The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-05-06
Waltz OF THE GIGLI
rHe srRASGssr, nAooesr DANCE IN
TrE WORLD.


the LiIIe- That Il teIebrstcd IN the
ola italian 'ity 81 NoIr.
Among all remarkable features that
Know th"rr j. none more remarkable
Il than the June festival uf the lilies al
NolJ. That ancient but sleepy city lying
! twenty miles out from Naples In the
lovely Camragnn Friice
II Nola's great hero aud patron saint is
St rauliru~. poet aud bishop ~ tie
/ NTH century lIc - credited with huv.
/ ing Invented church bells and was al
together 80 remarkable person that
h. was carried on into captivity by the
Moors Ills cnpturs however. were ~
Impressed iy the .auctity aud sweet
ness of the bishop that they suffered
him 20 escape. and when hc gcturp.d
home the wiiul" population turned uut
10 meet him. carrying ln their hands
M" great tail white lilies 50 familiar
10 This day To visitors ln this lovely
| pert ~ Italy
! As years passed away M" anui,.r.
sary of Bishop raullnus' return was
! celebrated with more and more cer,.nio-
ny until ~ length the trade guilds l,c-
! .au to erect elaborate ornamental tow
er~ which they carried In procession ~
| symbols ~ the lilies with which the
| Joyous populacc welcomed their bishop
on his return Tho date ~ the festival
today II June ~. and 80 remarkable Is
4 Il that Il attracts visitors from all over
! Italy
! On the eve of the great day. when
/ the Elxll or ornamental towers. seven
stories in hrlghi. with mutltudlnous
cornircS and papirr machc decorations.
stand ready all Nola Is Illuminated. and
/ thousands of rolur"d lanterns are hung
/ ON ropes across the streets
! one notices that the base of the pyrnm
dial gigll consists ~ q massive frame.
work ~ beams. ON the lowest story
Is accommodation for an orchestra. and
every tier uud detail " the towering
lpwcriikr gigli that rises glittering
uhnve the highest hnusctops Is worked
out with us much pains as though o.
| wore intended Tor some great cathr.
I lril which should endure. not fDr %
day. hut for % thousand years.
/ Every Whitsunday Nulp wakes uu
~ great excitement \ yaricolorcd
/ Italian crowd largely mixed with
/ foreigners. pours through the narrow
streets to the market place For fcw
lire they secure seats on q balcony. nt
q window. on HAT roof or oven ON
some crumhling and dangerous proirr.
ton ~ the hnnry Old cathedral. Tho
streets 40 the four corners of the mar.
kri square nrc kept cl"nr FOR tho pas.
sage Of Tho giant g.gii
suddenly the confused sound of many
bands Is heard. nud one 10y one. flash.
ing gliiicring nui swaylug crazily. Ike
M" mast ~ ship IN gale. the great
Il pyramids advance into The square. their
lofty spires nod1ing 10 the rhythmic
feet ~ their bearers. who are always
poriers from the great arsenal NJ
| Naples These men are famous all
over tho Camplgua Fcllcr for their
great strength. BEFORE each moving
tower man walks backward. guiding
the bearers 10y beating time with hand
aud foot. other men run beside them
ready tp lay hold ~ beam and place
their own shoulder beneath II should
the strength NJ cumrndc fail
The moment nh the eight gigll have
culrrcd the market place an cStraor.
dmary spectacle IL hch"ld. fpr the
lofty towers begin u fantastic and M
parontly most dangerous dance dan
gcrous. so far ~ one can see alike for
! portcrs nnd pipulncc Round and
round each tower dancrs. collisions
seem Inevitable. hut are always SKIN.
la "a 4 -
waltz. surely the strangcst dance Ice the
world with forty struggling mon bc-
meath each of The eight ggli AMI the
whole army of dancers guided hy the
shrlll whistle " the captain.
After few minutes ~ this dance m,
masscd bands strike mp wild t1ran
trlH, Immediately the bearers dance
moro rccklcssly thuu ever and the
huge crowd rushcs hithrr aud thithcr
to escape humiliation from The fan of
the =rcut iuggrrHauts Aud imminent
enough dors 'hi. seem The towers,
many ~ them from ~ 10 io0 feet high
hrud ihi, way and thut nt o. terribly
ulurudu. angle iuf presently the
cro,rd realizes THAT after uu there may
hr uu real danger, and they. too begin
tu duucr 0uI SIMS
\ sight Indeed IS ~ io ,oc tlls great
pupulu," dancing furluu-ly and the
"ltLi colossal towers dancing also m
thri, midst Just vn'u th, uortc~s
-row .p rutl-ucl that 'h".r burden hr-
comes 70 worry ral DANGER the board of
iud,rs ~cnG the police over tp inter.
fcrr. Gradually the w1ltzlu. pyramids
urt hrou sht to % ~lInisil and ranged
in Row before M town hlll William
g.. Ti'7 Gc"uli lu Tho World To-day