The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-06-02
LEANING TOWER OF PISA.
One Cannot Help Being Nervous In Look
ing From Its Top.

One Cannot Help Being Nervous In Look
ing From Its Top.
In st. Nicholas, John Ward writes Of
"The Bell Towers Of Italy" Mr.. Ward
says Of the most famous of them all:
Pisa seems like q sleeping city, as she
lies SO quietly and silently along the
two borders Of the river Arno. She fell
asleep several hundred years ago, after
she had struggled valiantly for her in
dependence and had won renown during
the fierce contests between the Guelphs
lpartisans Of the pope) and the Ghibel-
lines (partisans oSehe emperor). Though
Pisa has long since forgotten the days
Of her greatness, the world cannot fur
ret them when it looks upon that won.
lrously beautiful group of four marble
white buildings standing apart In the
tacred corner-the cathedral, the bap.
tistery, the campo santo Tor burial
ground), and, what interests us most Of
all, the remarkable campanile, so we'll
known as the LEANING tower" This
famous tower was built in liza. Its
construction is peculiar There is in the
center hollow brick tube or cylinder;
around this plain round tower the archi-
tects built eight stories Of open galleries,
with beautiful, slender columns OF
white marble supporting semicircular
arches. The general effect is one OF
great delicacy and lightness, fairylike
tower Of wonderful grace. The summit
is 179 feet from the ground. AS you all
know, the tower leans IS feet out OF
the perpendicular and looks as II II
would surely fall over at any moment,
but, as the center of gravity Is still
within its base, 1t is as safe as II II
were erect. The foundations were prob
ably imperfectly built at the start, for
the tower began to lean before it waf
half finished, and we can see where Of
one point the builders tried to bring II
back as much as possible to the vertical
line by making the columns on the low
side higher than the others. The walls,
too, are strengthened with iron bars
Fancy the CONSERVATION Of the arohi
tects when they saw their beautiful
tower leaning over and its foundation
sinking in the ground! 1t requires yer!
steady nerves to carry US to the top, ant
we find ourselves clinging to the wal
when we are on the leaning side.
This is what Charles Dickens say
about the tower in his pictures From
Italy" "In tho course Of the ascent t
the top the inclination is not very up
parent, but at the summit it become
so and gives one the sensation Of bein
In q ship that has heeled over throug
the action Of an ebb tide. The effec
upon the low side. SO to speak, lookin
over from the gallery and seeing tn
shaft reoede to its base, Is very stal
cling, and saw nervous traveller hol
on to the tower involuntarily aftt
CHANGING down. as il he had some ide
of propping it up.
When we reach the summit, we mu
not forget that this was where the grei
astronomer Calico watched the star
experimental OH the fall of bodies al
studied the law Of gravitation. Her
too, in the upper story, hang the S
bells, the largest of which weighs mo
than 10, 900 pounds. The bell founde
Of Pisa had wide reputation for cas-
ing bells of beautiful tone, sonoro
and harmonious. They lavished
them all their art and their talent.
The Pasquareocia (the Paschal bel
the most famous of the Pisan bells, t
one which was tolled when criminf
were taken to execution, is ornament
with figure of the Virgin and the
vices Of Pisa and has rich, full tone