Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1908-12-19
Celebrated Cathedral of Cologne
Holds Sarcophagus With
Remains.
Work That Jagged For Centuries
Was Brought to Final
Conclusion.
LEGEND CONCERNING The PLANS

During the Christmas season the
children never tire of the story of
the Three Wise Men, who saw the
star in the East and who followed
It to adore the infant Jesus in Beth
lehem. By tradition it is learned
that the Three Wise Men were
Gaspar, a Caucasian; Melchior, an
East Indian, and Balthasar, an
Egyptian, each type of the different
races inhabiting Europe, Asia and
Africa Not only have they been re-
nowned in church history, but Gen.
Lew Wallace made them living,
active figures in his famous story,
ben Hur."
Among the many magnificent
specimens of architecture in Europe
none is worthier to take rank as
one of the wonders of the world than
the beautiful Cathedral of Cologne.
the crescent shaped city on the
Rhine. Among the trophies which
Frederick l., surnamed Barbossa,
brought from Milan to Cologne in
1853 was a sarcophagus containing
the remains of the Three Wise Men
of the East" Neither sacred nor
profane history gives any definite
information regarding them and all
that is known is that the Italians
who participated in the first crusade
carried their bodies to the capital of
Lombardy from the Holy Land,
where it is supposed they were once
rulers. A little more than a CEN
fury later the Archbishop of Cologne
conceived the idea of erecting
shrine for these three wise Kings"
which should be more stupendous
and splendid than the grandest
Christian temple than existing.
There being no lack of means at
his command, he obtained a salts
factory plan and the cornerstone of
the Cathedral was laid and dedicated
to St. Peter, although it was COM
monty known as the Church of the
Three Kings. During Archbishop
Conrad's life the work was vigor-
ously pushed and was continued by
his successor until the building used
by the clergymen and the north and
south aisles of the nave were COM
pleted sufficiently to use, and was
covered with a wooden roof. Then
owing to the troubluous times in the
country the work was suspended for
more than three hundred years. In
1880 ii was sluggishly resumed. In
|1S40 Frederick William w. assembled
the throne and set about restoring
the portion previously built and COM
pleting the Cathedral according to
the original plan, which-unheard of
for years-was found in the posses
sion of a poor man, from whom 1t
was purchased for 100000. In 1912
the foundation of the transept was
laid. Twenty years later the transept
and the north and the south portals
were finished The celebration of
this event in October, 1868, was an
extremely interesting event. All the
bells in Cologne were rung and the
houses and streets decorated. Thou
sands of people poured into the city
from the surrounding country to par
ticipate in or witness the cere-
monies.
Conspicuous among the crowd
were the members of a society
which had for years been actively
engaged throughout Prussia in rails
ing funds for the completion of the
Cathedral. The members of this So
ciety were distinguished by a but
ton-hole bouquet" consisting of a
laurel leaf. A procession so long
that II required an hour to pass
given point started from the Neu-
market, one of the principal streets,
marched into the Cathedral while
choral society sang a cantata COM
posed for the occasion, and various
bands filled the air with the melody
of their joyous strains. At the west
gate of the Cathedral assembled the
notables, among whom were the
Kings ministers. At one side was
stationed the choral society and at
the other an orchestra. The King
was unable to be present, but the
Queen was represented by one of her
maids of honor, who was commits
stoned to attend and report progress
to the Queen, and to express Her
Majesty's regret at having to be abb
sent. The preaching of a sermon,
the singing of a TIE Deum and the
depositing of a document commem-
|orative of the occasion in a stone
constituted the exercises at the
Cathedral.
The document contained a history
TIE VI tnC
a description of its immensely. stat
ing however that words were in
adequate to convey correct idea of
the real beauty and size of the build
ing. Among the various curious
legends preserved regarding the
building of this Cathedral is related
a story of Archbishop Conrad's diff
ficulty in securing a plan and his
announcement that year would be
allowed for the completion of the
drawing. An architect of Cologne
who decided to try was strolling on
the banks of the Rhine one afternoon
and idly sketched plan in the sand.
Struck with the design, he exclaimed
aloud: This shall be the plan,"
when voice behind him exclaimed:
1T have a better one!" Whirling,
the architect saw a gentleman in
black. who held out a parchment
with a plan amazing in beauty and
grandeur and offered 1t in return
for the architects soul, reminding
him of the glory and riches that sue
cess would bring him. Pretending
to be almost persuaded, the crafty
Architect studied the plan until
finally Satan detected his guile and
angrily vanquished with the words,