The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-05-09

city of Vienna, was written by Mrs.
W. G. Jeffries, formerly of Leon, to
the Priscilla Club Of Leon, being read
before them at their meeting last
week. Mrs. Jeffries accompanied her
husband, Dr. w. G. Jeffries, to vi
emma, where he is taking an advanc-
ed course in medicine and surgery.)
It is generally believed that
Vienna was founded by a Celtic tribe
even before the beginning of our
chronology. 1t is positively known
that the Romans established a fort
here in the first century otter Christ
which was destroyed by the Huns in
the fifth century From this time on
to 1886 Vienna was often taken and
retaken by rival countries. Even af-
ter 1885 it was twice besieged by
the Turks, once in 1929 and again
in 1888. Much of the glory of the
success and growth of the Austrian
Theresa who reigned for forty years
and is much beloved by the Aus
trian people. During the early part
of the 18th century Vienna fell for
a short time into the power of Ma
po1eon after whose defeat the Vienna
congress was in session for eight
months. Then followed the melan-
choly epoch which brought on the
revolution of 1S4S, at which time
emperor Ferdinand I was abdicated
and the present emperor Franz Jo-
seph I assembled the throne at the
age of IS years and under his reign
Vienna has grown to it's present
greatness.
Vienna is the capital of the west
ern half of the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy as we'll as the residence of
the emperor. 1t lies $50 feet above
sea level, in a depression shut in on
the west and south by wooded and
Well cultivated hills lin America We
call them mountains) and bounded
on the north and east by the Danube
river
The Danube river near the city
is about $50 yards wide and is
spanned by many beautiful bridges
for railway traffic and general use.
The municipal area of Vienna is
$1,000 acres. In this respect it sur
passes all other European cities.
The drinking water of the city is
abundant and of good quality. 1t
is conducted to Vienna from the
springs of the Etyrian Alps through
an aqueduct IS miles long and from
the time it leaves the mountains I'M
til it is tapped into the houses the
daylight never reaches it. In this
way Vienna with population of
100000 persons receives a supply
of fresh pure water.
On December 20, 1857, an i'm
perial decree was published COM
manding that the old wall and city
Notifications of the city should be
torn down, thus giving wide space
which was devoted to the enlarge
ment of the city. While palaces and
beautiful buildings were starting up
on each side of this space there arose
the most wonderful achievement Of
that art gifted epoch and a triumph
of modern architecture, the Ring
strasse, one Of the most beautiful
streets in the world. The Ring
strasse is nearly 200 feet wide with
several rows of trees around which
flowers grow in profusion during
the summer. 1t is the principal
street of Vienna and forms circle
around the old part of the town, hav-
ing been built on the old city wall.
Within this circle are the principal
shopping districts and many beauti-
full old buildings and land marks of
the city among which St. Stephens
church is the most famous.
The beautiful spire of St. Stephens
church greets the traveller from
afar. It's grey stones have witnessed
the varying history of five centuries.
As early as the 18th century a
chapel to St. Stephen which stood
on the spot was transformed into
church. 1t was destroyed by fire in
1858 and then rebuilt on a larger
scale. 1t was completed in 1906 and
in THE Viennese have a living model
of Gothic architecture illustrating
it's rise, zenith and decline. On the
west this church has two towers call
ed heather towers, while at the OPP
posite end is a steeple 445 feet high.
The view of Vienna from this steeple
is magnificent, reaching beyond the
spurs of the Alps and the plains of
Hungary. The interior of the Ca
thedral is imposing, being rich in
sculpture and monuments.
The cactacombs of St. Stephens
WHICH lie uuu0I Tie CuuICu WcIc quiz
jected to a restoration few decades
ago and have lost some of their
former interest. In only few of
the cellar like rooms are to be found
piles of bones and heaped up collins.
There is vault below the Presbytery
in which from 1868 to 1876 the
dukes and archdukes of Austria were
buried. but now it only receives the
urns containing the intestines of the
members of the royal family.
There are also many other beau
tiful churches here in Vienna but st.
Stephens is the Oldest and by far the
most famous.
p The University is one of the largest
modern structures in the city. 1t
covers an area Of $4,000 square
yards. Behind the university is a
spacious court yard shut in by the
arcades. Along the walls are me-
MORALS of servants and professors of
the university by the best sculptors
Of Vienna. It's skylighted reading
room seats 400 persons and contains
$4,000 volumes. T.,
=.