Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-09-26

BY Heavy Sieze Guns.
BordeauX.-The minister Of the in
terror, Louis J. Malvy. announced
Monday that the famous cathedral of
Rheims had been destroyed and other
historic and public buildings either
laid in ruins or zeriously damaged by
German artillery.
Coupled with the announcement
was statement that the government
. had decided to address TO all the
powers note OF indignant protest
against This act OF odious vandaI-
ism"
Structures. the minister said. which
had been destroyed or ruined in.
cluded, in addition to the cathedral.
the twelfth century Church of St.
Jacques, the fifteenth century arch
bishops palace and the city hall. dat
ing from the seventeenth century.
NJ. Malvy said official reports re-
vealed that the cathedral was in
flames Sunday, the burning having be
gun Saturday as a result of the cease
less bombardment.
1t was officially stated that the de-
struction of these historic buildings
indicated that the Germans consider.
ed their situation desperate.
If the reported destruction Of the
cathedral of Rheims is true it is the
greatest loss from an historical and
artistic sense of the present war. Be-
gun on the site of an earlier church
erected by Robert de Courcy in 1912
and continued at intervals down 10
the fifteenth century, 1t has been de.
scrlbed as "the most perfect example
in grandeur and grace of Gothic style
in existence"
The west front, which was begun
about 124142, is said to be the most
beautiful structure produced during
the middle ages, with its deeply re
cessed triple portal and the wonderful
rose window that surmounts it. This
window, more than forty feet in diam.
eter, was reported in cable dispatches
recently as having been destroyed by
she'll. 1t was in the cathedral OF
Rheims that the successive kings OF
France from Philip II to Charles X
were crowned, ard it was there the
Maid of Orleans stood, banner in
hand, before the greater altar and saw
the coronation of Charles VII. which
marked the fulfillment of her vision
The elaborate richness of the sculp.
ture, its stained glass and statuary.
are not surpassed in any existing
structure.
In the north transept over the
sacristy was clock said to have been
the oldest moving piece of horology
in existence. Among the priceless
treasures were some won
derful church plates of the early cen.
turtles, reliquaries containing a thorn
OF the holy crown, the skull of St.
Remy, and countless tapestries, some
dating from the fifteenth century.
In a chapel attached to the vestry
was a rare collection of Roman and
medieval sculpture, including the ia
nous sarcophagus OF JOvinus, the Ro
man prefeSt of Rheims, who was con.
verted to Christianity in 366.
The archbishop's palace, also report
ed as destroyed, is a double chapel, /
dating from about 1890. There the /
OF France were housed at .
their coronations, and there Joan OF /
Arc lodged when she came to Rheims
10 crown Charles VII. The palace ad-
Joins the cathedral, and about a quar-.
.er of a mile to the southwest is the
church of st. Jacques, also reported
destroyed or seriously damaged in the
)ombardment.
Another church of great antiquity
md interest is that of st. Remy, but
10 mention of its fate is made.
The Hotel de Vile, also said to have
,een ruined or badly damaged by
hell fire, was commenced in 1927, but
lot completed until the present cen
ury. 1t contained fine library with
hundreds of manuscripts, some anti
uities, and a good collection of paint.
ngs.
Aside from these notable monu-
1ents, a thorough Smelling or confla-
ration might destroy many lesser
that have made the ancient
ity place of historic interest. Some
its Oldest houses date from the
welfth and thirteenth centuries.