Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-03
NoRWAY'S TREASURE.
The Great Cathedral That Stands Near
the Arctic Circle.


the Arctic Circle.
When King Haakon VII. was crown
ed in the Cathedral Of Trondhjem, the
ancient capital Of his new Kingdom,
the nave Of that magnificent building
was, as it now is, covered with rough
planks Of wood, says the London
Times. From the interior 1t was nee
essary to clear out an army OF arch-
tects. modelers, sculptors, stone ma
sons and builders, for the cathedral
has for many years past been UNDER
going such reconstruction as, in regard
to some Of its portions, amounts to re-
building 1t will probably be such a
restoration as will satisfy even those
to whom almost all restoration Is
labominable. The work done so far has
been carried out In a spirit OF hlgh
reverence for the past, under the su-
perintendence of Herr Christie, the
most eminent of Norwegian architects
who is devoting his life to what Prof.
IDietrichson, of Christiania university,
calls "Norway's noblest monument, the
country's sacred treasure, the crown
and glory Of it's architecture" 1t was
in 1869 that the present restoration was
begun. 1t has been continuously pro-
ceeding since that year, and is expect
ed to reach completion by 1914. when
Norway will celebrate the hundredth
Anniversary of it's restored independ-
ence. The amount Of money expended
will reach at least 100000 kroner
(e3S3,OO0).
Trondhjem, with its 10000 inhabi-
tants, not far from the outer rim OF the
Arctic circle, is a strange place In
which to find one of the most remark
able of the cathedrals Of Europe. But
then, a great part of Europe helped In
the building of this magnificent mon
ument to one who was held to be hero,
MIRACLE worker, martyr, and saint.
There were churches dedicated to st.
Olaf in Novgorod and in Constantine
pie. in Esthland and Ireland. In Eng
land and Germany. In London there
were four churches of st. Olave, two
of which still remain. At Trondhjem,
then called Nicador "the mouth OF the
Ouse," the cathedral rose above King
Olaffs shrine, and on the very spot
where his body had been hidden after
Ihis last disastrous fight against Ca
mute, who added the crown or Norway
to those of Denmark and England. 10
lOlaffs shrine and Olaff's we'll, which Is
lembedded within the cathedral walls
lcame pilgrims from all parts Of Eu-
rope. bringing their gifts with them
By the side Of a small church there
grew up a larger one, and round the
larger one a great cruciform cathedral
notable even more for its architectural
splendor of detail than for its magnifi-
cence Of size.
By the year 1900 the church was
complete and was the wonder Of Nor
way. 1t was 324 feet long, with grea,
central tower, three other towers OF
smaller dimensions, and many turrets
land pinnacles. There were 315 win
dows, 1850 pillars and 35 altars. al
richly decorated and adorned. On the
Icapitals of the columns weird and ex-
uuisite architectural fancies were law
Iished. The general effect was, per-
haps, one of overdecoration. The or
namentation Of the capitals Is very
deeply cut. Quaint heads are mingled
with floral designs, and the spirit o.
: the maker of comic gargoyles assert:
itself here and there.
The present restoration is one o
many, for the cathedral has had ex
ceeding bad fortune. 1t was three times
on fire between 1928 and 1881. 1t wa!
plundered in 1887, the silver shrine o.
st. Olaf being carried off to Copenha
gen. When the Swedes captured
Trondhjem in 1864, they stabbed thei
horses in the cathedral and buried
Olaff's body in a faraway countr!
church. There were fires again IL
1908 and 1913: and the repairing wa:
then done in a slipshod and irreveren
fashion, capitals, columns. tracery, be
ing used as ordinary building material
arches being obscured by new stone
work the nave left in ruins, the aisle
shut off from the chancel. the walls dis
figured by tiers of wooden boxes use'
as pews. This was the condition o
Trondhjem cathedral when the restor
alton was begun in 1869.
The work has now been carried yer!
far Practically everything is com
pleted but the nave, which has beel
carried up to something like two
, thirds of what will be its final height
Everything has been exactly restored
Nothing has been changed so far a.
can be discovered, or will be. Th'
building is to be in 1914 just as 1t wa!
in 1900. To this end not only the bes
architectural but the best workman!
skill has been employed. Every frag
ment of the old building has been usec
where that was possible. and in th'
case Of what was ruined beyond repai
careful casts have been made and th'
whole restored from these and from
suggestions in the uninjured work
The material employed is a curiou:
blue soapstOne found in the locality
When broken in one direction 1t has {
dullish sparkle. like some iron ores
suggesting great hardness, but in real
, ity it is a soft stone. very pliable II
the sculptor's hands and almost capa'
BILE of being cut by knife. 1t has
however. thoroughly proved its endur'
ing qualities. In some of the oldes
parts Of the church the mason's mark:
are not far from being as clear and as
sharp as when they were placed there
500 or 900 years ago.
6R Tantalum, the new metal, which
is being extensively made use of at the
present time, was discovered about
two years ago by a Swedish chemist
and was so named because of the
tantalizing difficulties he experienced
in it's development.
Al Tbara ara thnncopl acres of