The Washington times., 1902-07-15

/ fire watchman who always carried a
/ telescope. The view from the tower TOP
embraced the whole city, the lagoon, the
Sips and part cf the Adriatic.
Clara Erskine Clement. in her hoci
The Queen of the ,Adriatic," says tina:
from the tower. in the great days of the
Venetian republic, the first glimpse OF
| homecoming war vessels was seen and
signaled. In 1918. there hung, half way
up the tower, a wooden cage In which
prisoners were kept until they starved tc
death.
In the olden days there were four bells
sounded for different purposes: La ma
-angola was sounded at dawn 20 call the
laboring classes; Ia sestamezzana opened
| the official bureaus; la trotterar called
the councils to duty. and the bell del
malefizio tollcd out the requiem for
those who were to he put to death.
/ \ fifth bell later was brought from
Gambia and was tolled only on Ascen-
sion day.
A Unique Building.
The Cathedral of St. Mark stands
quite alone among the buildings
of the world in respect OF its unequa!ed
richness CT material and decoration. and
also from the fact that it has been con-
structed with the spoils OF countless
other buildings.
St. Marks is built on the site of a
chapel erected to contain the bones OF
the Saint after whom the cathedral Is
named. This chapel was gradually en-
larged by various Doges. First of all
transepts were added, then the hap
tistery on the south ard the atrium ex-
| tending along the west and north Of
were added north and south of the two
ltransepts.
During the long period from its dcdi-
cation in 1855 till the overthrow OF the
Venetian republic by Napoleon every
Doge's reign saw more addition to the
rich decorations-mosaics. sculpture.
wall liniHEa, or columns of precious
marbles. By degrees the whole walls
inside and outside were completely faced
either with glass mosaics on gold
grounds or with precious colorel mar
bles and porphyries, plain white marble
being only used for sculpture, and then
thickly covered with gold. The splendor
and richness of effect thus produced is
quite unique.
Evangelist's Body in Altar.
The body of St. Mark is now within
the nlgn dltaT- 1nlS altar has the most
magnificent gold retable in the world.
This marvellous rctable is made UP of
an immense number of microscopically
minute gold cloisonne enamel pictures
of the utmost splendor in color and de-
tail. The enamels are partly translu-
cent. allowing the brilliant gold backing
to shine through the colorcd enamel
Much of the sculpture dates from the
sixth century, or even earlier. The
method peculiar to the building of en-
riching sculptured reliefs with back
grounds of brilliant gold and colorei
glass mosaics produces effects of extra
ordinary magnifcence. In the whole in
terror is a dim. mystic light which with
the marvellous architecture and decora-
items produces an effect unspeaka bly,
charming and impressive.
The exterior is no less magnificent
than the inside, the whole facade being
covered with sculpture. mosaic or slabs
of rich marble. Over the main entrance
are the famous bronze horses which are
said to be the only equines found in
Venice. These figures once adorned the
seat of the Roman emperors at the
public arena, and are said to have been
ordered by Nero. They were carried
away from Venice by Napoleon |, who
placed them above the Arch of Triumph
in Paris.