Ursula, were
slaughtered by the Huns in the finh
century, when returning from pilgrim.
age to Rome. The bones make most
6 hastily exhibit, being distributed about
the church in cases built into the walls
and used for decorative purposes gen.
orally. They may do very well as relics,
but, according to Professor Owen, many
OF them are from the lower order uf AMI.
mails.
The praises Of the Rhine have been 30
often sung and in 90 many different keys,
that to pass an entirely original oninien
upon il is almost ab iEhiegsibil:.y. The
totfist who takes the steamer at Cologne
for :ie trip. will be very apt TO es peri.
ence feeling of disappointment, as from
that place to Coblentz, almost the only
point of interest Except Bonn, with its
| University ;s DTachenfels' or DIagon's
Rock, which, with it's ruined castle rises
on the East bank, about 900 feet above
the river. Here, in cave which can
still be seen, according to the legend,
once dwelt terrible dragon whose con.
| stitntion required diet of beautiful chris.
tian maidens. But one day q damsel was
| thrown to the aforesaid dragon who had
the presence of mind to hold out tho
cross to the monster az he sprang with
open mouth to receive her; and he was
80 thoroughly disgusted thst according
to one version he forthwith drowned him.
self in the Rhine; while others say that
he was slain by the maiden's lover who
! afterwards built the castle. This is
fair specimen of the legends which are
connected with almost every castle on the
Rhine; but as scarcely any two versions
| of the same legend can be found which
agree, our readers can just as we'll manu-.
facture their own legends and spare US
the trouble of repeating them. Alas
however, for the dragons, alas for the
legends. The whistle of the locomotive
is heard in the Siebengebirge and rail.
way runs to the very top, where
"The castled crag of Drachenfels
Frowns DER the wido aad winding Rhine"
Coblentz, one Of the most important
cities on the Rhine, is situated at the
mouth of the Mosclle and has popula.
tion of about 10000. It is, however, as
military position that Coblentz is
Important. On the opposite side of the
riverrlses the mighty fortress Ehrenbreit.
stein, the "Gibraltar of the Rhine" II
is practically impregnable and has
accommodations for 10000 men. The
garrison at the present time consists
of only 1000. From it's wallis fine view
of the Rhine and Moselle valleys can be
obtained. From Coblentz TO Bingen,
distance cf about sorty miles. iucludes
the most interesting portion OF the Rhine.
We pass Stolzenfels, Marksburg-the
only Rhine castle never destroyed-Bop.
pard, Sternenburg and Liebenstein or
the Brothers, Thurnburg, and reach St.
Goar on the West bank with the Rhein.
fels, the largest and most imposing ruin
, on the river, on the rocks about 400 feet
above the village. just beyond and on
the opposite side of the stream are the
rocks of the Lorelei, where, in ancient
times according to the legend, dwelt a
lovely maiden whose wondrous beauty
lured passing sailors to destruction in
whirlpool at the base of the mountain.
The rocks in the river have been removed,
the mountain pierced by railway tun-
| mel and the maiden at present makes
70 mere trouble than !s &c be eyrec.sa
from the tsi- daughters c: E..osa;:i5i .S7o.
F-c.. .s:= .... - E:::e:: :. - fss. t.!h== .!h==
finest scenery OF this famous river. The
| mountains on either side rise abruptly
several hundred feet above the water sni
the winding course of the stream presents
q new view at every turn. A half dozen
| or more ruined castles are in sight all the
time, rising from crags and peaks of the
rocks, or like Pfalz, built on an island 10
| the middle of the river for the purpose
of exacting tribute from passing vessels.
just before reaching Bipgen we pass the
"Mouse Tower" also on an Island, rem.
| dered famous by the story Of Bishop
Hatto and the rats. At Bingen, "Fair
Bingen on the Rhine" the hills recede
| rapidly from the banks of the stream, the
bed of the river widens and fertile fields
| on either shore take the place of the rug.
| ged scenery through which we have Just
papsed and from that point to Mayence,
our stopping place there is but littla OF
| interest. The Rhine is frequently com.
pared to the Hudson, and each possesses
some points of superiority over the other.
The European river is not more than one.
half or two.thirds as large as the pride Of
the Empire State, and consequently has
not that grand and powerful sweep az Il
rolls oceanward; but it's course is much
more erratic, thus giving greater variety
| of views with an equal amount of mate.
rial. The Catskills which form the back.
ground to large share OF the Hudaon
river scenery, are much more lofty than
any OF the mountains near this portion
of the Rhine, but the terraced and vine
covered hills which rise along the banks
of the latter stream, give a phase of
beauty which is unknown Oh the former;
while the hundreds of ruined castles
with their wealth Of historic interest and
the romance Of twenty centuries, give to
a trip up the Rhine peculiar charm and
place 1t among the most enjoyable memo
ries of travel.
From Mayence, a city Of 60, 900 inhabi.
tants and which includes in its history
the names of Constantine, Charlemagne,
| GuttenburH fvho was horn here and