The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-23
est Of all churches. But let us
talo a rapid noll< 4l.a.~l IlHI~-

est Of all churches. But let u.
take o rapid walk through the building.
In the center where the transept
crosses the nave, Immediately beneath
the dome, stands the "high altar" used
only on great occasions, and her only
blythe pope or high officials. This altar
Is covered by o colossal bronze canopy
nearly a hundred feet high, called the
baldacchino. It was designed by Ber-
mini, and made from metal taken from
the old Pantheon. In the tribune,
which takes the west end of the church,
is the famous "chair of st. Peter" We
are told it was the identical one in
which st. Peter oficiated as the first
pope. The original chair is enclosed
in a bronze covering and the whole sup
ported by four gigantic statues, repre-
senting those four great fathers of the
church, Augustine, Ambrose, Carysos-
tom and A~thanasius. In the south end
of the transept are twelve confessional
boxes, designed for the accommodation
of strangers in Rome. At one or anoth-
er of these boxes men of all nations may
make confession and hear the words OF
@coOiuG1ou III lllclI own lduS udSe,
Beneath the high altar is the shrine
and tomb of ST. Peter and st. Paul. A
double flight of marble steps lead down
this most sacred spot in the great church.
A rich marble balustrade surrounds the
descent, and around it a hundred silver
lamps are burning. Before the tomb is
the beautiful statue of Plus vi, kneeling
as if in prayer. There ere many other
tombs IN the crypt below, and many
sepulchral monuments in the church
above, some of them masterpieces OF
sculpture. Among the tombs of popes
it is strange to see the tombs of James
III, Charles Ill and Henry TX, king,
of England.
Now, if you would gain some just
conception of the immense size of st.
Peters let us take one moro look.
Como and stand near the center of the
building. AS you gaze upward remem-
Der it is over three hundred feet to the
foot of that dome, and more than four
hundred to its summit. This vast dome
IS supported by four ~stupendous piers
of stone, each of which covers as much
space on the floor of st. Peters as o
good sized church. And yet, such is
the wonderful symmetry Of the structure
its yastness is lost in the harmony of its
proportion.
The granduer overwhelms thee not;
And why? 1t is not lessened, but thy mind,
Expanded by the genius of the spot,
Has grown colossal.
A broad, winding staircase leads up to
the roof, and so gentle is the ascent you
might ride up on horseback. On the
walls as you climb you see inscriptions
telling that the Prince of Wales, Queen
of Spain and Empress of Mexico had
assembled the same steps. On the p a
cious roof, whichis nearly fiat, are domes
and pinnacles rising around the great
central dome. Before ascending higher
let us pause awhile on the circular gal
lery that sweeps around the interior
base of the dome. It makes one dizzy
to look down the frightful distance tc
the floor Of the church. The people
walking in the cathedral below seem
like creeping pigmies. From this point
we ascend between the double walls Of
the dome to the lantern" which sur.
mounts it.
From the balcony around the lantern
we have a bird's-eye view of the grand
old city and its surroundings. This
panorama is enrapturing. The Rome
that is, and the Rome hat was, lies
spread out like a map beneath us. Close
at hand is the Pope's palace and gar.
dens. A little way off is the massive
circular castle of ST. Angelo. Furthe,
on is Pincian hill, with its fine view OF
Rome. Yonder is the tower of the Cap
itol and the Pantheon, and still beyond
is the Coliseum. Beyond the far-ex.
tending walls of the city is the vast.
desolate, deserted campagna, across
which We can trace the ruins of the an.
Gent acqueducts of Rome, more exten.
sive than the water works of New
York, Boston and Philadelphia com
bined. To the west are
the lofty Apprentices, and to the east, as
far as the eye can reach, we see the blue
expanse of the Mediterranean. But we
must climb still higher; first to the little
room on the top of the lantern, Their
mounting a vertical iron ladder at least
four hundred feet up, we reach oul
highest point-the copper "ball." The
view from this point was not very inter.
esting, consisting, as it did with us, Of
simply eighteen painting, perspirine
men and woman, huddled into O space
that looked from the ground below nc
larger than a globe q foot in diameter.
Troy, N. Y, Times.