Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-07

cathedral facing the plaza on one side and
the palace or other government building on
the other. In both countries no city is COM
plete without paseo, the Sunday afternoon
driveway, where all the world displays itself
In Its best bib and tucker, and a bull ring,
where also on Sunday the national sport at
tracts the multitude. Meyicos churches,
Ike SPANS, are notable for size and beauty,
fer masterpieces of painting or treasures
OF gold, silver and precious stones within,
ard Tor beggarS at their doors Wien the
Spanish conquered this country its surface
was dotted with countless Aztec temples.
The order given was to tear down every one
OF these structures and to erect in its place
CIR stan church.
today in the most Inaccessible spots, on the
SUBMITS even of pyramids, the vast artificial
mounds, which formed the favorite founda-
ton of temples of Aztec sun-worshipers;
and thus 1t also results that the church ed
ihces are numerous beyond conception,
though many of the old buildings have long
ago been disused and have fallen into ruin.
The City of Mexico has even now sixty
churches and Puebla the sacred city, with
less than hundred thousand population,
has quite as many. Not only are these re-
Hg1ous structures notable for their num-
Der. but many of them are impressive in
size and architecture and rich in adorn-
ment. They were founded by Spaniards in
Notwithstanding age, and were con-
structed according to the plans of Spanish
architects, at a time when Mexico was
pouring countless millions into the lap of
Spain, and when there was no deterrent in
lack of money to the most extravagant
building projects. When church property
was nationalized by JuareZ. and monster
les and nunneries We're suppressed, it was
found that three-fourths of the republics
ertre property were in the hands of the
church. The wealth. and, to some extent,
the rich adornment of the churches We're
affected by Juarez's reform. but still today
these structures are, as in Spain, the coun-
try of notable cathedrals, the sights most
"a ha
Americas biggest Cathedral.
The cathedral of the City of Mexico is
to be compared in size with the vast cathe-
dral of Seville, and that of Puebla in
beauty of interior adornment with the best
of Spain. The only church in the world
that unmis takably and notably exceeds in
size the Mexican cathedral is St. Peters at
Rome. The Seville cathedral is 33S feet by
POI feet, and the nave is 1874 feet high.
Baedeker gives the Mexican cathedrars
dimensions i23 feet by 200 feet; height,
1S5 feet; towers. 21S feet high. The Mex
lcan cathedral is thus higher and longer
than that of Seville, but not so wide. The
Seville structure occupies larger ground
area, but a part of that vast building has
fallen in, and is practically a ruin, N the
hands of repairing workmen, who will be
engaged upon 1t for years and perhaps
centuries. Meanwhile this portion of the
cathedral is inaccessible. and spoils the
effect of an interior view of the structure.
According to Baedekers figures, the Mex
lean cathedral ranks in size in the class of
Seville and Milan. surpassed only by st.
Peters, and SURPRISING not only all the
other Spanish cathedrais, but every other
in the world, including St Paufs, London;
st. Sophia, Constantinople, and the cathe-
dral of Cologne. The Mexican cathedral,
which was nearly hundred years in build
ing is also notable as having once boasted
the richest altar in the world, and as being
q raj in
said to have cost a million and a half dol
lars, and a wooden floor which certainly
did not cost as many cents.
The Puebla cathedral, with its floor of
colored marbles, it's rich and artistcally at
tractive high altar of different varieties of
Puebla onyx, and the beautiful ironwork
and wood carving about the choir, boasts
an interior which equals that of the cathe
dral of Toledo, or Burgos, Leon, or
airy other of the structures of which Spain
is justly proud. The music at Pueba was
also pleasing. An organ, piano, violon-
cello ard other stringed Instruments. and
mems ard boys voices Choir in vestmeuts
and director with baton), combined with eX-
celent results. These boy choirs in scarlet
and white VeStmeEtS were also found IN
Oajaca's and TlacolulaS cathedrals in the
far south. There is a magnificent display
Of silver in remote Tlacolula's church; TaX-
Gala has the oldest church in North Ameri-
ca, with its cedar ceiling and beams brought
from Spain, CorteS' church of San Fran
CISCO constructed in 1921; there is artistic
wood carving by Indian artists of power
and taste in the Church of Ocotlan, perch
ed upon a hill in the same city of TlaZcald,
and almost ey cry leading church of almost
every considerable town has treasure Of
some sort, Murillo, an alleged Titan, or
some other exhibit to interest the sightseer.
Countcrpnrts of Spanish Cities.
Not Only have many individual Spanish
sights their counterparts in Mexico but even
the cities may be grouped and compared.
The City of Mexico is nearly as large
Madrid or Barcelona. and far surpasses boTh
in novelty and interest. Outside of its won
derful picture gallery, the finest in the
world, Madrid is only an imitation Paris.
Barcelona is a bright, attractive modern
business city. Mexico is all of this and in
addition interests with oriental scenes and
suggestions. 1t has many of the sightseeing
attractions of Madrid, Barcelona and gay
Seville, with touches of scenes from the
streets OF Cairo. Guadalajar and Puebla