Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-01-16

est Of all churches. But Let Us
take 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 then only
by the pope or high officials. This altar
is covered by colossal bronze canopy,
nearly 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 10 was the identical one in
which St. Peter oficiated as the first
pope. The original chair is enclosed
III 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 Athanasius. 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
absolution in their own language,
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 hundred silver
lamps are burning. Before the tomb is
the beautiful statue of Plus vi, kneellng
as if in prayer. There are many other
tombs IN the crypt below, and many
sepulchral numents 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 III and Henry TX, kings
of England.
Now, if you would gain some just
conception of the immense size OF st.
Peters let us take one more look.
Come 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 a
good sized church. And yet, such is
the wonderful symmetry of the structure
it's vastness is lost in the harmony Of its
proportion.
The granduer overwhelms thee not;
And why? 1t is not lessened, but thy mind,
Expanded by tie 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 spa
cious roof, which is nearly flat, 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 friyhtful 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 bird's-eye view Of the grand
old city and its surroundings. This
panorama is nnraptnring. The Rome
that is, and tn. Rome that was, lies
spread out like map beneath US. Close
at hand is the Pope's palace and gar
dens. A little way off is tho massive
circular castle of st. Angelo. Further
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
dcsolate, deserted campagna, across
which we can trace the ruins of the an
cient acqucducts Of Rome, more extern
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, then
mounting vertical iron ladder at least
four hundred feet up, we reach o1u
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, perspiring
that looked from the ground below nc
larger than a globe foot in diameter.
Troy, N. Y, Times.