The Press., 1899-10-12
LETTER FROM GERMANY.
Awheel ON the Rhine.

Awheel ON the Rhine.
strassburg, Germany, sept. 9TH, 1889.
My last letter closed with our arrival at
Cologne, Aug. Goth last, at the end OF
three hundred mile run through Holland.
We have now been in the Rhine valley
ten days, eight of which we were on our
wheels, leaving us two Sundays for rest
one at Cologne and one at Worms. Col
ogne is an old city, founded by Agrippina,
the mother of Nero, in 81, A. D., and is
interesting 10 many ways, but the one
thing that impressed us was the Cathe-
dral. 1t Is on a hill sixty feet above the
Rhine, Is surrounded by parks and wide,
open streets, and is, therefore, seen to
advantage from every side. At first, like
our Niagara, 1t is disappointing. We fail
at once to realize its grandeur. 1t is
crusiform structure, 444 feet long, 2O1 #.
wide, side walls $50 IT. high, height Of
roof 201 IT,, height of central tower over
transcripts 357 IT,, and its two front towers
pierce the sky 512 IT. These are large
figures, difficult to realize. We walk
aroung the hugh pile, viewing it from
every vantage point, enter 1t in revere1t
spirit and walk up and down It's alsles and
choir, vane and transepts, and finally
realize that this most magnificent gothic
edifice in the world, faultless in it's pro-
portions. and richly ornamented, is the
grandest hymn Of praise to the Almighty
that the genius of archi e.ture has ever
sung. 1t was more than 500 years in
Hiding % gun in 1248 and completed In
| 1880, and cost untold millions. Col gne
seems only setting for this incompara-
BILE structure. AT ten on Monday MORN
ing, Aug. 28th, we mount our wheels and
begin our long ride up the west bank of
the Rhine. The valley of the Rhine for
twenty miles above Cologne is wide; the
hills on either side recede far from the
river, are we'll rounded into graceful out
lines, and, like he valley below, are care
| fully cultivated. AT Boun the hills
crowd in upon the river, and the valley as
that the carriage road and the railway
have barely room to pass between the
hills and the river. This valley is one of
the great thoroughfares of western Europe;
has been such from earliest record time;
made such by the conformation of the
| continent. Fhe river was the first high
way, and it still floats All immense traffi.
Then highway-a CARR; ge road-wa-
built on ca, b side of the river and lastly
in our day, double track railway or
either side-ten great streams of trave
up and down this famous valley. which al
points is so narrow as barely to permit
their passage without blockade. II the
valley were cut up into as many petty
kingdoms as the Rhine has tribute ries
still up and down over all artifici
boundaries and barriers would march the
a. mics of commerce and pleasure. W.
Join the latter throng. and day after day
ride past beautiful and picl uresqu'
scenery which it would be impossible t.
describe. Nothing out IF the ordinar,
happens to US from day to day, or t.
those about us, as far as we know, ant
yet each day Is full OF ~ jpyment. Ate
five or six hours awheel we are tired ant
find comfol table lodgings in waysid
inn, where a good dinner is served u
and after good nights rest we are pre-
pared for the experiences and sights o
new day. Thus ten days have passed
no day peculiarly distinguished from
another, and yet all days delightful. w
stop at Mehlen, Andernach, an old Re
man town. its old walls and houses still
well preserved, Neeler Spay, Tuchtlings
housen, Loubenheim, Worms and Heichl
berg in succession, running from 40 t
so miles day. We have passed throug
a village or town every three to five miles
There ara no farm houses in the Rhin
valley, or for that matter In Europea
countries generally, 80 far as know, fo
In the centuries of disorder that precede