The Portland daily press., 1893-01-03
Especial Correspondence

BASLE, SWITZERLAND, Dec. 2Utn.--On
leaving Eisenach, a cross cut from the
regular Frankfort route takes you to
Cologne. These places out of the direct
line of travel are very interesting indeed
since the customs and home life of tho
people are seen in different light from
that which can be obtained in regular
beaten paths.
The first intimation of the approach to
Cologne by this route is the sight of the
sSeven Gebrge' which helps to make
up the choicest scenery of the Rhine.
AS one nears the city the dome of the
great Cathedral is seen, and from that
time serves as beacon, until the city is
lost to view. One cannot for an instant
lose his way in Cologne, for at each mo-
ment, from any point, this majestic dome
stands silent monitor and most allur-
ing guide.
Cologne and st. Ursula's Bones.
The bones of eleven thousand virgins
boxed up in glass cases line the interior
of the great church of this name, and
like ST. Peters at Rome, is the first place
the traveller hastens to see. Not so
much that there is anything SO very in
spring in these crumbling relics, as that
they form part of very ancient and
legendary history. Old reese riches fur
nish an account something in the follow
ing order of discourse: ''St. Ursula was
a British princess bound on pilgrimage
to Rome. She carried with her an escort
of eleven thousand virgin saints. The
pilgrimage having been accomplished
and the return made as far as Cologne,
the whole train was seized and slaugh-
tered by Prince of the Huns. Their
bones being preserved by the fathers of
the church, we've boxed up and placed as
seen today in church built upon the
spot and called st. Uusula, after Brit
aims murdered saint
Three of these virgins are said to have
halted near Basel, thus being saved. In
this vicinity they founded temples, three
chapels, on spurs of Sack Forest and
Jura peaks, which are to this day called
by their names. One is st. Margherita,
on hill near Basel, another opposite
called st. Chrischona and still another,
facing the latter, called ST. Ottilla. 1t is
said they were thus built by these vir-
gins for affairs, SO that they could salute
each other with the sparks from their
fires. ST. Chrischona is now flourish
ing school for missionaries for which
work Basel is very celebrated the orig
inal chapel being at the rear of the pres
ent Seminary.
There are also so many other fine
churches in Cologne that like Prague, it
might almost be called the city of hun
dred spires. The circular drive around
the city is thing of great interest, and
a trip by tramway out to Ehrenfeld. The
manufacture of Eau de Cologne is the
centre of much attention, the visitor be-
ing able to purchase real article from
the factories in the town, but the very
best is made in the cloisters by the nuns,
one brand which we purchased being
made by the lady superior of a convent,
Maria Clementina Neissen, who was
originally royal person and very rich,
but being a religious enthusiast, she
took the veil.
But the real object of visit to Co.
logne is not the cathedral, not its
churches full of mouldy bones of the
saints, not the cologne which one can
buy, but the far famed sail from that
city to "fair Bingen on the Rhine" OPP
posite to which, towering in all its IA
diant splendor, is the monument of Ger
many's greatest glory, the insignia of all
her success,
The Niederwald Denlxmal.
1t stands on heights which all her sons
had looked up to as they passed hope
fully on to battle, and again had saluted
as they marched trirmphantly home
from the siege. 1t had been the chosen
spot ever since the idea of United Ger
many had entered the minds of the
leaders. The reliefs on the pedestals are
allegorical pictures of the war with
troops victorious, returning from, and
sombre men going forth to battle, and it
is also resplendent with fine sculptures
of Peace and War, and old Emperor Will
liam standing by, with other princes,
while Rhenus and Mozella keep guard in
this '.Wacht am Rhein." And over all,
on the summit stands Germania, the
great goddess which signifies the coun-
try's well won Liberty
The Seven Geberge.
The rich Rhine scenery commences at
Bonn, when some of the peaks of the
'sSeven Geberge" come distinctly to
view. Roland's solitary arch marks the
spot where once there stood the castle of
a lonely man, who having gone to the
crusades failed to return in time for his
marriage vows. The bells of the chapel
in the old convent on Homework, an
island just below, are still full OF the
knells of departed nuns, knells which
one day brought the news to this melan-
choly knight that his castle had been
built in vain, and that thesweet face to
gain sight of which the massive towers
had been built, was now forever hidden
from his view. And today this seques-
tered bow called Roland's Arch tells
alone of the desolation and ruin of a dis
appointed heart.
These ''Seven Geberge' include thirty
peaks, all of which are of volcanic for
nation, the most prominent among
which is the frowning Drachenfels, it
having the most extensive view, and is
assembled by cable road Then The
Oelberg, with the fairest outlook, the
Woll1enberg, the Lovenber, &c.
From Andernach there is n little