Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-11-27
ALMA RECORD SUPPLEMENT.
PRAoUE'S GREAT BRIDGE.
A Sketch of the History of Karlsruhe
The Structure Giving Way.

that the famous harlsbrucko, or
Charles Bridge, across the Moldau at
Prague was doomed to destruction by
the great floods which have been
creating such havoc in Central Europe,
says the Phila. Telegraph. The para
graph was a brief one and probably
attracted little attention, but no one
who knew the pride with which for
hundreds OF years the Bohemiaps have
regarded this bridge could read the
few lines without thrill of sympathy.
To write a history Of the Karls-
brucke would be TO write the history
of Prague during the past five centur-
les. This, indeed, were we'll worth
the doing, for though the Old World
Is rich in historic cities. few are more
interesting than this wonderful old
town with its stately buildings, its
quaint old houses and beautiful
gardens, and in its memories of illus
trious men and women-of Huss and
Wallenstein, OF Maria Theresa, and
her implacable enemy. Frederick the
Great. How many times these and
others scarcely less famous have pass
ed to and fro over the Karlsbrucke.
Prague was the favorite city OF that
splendid monarch, Charles w., tho
stepfather of the Empire, but the
father of Bohemia" He established
her celebrated university and beauti-
fed the town in many ways. besides
laying the foundation of the Karls-
brucke in 1857 For $50 years the
work went on, and when finally COM
pleted, in 1907. ii was justly regarded
rs a triumph of the engineering skill
of the age.
kven to-day few bridges are worthy
of more admiration than the old Karls-
brucke with its grand old Gothic tower
and its sixteen noble arches spanning
the beautiful Moldau. As time went
on statues and groups of figures were
placed on the buttresses of the bridge.
The oldest OF these, large stone cru
cifx with images of the Virgin and st.
John, was built with money wrung
from the Jews. Short services were
occasionally held before the crucifx.
Another curious group. showing the
suffering souls in purgatory, commem-
Grated the dreadful visitation of the
plague. But the most interesting of
the statues is that of st. John of Nepo-
muk. the patron of bridges and the
saint whom all Prague delights to
honor. ST. John. so the legend tells
us, was the confessor of the lovely
Queen OF bohemia and refused to re-
veal the secrets of the confessional TO
her jealous husband. The cruel Wen
eel commanded him TO be tortured, and
afterward he was thrown from the
Karlsbrucke at night into the rushing
Moldau. Whereupon the body Of the
good priest instead of sinking, contin-
ued TO float until taken from the
water, while FIVE brilliant stars lowered
over it. The statue represents an as
celtic figure holding crucihx, and
around the head are arranged the five
miraculous stars.
One fingers longest near the fine old
tower at the entrance to the bridge.
II by some spell like that used in the
Arabian tale we could unseal the lips
Of the sculptured figures who look
down from their lofty station, what
tragic tales they could tell OF the
many times the tide OF battle has
surged across this bridge During
the stormy days of the Thirty Years
war 1t was the scene of many conflicts
and for ten years the heads Of twelve
OF Bohemias Protestant mobiles swung
in iron cages from the tower. Later,
the citizens OF Prague rallied to its de-
tense against the Swedes and held il
for three long months, till the peace OF
Westphalia ended the war; When
Frederick the Great invaded Bohemis
it was the scene of bloody struggle,
and as lately as the revolution OF 1S4e
famous barricade was built there BY
the students.
But the days of the Karlsbrucke are
numbered. During last September
three of its arches were carried away
by the swollen river. and the collapse
. of a fourth, little later renders it
destruction inevitable. Begun as tn,
night of the Middle Ages was begin