The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-24
A DEAD CITY or THE BALTIC.
The Modern World Knows Little Of
Visby, Once a Queen OF the Sea-
From Teraula gar

It's silent, grass grown streets and the
blackeued ruins Of it's once stately
churches suggest mouruful retrospect.
Yet the Vishy of to-day merits more at
teutiou than it obtains from visitors %
Sweden and the Baltic It's once fabu-
lous wealth has departed from IL. The
housewives no longer, as IN the old tradl-
tion, use golden spindles. noe do the hogs
eat from silver troughs, while. of the
eighteen churches of which the town once
DOasted, seventeen now lie in lrrctrieva-
BILE ruin, wrecked it would seem rather
by the ruthlessness of man than by the
ravages Of time.
Still, Nisby, even in ruins-we may say
indeed, because of its ruins and the assO-
Citations that cling to them, is full Of in
terest. It's early prosperity was largely
due to the convenient position Of GOtland
in the Baltic, midway between the Swe-
dish and Russian coasts. Until the new
routes by Genoa and Venice and by the
Cape Of Good Hope were established,
most Of the commerce from the east
passed through Russia. and VisbE, as
place of call became so prominent as to
gain the name, "Queen of the Baltic or
the Eye of the Baltic" Old chrOniclers
assert that even Solomon in all his glory
was poorer in gold and silver and precious
stones than was this small city
Nlsby was one of the first to be enrolled
among the Hanse towns and took lead
ing part in the famous league. It's mari
time code has served as a model for most
of the European navigation laws. From
the first the Eye" of the Baltic was
mainly directed to business Its pros
perity received royal recognition when
Henry III. allowed the merchants of Got
land the privilege of free trade as regard
ed purchase and traffic in England. The
enterprise Of the traders enabled them to
secure double profit
They betoOk themselves, with other
representatives of the league, to London,
and established close to Thames street
house called the Steelyard, which -four
lshed for upwards of three centuries
Meanwhile the population increased very
rapidly in Visby, and the variety of re-
ligiOns called for the erection of numer
Gus churches and religious buildings.
Charitable guilds and hospitals were also
established. The monks, after their wont,
helped to beautify the town by planting
walnut, chestnut lime and mulberry
trees, some of which still thrive. But
the chief charm of Visby lies in its gray
walls, which, as a specimen of ancient
fertilization, are almost unique.
Gotland in the old days was prosper
GUS and important center; but little re-
mains of It's early greatness. The sole
existing trace of former independence is a
standing army which belongs exclusively
to the island aud can only be employed in
its defense. Every Gotlander, from the
age of eighteen to that of fly or sixty,
may be called upon to serve. The active
services Of the army are unlikely to be
called upon. Yet of so much Importance
is the island from its geographical posi-
ton and natural defense, that from a
strtegiC point of view it might readily
be made paddock upon the CULTS of Fin
land and BOthnia. IL has even been de-
clared that by means of Gotland the Rus
sian navy could be locked and the navi-
cation of the Baltic commanded.