Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-07-30
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., 53-54,
BERLIN, GERMANY,
Julv = 1906

! skirts the southern border Of the city.
After few minutes Of motion the en-
! tire city of art lies on the left. From
the windows on the right one looks far,
! far out over an almost level stretch of
| green fields, dotted here and there by a
! cluster of wood. Along the distant Dor
der of this panorama of green-twenty
miles and farther away-range series
| of bright gray banks. Into the sky
above these banks, like the irregular
| teeth of a huge saw, project innumer-
able peaks which are half glorified by
the dim skinner of diffused sunlight.
Those are the historic, romantic per-
petually snowcapped Alps 1t was my
first real glimpse of them.
If the fancy of the reader who has
read of their wOndrOuS grandeur; Of
the exploits of William Tell, Of Hanni-
bal and Napoleon. does not suggest in
some slight measure the character and
the quality of my emotions, no written
words could do so. Visible at this great
distance only in exceptionally clear
weather they even then appear rather
diminutive and bright gray instead of
white i'm color. Ever and anon during
the next three and one-half hours, as
the express speeds first by woods, later
by hill and forest they reappear some
what holder, larger. more white and re-
splendent i'm the field of vision. For the
last half To three-fourthS hour we
seemed to steam up stiff grade almost
directly towards them. So wildly
the outlines of those now huge, precipi-
tous white peaks drawn against the
i - ,,.ntfn,,a1l,- ganunnH "a
few minutes more in the same direction
would bring us into collision with them.
At midday we found ourselves in the
streets of Salzburg. This Tyrolese city
of about 80. 900 inhabitants, until lSO2 an
archbiShOpric and since 1880 crownland
of the Austrian throne, has, on the
banks of the river SalZach, ravishlng-
" beautiful situation Fresh from
their glacial sources and their meander-
ingS among the cleftS of the snowy
Alps. the grayish-white waters Of this
swift flowing stream. with the inceSSant
mystic music of their rapid mingling,
emereg at the very entrance TO the town
from deep mountain gorge and hasten
over "A broad bed of gravel down through
the long Bavarian valley to their confiu-
ence with the river Inn. On the south,
ranges and series of peaks of immacu-
late white like huge conical pillars OF
heaven. So cold. 50 reSplendent in the
bright midday sun, yet from the bold
distinCtneSS Of outline as they tower into
the blue sky apparently only ten or fiji
teen minutes walk distant they seem to
lure us away from the uncomfortable
heat of the town. We inquire which is
-. hnNY ha accent =
best accomplished, and are told that 1t
is three to five hours walk to the near
est. This seemed almost incredible.
These and other answers TO our lnqulr-
les were, however, confirmed by our
guide-book There entire credibillty
was established by the following rea-
soning The GaiSberg, which, though
already covered with green pasture in
stead of snow. seemed TO us to be the
highest visible peak, is apprOachable in
half an hours walk. Two hours more
are required to ascend it. 1t rises about
2S4O feet above the town. The first
range of snow-capped peaks appear I'M
equal in height but equally distant from
the town. The peak which seemed
highest because in fact neareSU meas
ureS several hundred feet less than the
one which is actually highest. The
loftiest peak rises about 642O feet above
sea level. or $3.50 feet above the town.
Considering that the elevation of this
peak above the town is more than nine
times as great as the measurement of
the national monument at Washington.
Only little reflection on the subject of
perspective was necessary to convince
Il. ,f n form al
The thought of the withdrawal of the
sun and the approach of twilight as be-
inc nearer possibility than the attain
ment of a position on one of those sub
lime SUBMITS subdued our fervid pro,
- ~ 40 sva.c an Alp. SO we con
tented ourselves with the more leaSlole
feats of ordinary tourist.
That part of the town which lies onthe
south bank on the Salzach is closely
bemmed-at one point actually divided
nv a crescent shaped perpendicular
wall of natural rock, 200 TO 5OO leei
bigh called the lOeRCR6erg Monks
Mount. At the narrOwest point an ar
tificial tunnel connects the severed
parts of the town. The elevated, lrreg-
ular surface of this ridge contains PROB
ably more than hundred acres. 1t IS
admirably laid out and kept as public
mark is provided with several villas,
restaurants and towers. and is assembled
bv means of several long winding flights
Of stone steps and roadwayS, or by
means of two almost perpendicular ca
HE car lines. which do not run quite
perpendicular enough to be called ele-
vatOrS. From various points on TINS
elevation views of indeScrl0a0le beauty
and variety Of content may be obtained.
The highest point is at the extreme
southeastern end. This pinnacle OF sol
id rock rises apparently out oil the very
center of the town, almost perpehdlcu
lar ON every side, TO an emlnence OF
about four hundred feet. 1t Is sur
mounted by huge castle, when, Win
its surrounding triple walls, was one oil
the most complete and most lnVlncloIe
of medieval Notifications. or this last
statement the fact that, though power
fully attacked. it never was taken, Is
proof. This was the castle and seat OF
Government of the arChbiShOpS Began
i'm the ninth century it received success
i've additions until about lou. a con-
ccption of its magnitude may be formed
from the fact that an army OF 3O,OOO
men might therein conveniently ma
quarters. \ stranger would meet with
difficulty in finding without aid his way
through the maze of rooms, corridors
and winding Stairways. The tremend-
GUS walls. some 3-5 feet thick. with
| diminutive windows. are unmiStakable
evidence of the serious purpose OF its
construction. On the very last floor are
the spacious apartments, for the most
part restored and preserved in their
original form, of the successive arch.
Bishops who reigned there. In one OF
! those rooms an archbishop was because
of a secret marriage, by order of the
Pope. for the three last years of his life
| imprisoned. On the same floor is the
large parliamentary hall of the Arch
bishopric. \ large damaged spot on one
of the great solid Egyptian granite col
umns which support the ceiling of this
1 - q ton. a-f