The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-22
~ THE TOWER or ANTWERP
CATHEDRAL.

I
~ THE TOWER or ANTWERP
CATHEDRAL.
Up. up. higher and higher mounted,
constantly finding the stone steps more
and more worn and cracked. 1. be-
came lighter, and soon brilliant shaft
Of sunlight appeared through narrow
Gothic window in The tower. / was
now considerably above the roof Of the
cathedral. Just beneath the window =
hugh gargoylc shaped like dragon
stlctchod cut its length above the roof
far below. From the square beneath.
doubt if one could have distinguished
its form, but from where stood
above him, the stone dragon SEEM
az TO be ct least twelve feet long.
About him all carved in stone were
huge roses and leaves-each rose as
large as a bushel basket. Doves were fly
ing around at that great height, or. rest
lug upon the grim figures, cooed softly
to one another. A. / stood gazing at
tue wonderful carvings for which this
cathedral is famous. a massive, fat
piece Of metal came jerkily up before
the narrow window out of which was
LICKING. For moment was puzzled.
but then suddenly It dawned upon me
that the object had seen must be a
part Of the miuute-hand Of the huge
clock in the tower. / was quite near
tho window. and | put out my hand
aud touched it. In three jerks the
minute hand had passed on. making its
mighty round at the rae Of foot a
minute.
From the window where 1 rested the
panorama was unsurpassed. Ii ID said
thar one huudrcd and twenty steeples
may bo counted. far and near. upon
clear day. l did not attemp, this, how
ever. Toward the north the river
Schellt wound its silyery way until il
was lost in the midst Of the horizon. as
il Joined the North Sea. Looking east.
towards Holland, l saw dimly the towns
shining IN the sunlight. When TIE at
mosphese is clear, the guide-book says,
one can see towns fifty miles away
Below. the great square seem to have
contracted, and the few lszily-moying
cabs. drays and people looked like nies
creeping across piece Of coarse bag
gng. Soon i realized that it was quite
late in the day and If wished to zee the
famous carillion l should lose no time
The bells ia the tower of Antwerp
Cathedral are doubtless quite as inter-
citing to many tourists as are the great
pictures by Peter Paul Rabens in the
cathedral itself. These bells have
curious histories, and quantity wOrded
inscriptions may DO deciphered on
many Of them. Besides the forty bells
comprising the carilliou, there are five
bells of great interest in the tower.
The most ancient Of these is named
"HorIidl." and is said to date from
1916. II Is peculiar pear shaped bell,
and is rarely ruug. Next in importance
comes tue "Curfew.' and it is the
sweet note OF this bell that is heard
far over tho polders Of Belgium, every
day at five, at ~ eIve, and at eight
o'clock. Next in rank is the bell called
Ste Marie, - said to weigh between four
and five tons. Charles the Bold heard
its first peal as he entered the city in
1867. At ITS side hangs Silent St.
Antoine, so called because Its voice
has not been heard for nearly acentury:
and, finally. we come upon grand "Old
CarOius.' the greatest Of them. II is
called Carolus because it was given by
the Emperor Charles V. The popular
belief Is that gold. silver and copper
enter into its composition, and 1t is
valued at nearly 100000. saw where
the clapper. from always striking in the
same place, had worn away the metal
from the sides. Far below hangs the
rope. by which it was rung on rare oc-
casions. with sixteen ends for as many
ringers; and even sixteen strong bell
ringers are none too George
Wharton Edrards, az 81. Nicholas.