Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-11-28
LETTER FROM GERMANY
LEIBNITZsTRASsE ..
WoLFENBUTTEL, GERMANY,
October II. 1895.

j
Ii is Monday. August ), in the beautiful,
cleanly city of Cologne. The Cathedral
the most splendid Gothic structure in
the world-with its myriad Of turrets
and buttresses. its two great. graceful
towers-5l2 feet high-beautiful in IT.
self and in its surroundings, stands re-
splendent in the early morning sun
The spell Of a Sabbath Spen; in mute
admiration Of this marvel OF architec'
tural beauty still holds uS. But we must
hasten from under its shadows by rail-
wav To Bonn. thence to depart at ten
O'Clock ON the fastest and most pleasant
steamer up the Rhine on this boat
dinner is served AT one, and from II YOU
can. AT 1870 p. m, step into the city OF
Mavence. As an impatient crowd on
the wharf at Bohn await the steamer,
hoping To see al its best the river OF ro-
nance. poeSy and history, an uneNpect-
ed shower Of rain ciTectually deprcSSeS
their spirits. As the steamer draws
away from the wharf, however. the
clouds lift. and. half disSipated. chase
each other through a soft beautiful!
sky. while through them ever and anon
bursts the brilliant sun adding rare glory
and splendor to landscape. river, noun
tain and castle. 80. with clarified and
balmv air. with the recently washed
face of nature fresh and bright in every
feature. are the conditions most favor
able for the full enjoyment of the pass
ing panoramic vision.
Near Bonn. ON either side OF the
Rhine. the land. clothed in a mantle OF
deepest green. rises in irregular undu-
IationS into ndiStinct hills in the dis
tance. But ahead. one sees the irrcSu-
lar horizon on either hand converge to-
wards the quiet river. On the left. many
miles in the distance the line of the
horizon abruptly terminates in the sum
nit of mountain which, partly clothed
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vertical surfaces of rock, rises 80 feet
above the stream. In the translucent
air. this stands boldly out, as II reflected
from mirror The apparently mac
cessible pinnacle is Surmountcd by the
huge castle Of DrachenfelS, Dragon 5
Rock" This name is derived from the
legend of Siegfried who, having SLAIN
the dragon which inhabited the cavern
on the side Of the mountain, rendered
himself inyulncrablc by bathing IN ITS
blood. In comparatively good state oi
preservation. this castle stands where
! for eight hundred years il has stood. and
still keeps its spectral watch over the
! now peaceful Rhine. 1t is the first oi
these interesting structures 10 be seen
on the ascent Of the river But for the
! remainder of the day, at any moment
! from two to seven are visible. On either
side. every peak that is difficult oi ac
cess is surmountcd by the ruins OF some
great castle Every ruin has "A history
Of four 10 nine centuries. Strange.
weird legends. narrated IN prose and
poetry about them. intensity their faSci
mating interest for the tourist Of the
present day who Contemplatcs them
through the light Of other times, Other
customs. a higher civilization than they
represent. Some are in good state oil
preservation and exhibit accurately ~
all their details these coy, in their day
imprcgnable nests of the robber baron'
who swoopcd from their acrics down
upon the merchant caravans Of The
tccming valleys. or who cXactcd tolls
from the commerce Of the magniiicen
stream. Some are far advanced IN the
stages Of decay, and reveal in their bro
ken walls and crumbing towers th'
magnitude Of masonry represented IN
mediaeyal castle. Some have been re-
stored. more or less faithfully, for pur
poses Of residence by modern barons o.
commerce and finance who, through
tact rather than force. draw their tolls
from richer channels Of trade.
Stranger than romance is much Of thu
history connected with these structures
Incredible, indeed, seem many feats and
events that are associated with them
| Hardly can one imagine the Rhinefels
Castle successfully withstanding for ~
teen months siege by twenty-six fed
Grated towns. or, in later times, being
successfully defended against an arm!
Of thirty thousand men. Yet these are
facts-facts which only one who ha
seen such strongholds can comprehend
Except for floors. the entire structure
were Of stone. The walls of the i'm
mense castle were three 10 five feet thick
4 huge tower, often two-one 10 tw'
hundred feet high-surmOunted each
The whole was usually encircled by tw'
great stone walls which were studded
at frequent intervals by turrets, and o
which the outer usually enclosed man!
acres Of space. Within those walls, th'
arrangement for the maintenance 0
man and beast were self-sufIicing. Be
hind them well might the outlawe'
princes and their daring followers enjO.
in security their rich, ill-gotten spOi.s-
Other historical landmarks there are
Here and there on the green banks 0
the river stands an ancient town. >
compactly is it built that the archai
roofs seem almost to form one cOntin
uous surface Of diversified angles. Tn
exterior Of the houses is Of dull, dar
color. The little windows have dimin
utiye panes Every feature is quaint
In several instances, at least, there j
nothing to indicate the construction Q
building for centuries. Ihe ruins Q
| 81. S,roat cft,- ,,~afI cioeefv gkfrffno III