Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-01-14

st. Peters at Rome, being rectangular
| IN form and 6i2 by 4b2 feet In size
while ST. Peters is G39 by 6l5 feet in
size. The ceiling. however, Is only
10 ieet In height 1t is supported by
about $50 columns, which give 1t the
appearance of forest OF marble roof
| ed In. The first impression produced
upon those who enter II Is that of be
| wilderment and astonishment at the
| confused mazes OF pillars and the
| queer shaped double and single arches.
| which are so eccentric and odd that
one would think an insane architect
must have designed It. There are
forms of arches under this roof that
are not found elsewhere, and a pioIs
| old engineer once said that they must
have been built by the devil himself
because they violated all the laws or
physical gravity. You can get the
best IDEA of its appearance by imaein-
ing several acres of alaOaster pave
ment planted with regular rows of
palm trees cut OF at the height of
thirty feet and forming a succession
OF colonnades thirty feet apart. The
originality and the severe and massive
simplicity OF the columns. the bril-.
liant tints with which the arches are
colored and their odd shapes produce
| most amazing effect, but at one time
1t was even more glorious The stupid
architects of the Christian period
painted over many beautiful Moorish
mosaics, whitewashed brilliant tiles
and plastered over the exquisite trac.
cry that the Moorish artists had used
to adorn the walls and roof
What must the place have been in
its original beauty when its ceiling
and walls glistened with gliding and
vivid colors, and. as some one has said.
looked like cashmere shawls illumin-
ated In the Moorish times 1t was
lighted by i0.S05 lamps, which CON
sumed 75p barrels of oil month, and
the bishop used to have more than
100, but now these have been replac.
ed by ordinary electric bulbs which
throw heavy shadows, but do not
bring out the beauty OF the lines or
the decorations. As In Toledo the
electricity is generated IN an old Moor
ish mill down on the bank OF the
Guadalquivir river. and the same old
wheels that have been there for a
thousand years still obey the current
OF the water
The mosque has nineteen towers
and sixteen entrances. The columns
are all monoliths-that Is. of one
block of marble, and we're brought
f,..., all A.
world. They came from Carthage. in
Africa, from the ruins of Baalbek. near
Damascus; from Babylonia and Palm
yra, from the temples and palaces OF
Rome. from Nlsmus and Narbonne,
France and 1I0 were sent as pres
| ent from the emperor at Constantine.
pie. They are all Of marble and Jas
green. brown, black, white, red, blue,
rose-colored. orange and cream. When
they arrived In Cordova they were
sawed to an even length and erected
in rows intersecting each other at
right angles and equldistant. The
mosque could not have been very con
yenient for worship because they are
W. hthi hotRNh'i Aiiat th'f oboii
the view and destroy the acoustics,
but at one side pulpit was erected
that Is unparalleled In history. 1t was
mass Of Ivory. precious wood and
gold, and inlaid with jewels, and cost
more than $5.000.000 In Ii was kept
a famous copy OF the Koran, made by
Gilman. the grandson OF the Prophet
Ma hnmAt "a al n m
priest. and stained with his blood
rhis book was Kept In a box covered
with gold ami embroidered with pearls
with . border vi rabies, ana once a
year during the feast OIL Hamadan 1t
was taken from the casket and used
by the officiating priest In the services
Of the day.
This pulpit was stolen by the French
soldiers under Marshal Soult in 1903
and carried to France. where 1t was
broken up and the jewels and the gold
distributed among the generals OF the
army. The amount OF booty the
French carried away from Spain after
the downfall of Joseph Bonaparte
must have been enormous, for every
where you go You are told that this
church was robbed OF Its vessels, vest
meDts and jewels; that the library
was pIundered and the art gallery be-
yond WAS stripped by the soldiers OF
France.
Since the Christian era several beau
tiful chapels. altars and sacrlsties have
been added 10 the mosque. the choir
of oak is one of the most beautiful
specimens of carvings In existence;
the grand altar Is monument OF mag.
nificense. and in the treasury are kept
, large collections of precious orha-
ments, yestments and vessels used in
the service and carried In professions
on feast days and holy days. A no
tice on the wall OF the sacristy Is writ
ten In English "as she Is spoke" In
ancient Cordova.
TO see the Jewels Room, the Mih
rab. the Mudejar chapel and the chor
us OF this Cathedral, every person
must pay two pesetas to attend to the
worships expenses and the servants
| qualifications"
We paid our franc pesetas. which
is 40 cents. and saw a wonderful col
lection OF gold and silver vessels and
embroideries.