The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-08-22
EUROPEAN LETTERS.
THE GRAND AND MASSIVE CA
THFDRAI. OF COLOGNE.
The Perfection of It's ArchIteCtu-
raj Construction and the SPlen-
dor of It's Interior Decoration
Six Hundred Years Old, Etc.
COLOGNE, GERMANY,
NI Ar,,,.. 1SSn

burgh, and next from the renowned
Canon Farrar in London. To-day we
have enjoyed another, widely different, to
be sure but preaching to us the glory OF
God as manifest in the marvellous works
of his creatures.
We mean that to-day we have looked
upon and entered the grandest specimen
ofGothic building that the world con-
tains. Differing from everything we have
seen elsewhere, and far surprising all
others in sublimity of beauty, the Cathc-
dral of Cologne will rest in our mind and
heart as the most refreshing, rcsttul spot
we ever bcheld, or dreamed of.
The perfection of its arches and of the
general proportion is such as to deceive
ono as to its immense size and to bring
every point apparently near to the be
holder, while the ccXquisitcly tlutcd pillars,
each adorned with statuary, (not i'll the
wcalisomc style of Westminster, but one
or two figures to each column, are
lighted to their very tops by the brilliant
and yet soft light which streams through
the most lovely of glass.
4 very faint idea of the exterior may be
had from a photograph, which we will
send you, but none could we find to adc-
,quatclv represent the magical effects of
the nave and tranSCpt and chanol. And
vet, twithStanding the immcnSity, the
acoustic properties are such that at YES
pcrs every tone could be heard cvcnin the
most distant corners, and the soft roll of
the organ seemed to fill each spot and to
ascend to Heaven even as the sweet in
ccnsc which went up before the altar,
until it, too, caught the bright glow Of
the sun. itself made more glorious by the
medium through which it entered.
Yes, we repeat, it was Il sermon indeed
to reflect upon the Creator who made the
mans brain by which this cathedral was
designed more than GOO years ago, be
cause hc it remembered that the work
was begun carly i'll the thirtecnthcCntury
and although not completed until 1876,
it is manifest that the whole ground plan
must not only have been conceived, but
specified in most minute detail by the
original architect otherwise il could not
possibly have attained its present perIcc-
ton.
of course we were panied by hearing
.0l relics, and pieces of the original cross,
lnd all such boSh as that, with which,
strange to say, the Catholic church, amid
its ml[titudc of good works, still allows
its silly votarics to bcdeludcd, and others
to use as means of fleeing travelling in
accents. But not belonging to the most
advanced of this class, we declined to in
vest in the relic business, and successfully
kept our thoughts upon those things
with which this same church has done so
much to proclaim the glory Of God, and
20 educate mankind to a conception,
c,or afar off. of His infinite beauty and
mercy. ,...
this morning AID had scarcely finished
adding ND our French hotel bill, Eazngln
nctriGed horror at it's t0ut cHScmbc o!
francs and ccntimcs, when / grutt ofcial
entered our carriage and said something
which we can neither pronounce nor
write but which sounded somewhat IKE
"Ouchcnwrachench whIcha
kind fellow traveller interpreted to mean
Il demand for our KEYS and warning
that no more French would be allowed
under penalty of decapitation for high
treason. We readily surrendered onr
KEYS and assisted the officer to smell all
of our soiled socks, which he seemed to
appreciate highly. But how can we sur
render our lovely French. over which we
have labored so earnestly, and OF winch
we were Justly so proud? Oh, it is too
bad. We could shed tears over our loss,
especially as it is most grievous ono to
this whole nation. If uninterrupted, we
would have had them educated up very
soon to an idiom entirely new and of
most charming patois. But such is life
al never loved a fair gazellc," etc, etc.
The burly officer seemed SO much i'm.
pressed with the perfumcry we rendered
him that he passed by the other members
,of our party with an expressive grunt OF
approval, and thus were the custom
house duties protected from an infringe
ment. What larCe the whole business
is! Why not have free trade for all, and
save this disgusting nonsense!
In our letter from Brussels we forgot
to mention that which most delighted us
its wonderful store of flowers. Since we
landed at Antwerp our eyes have been
gladdened with their rich and glorious
tues at every step, but more especially SO
in Brussels and at this city. Here their
cultivation has been most careful. and no
more agreeable, nor to our mind more
profitable, way can be suggested to spend
a Sunday afternoon than to wander, as
We have today, over the smooth walks
and velvety grass of the Jardin Botan-
niuuc 1--WE don't know the German for it,
fcasting upon its beauties and meeting
crowds of happy, contcntcd laboring peo-
pie, in this way taking their holiday,
drinking beer and listening to the sweet
est of music. 1t was very delightful and
we enjoyed it, you may he sure.
The country through which we passed
this morning was all excellently cultiva-
ted and thus agreeable to look upon, but
n good part of it, especially that from
J,iepe to Aix-la-Chapclle, was far more
-, turcSque than we expected to find it,.
II, tie J0wIaud flats it changed to un-
5,int;nu nTm sheH 80 billy, and finally the
hills became steep and rugged reminding
MS somewhat of the Trossachs OF Scot
land, saving their la keS, winch lack was
in part amended by numerous clear,
bright rivers and crceds, wNich we spun
over as we dashed out OF the numerous
tunnels.
Cologne hasnot very much to cause
one to prolong his visit after an mspec-
t,.,n of the cathedral. Most OF the streets
are narrow and antiquated, but Il part
oG the most ancient have been torn away
since the war with France and replaced
bv boulevards such as would do credit to
any city. We tried to find the statues OF
the three kings, but as our French tongue
was tied, and these people can talk Eng
lish no better than we can German, we
meet with but slight success. We did,
however, gather on to the legend that
the three kings were the magi who,
after their alteration of the infant Jesus,
came hither, and here they lived, died and
were buried, their tomb still being recog-
nized. Possibly this may explain why
this apparently insignificant city was
chosen as the site of the grand cathedral,
which is question that has puzzled us
and will continue to do so, unless the
above is the true solution it.
P. S.-Just as we are stepping into bed,