West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-12-10
AN HISTORIC BRIDGE.
Tho Karlsbrucke OF Prague and
It's History
Tor Centuries It Mss Spawned the Mol
eau. hut Recent Floods Have Rea-
dered Its Destruction
Necessary.

a short time ago the dispatches
stated that the famous Karlsbruckc, or
Charles bridge, across the Moldau at
Prague was doomed 70 destruction by
the great floods which have been ere
eting such havoc In central Europe.
Tho paragraph was brief one and
probably attracted little attention, but
no one who knows the pride with
which for hundreds of years the Bohe-
mians have regarded this bridge could
read the few lines without thrill of
sympathy.
To write history of the Karlsbruckc.
says the Chicago Post, would DO to
write the history of Prague during the
past five centuries. This, indeed, wero
well worth the doing, for though the
old world is rich in historic cities, few
are moro interesting than. this wonder
full old town with its stately buildings.
its quaint old houses and beautiful
gardeus, and its memories OF illustri-
Gus men and women-of Huss and
Wallenstein, of Maria Theresa and her
implacable enemy, Frederick the Great.
How many times those and others
scarcely less famous have passed 10 and
fro over the Karlsbruclse.
Prague was the favorite city of that
splendid monarch, Charles ~, 'the
stepfather of the empire, but the father
of Bohemia" He established her cele-
brated university and beautified tho
town in many ways, besides laying the
foundation OF the Karlsbruclxe in 1857.
For one hundred and fifty years the
work went on, and when finally com
pleted, in 1907, it was justly regarded
frft. ~ - ul- - ~
the age.
Even to-day few bridges are worthy
of more admiration than the old
Karlsbrucle with it's 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, a
large stone cruciix with images of the
Virgin and st. John, was built with
money wrung from the Jews. Short
services were occasionally held before
the crucifix.
Another curious group, showing the
suffering souls in purgatory, commcm-
Grated the dreadful visitation of the
plague. But the most interesting o.
the statues is that of St. John of Nepo
muk, the patron of bridges and the
saint whom all Prague delights e
honor. St. John, so the legend tells us
was the coufcssor OF the lovely queer
of Bohemia and refused to reveal the
secrets of the confessional to her jeal
Gus husband. The cruel Wenzel com
manded him TO bc tortured, and after
ward he was thrown from the Karls
brucke at night into the rushing Mol
dau. Whereupon the body Of the gooc
priest, instead of sinking, continued Il
float until taken from the water. whilt
five brilliant stars lowered over il. TIL,
statue represents an ascetic figure hold
ing a crucifx, and around the head ar
arranged the five miraculous stars.
One fingers longest near the fine oil
tower at the entrance 70 the bridge. /
by some spell like that used in tn
Arabian tale we could unseal the lip
of the sculptured figures who loo
down so calmly from their lofty station
what tragic tales they could tell of tn
many times the tide of battle has surge
across this bridge. During the storm
days Of the thirty years war il was th
scene OF many conflicts, and for te
years the heads of twelve Of Bohemia
Protestant mobiles swung in iron cage
from the tower. Later, the citizens {
Prague rallied 20 its defense agains
the Swedes and held It for three Ion
months, till the peace Of Westphali
ended the war. When Frederick I'll
Great invaded Bohemia il was the seer
Of bloody struggle, and as lately s
the revolution OF 1s4S famous barr
cade was built there by the students.
But the days of the Earlsbruclse al
numbered. Recently three Of its arch,
were carried away by the swollen rive
and the collapse OF a fourth lit
later renders its destruction inevitabl
Begun as the night Of the middle az
was beginning % roll away aud finish,
f. the dawning light Of The rsfcSv1atio
the old bridge falls just at did lvent
eth century opens before TIN ID