Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-09-21
DAMAGE Done BY
GERMAN GUNS IN
HISTORICAL CITY
Only the Walls of Most Not
ed Gothic Building in the
World Remain.
INTERIOR MASS OF
BLACKENED RUINS

shells Falling ON Structure Set 1t
AAre Sunday Afternoon-Other Sec
tions Of French City Have Been De-
stroyed by Flames.
Bourdeaux, Sept. 21.-The
French foreign office has for
warded to the netff-al govern.
E.euts q protest against the Ger.
man bombardment of the cathe-
dray of Rheims.
London. Sept. 21.-The Rheims cor
respondent Of the Daily Mail says. re-
garding the damage wrought In the
cathedral there:
'The magnificent cathedral of
Rheims, which was a national monu-
ment Of universal fame, is now no
more than an empty shell Of charred
and blackened walls. It is not known
to what extent its stone work has
been weakened by the flames, or
whether 1t can later be restored, but
1t Will never be what it was before.
The fire started Sunday afternoon,
after shells had been crashing into
tho town all day. A quarter Of the
city, several hundred yards square,
was set afire. the flames spreadins
from street to street." !.
VIII Be Long Contention.
. "a,
moi,s cathedral Ars san m mokins; IN
likely to prove an object of contro-
Versy long aftAr the military forces
now IN thu Held have ceased to con.
tend for its possession.
Germans claim the cathedral was
IN the line of IRE and that 1t was i'm
possible to save 1t despite their in
structions to spare buildings.
II the reported destruction of the
NothA AHro1 nf }s $r,,> a. A. T.
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 to
the fifteen century. 1t has been de-
scribed as ''the most perfect example
In grandeur and grace Of Gothic style
in existence.
1.-THE west front which was begun
about 1241-42 it is said to be the most
beautiful structure produced during
the middle ages with its deeply re-
cessed triple portal and the wonder
full rose-window that surnounts It.
This window, more than 40 feet in d.
ameter, was reported In cable dis
patches yesterday as having been de.
stroyed by shell. It was in the
kings OF France from Philip II to
Charles x were crowned, and there
that the Maid Of Orleans. after her
victorious career. stood, banner in
hand. before the great altar and saw
the coronation Of Charles VIII, which
marked the futfllment Of her vision.
After kneeling before the monarch
whom she had placed on the throne,
'tshe begged the gentle king to allow
her to return to her hocks."
The elaborate richness Of the sculp-
ture, it's stained glass and statuary
are not surpassed in any existing
structure.
In the north transept over the sac
risty was clock said to have been
the oldest moving piece of horology
In existence. Among the priceless
cathedral treasures were some won
derful church plate Of the early CEN
turtles. reliquaries containing a thron
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 rare collection of Roman and
medieval sculpture, including the ia
nous sarcophagus Of Jovinus, the Ro-
man prefect Of Rheims who was con-
verted to Christianity in 366.
The archbishop's palace, also re-