Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-09-17
LETTER FROM A NAPOLEON
BOY TRAVELLING IN
EUROPE.
NUMBER TWO.
FRANKFORT ON THE MAIN Aug. %, '9G.

FRANKFORT ON THE MAIN, Aug. %, '96.
DEAR BRoTHER:-I suppose you had given
up all hope of getting another letter from
me. &We have travelled so rapidly from place
to place since leaving Paris that I could
hardly find the time to write the few cards
sent you from different places along the
route we traversed. AS wish to tell you
something about each place where we stop
ped for any length of time, I shall commence
where left off in my first letter.
We left Senheim on the 18th of June at
o'clock in the evening, and 81 hours later
we were in Trier, the oldest town in Ger
many. 1t was founded by the Gauls and
conquered by the Romans Sc years!B. c. Up
on one of the buildings, now a hotel called
the Red House. is Latin inscription which
refers to tradition that Trier was founded
1900 years before Rome. The city with
population Of 0,O0O is interesting chiefly be-
cause of its early history, in which the Rom
an, from the time of Caesar figured promi-
nently and its picturesque Roman ruins,
some of which are in an excellent state Of
preservation. 1 think the finest of them is
the "Porta Nigra." 1t was once fortified
city gate with two towers Of defense and it is
thought from peculiarities in its construction
to have been erected in the 4th century, A.
D. 1t is lis feet long, 70 to 95 feet high and
about 80 feet thick. Two gate-ways lead
through it, each about % feet in height. A
considerable part of the oltfeity wall with its
great round towers is still extant. Near it eX
cayations have been made disclosing por-
tions ola Roman bath house of the 9Th CEN
tury. guide took me through the ruins
and pointed out the channels for conducting
hot air underneath the marble floors, large
passages for the waste water and others
leading down from the distant hills from
which the water supply was drawn, rooms
where the ovens were located, etc. About i
mile from here l came to another place
where excavations were in progress bring
ing to light the greater part of an amphithe-
ater. The arena is oval in shape, about 250
feet one way and 15O feet the other. At each
end is large stone gateway with open =
ings, the ones in the center leading Hnto the
arena, the others, no doubt intended for
spectators Surrounding the arena, with
doors opening into it, are a series of dun
geon like apartments, which, in all proba-
bility, were for the gladiators and wild
beasts. According to history, it was here
that 1000 Frankish prisoners were put to
death by order OF the Roman Emperor Con-
| stantine. Among the older buildings in the
city. to the interiors of which we were admit
ted. are two churcnes, the Cathedral con-
structed during theTeign of the Roman EN-
peror Valentinian I, 364-S75 A. D., and the
church of st. Matthew, dating in its present
! form to the 18th century In it near the high
altar is sarcophagas borne by four marble
pillars, said to contain the remains of ST.
Matthew. In vaults underneath the church
and in catacombs in the church-yard are
! tombs Of Roman origin, By lighting a match
and peering through crack in one of them
| we could see fragments of the bones of per-
son who went to Join the Angels something
| like 1900 years ago On the afternoon of our
third day in the city we visited the Provin-
cial Museum, containing a great many relics
of the Roman times found among the ruins
| in the city and surrounding country. The
| collection is composed of sarcophagi onerof
! them containing skeleton, tombs with Lat
in Inscriptions, statuary, pieces of columns
and pillars, frieze of buildings, war imple-
LuGulS COluS, uOu6SllC uEUS WIFI
ashes and small pieces Of bones of bodies
which had been cremated, rings, beads, etc.
| In one of the rooms is small collection Of
| Egyptian relics and among them a mummy
! incased in white cloth, between the folds Of
which can be seen the skin closely resemb-
ling dried beef.
/ From Trier we went south to Saargemund
Rliac trap m III an
to Mothers relatives and then continued our
journey through Lorraine to Metz, the capi-
tai of German Lorraine. This city has a gar
rison of 5000 men exclusive of its population
of 60, 900, has always been well fortified and
previous to its surrender to the Germans in
1870 had never succumbed to an enemy.
Earth and stone Notifications surround the
city and on all sides upon the hills are large
forts. Here, as in other cities Of Germany. a
striking illustration is given of the military
strength of the nation, the rigid discipline
maintained in the army and the thorough
equipment Of the soldiers. The tramp,
tramp. tramp of marching feet and the mu-
sic of the military bands can be heard from
early morn until evening. One Cay l dem
onstrated my ability as pedestrian by GO
ing over the battle field Of the 18th of Aug
ust, 1870, a distance of over 70 miles, on foot.
/ had plan Of the field with me and could
easily determine the positions occupied by
the two armies. That the engagement was a
bloody one is attested by the hundreds Of
mounds. upon each plain wooden cross
painted white and bearing in black letters
the simple inscription, Here lie soldiers
who fell on the 18th Of August, TO-" One
small cemetery in Gravelotte provided graves
for 5000 men who sacrificed their lives for
their country on that awful day At Grave
lotte / had dinner, rested for an hour and
then tramped on. Passing through the little
towns of Malmaison and Verneville reach
ed the frontier, marked by stones and post
on each side of the road. The word from
tier" was painted upon one Of them and
Deutches Reich" upon the other. Just for
the novelty Of the position | straddled the
line, thus having one foot in France and the
lother in Germany. Going through two little