The citizen., 1914-10-02
sr YARD PRICE
corresponoent Of the Londo1 Va

o. " ara fTlces Nle CORES goA-rA+ "a
the Daily Mail. He says:
The fire started between and ,
O'Clock Saturday afternoon All day
long shells had been crashing into the
town. Five hundred fell between
early morning and sunset in an area
OF several hundred yards square. and
soon street after street was lined with
blazing houses and shops
a German battery on the hill o.
Nogent L'Abbesse. four miles TO the
eastward. made the cathedral marx.
Shell after shell smashed into the old
masonry. and avalanche after ava
lanche of stoneEork that had survived
the storms OF centuries and vas good
10 stand ss many more thundered
down into the deserted streets
Seafoiding " Flames
Al $50 scaEoiding on the east end,
where some repairs were going on
before the var. caught IRE. and soon
tire whole network Of poles and planks
was blazing Splinters fell on the
roof. whose old oak timbers caught
like tinder.
soon the root. nave and trsnsepts
we're q roaring furnace Tongues Of
fame ieaped up the towers OF the
western end. and blazing pieces Of
carved woodwork crashed 10 the foO-
Of the cathedral. where the Germans
during the occupation had zccumu-
lated great piles OF straw. intending
10 convert the cathedral into 3 hos
pital" :.
Other structures reported DESTROYED
or ruined included. in addition 10 The
cathedral. the twelfth century church
Of St Jacques. the fifteenth century
arohbishops palace, and the city hall.
dating from the seventeenth century
Greatest Historical Less
The destruction OF the cathedral OF
Notre Dame at Reims IS the greatest
loss in historical and artistic
sense Of the present var Begun on
the site OF an earlier church erected
BY Robert De Courcy in 1912 and COZ
tinued al intervals down 70 the
fifteenth century. It has been DE-
scribed as the most perfect example
IN grandeur and grace Of Gothic style
in existence"
The west front ~hieh Eas begun
about I24142. Is said 70 be the most
beautiful structure produced during
the middle ages. with its deeply r.
csssed triple portal and the wonderful
rose window that su-uounts II This
window. more than forty feet n dian
eter. vas reported L cable dispatches
yesterday as having been destroyed
~ 2 shell
Scenes Of coro-ztions-
It r2s Il this cathedral hat the
sz ooessiys kings Of France from Philip
II 70 Charles Y ~e-e crowned. and i
Ezs ths-e thai The Maid O. Orleans.
AFTER her Tictorio1s career. stood. ban
ueE IN hand before the great altar
zad szx the coronation Of Charles VI
Shich marked the tulsunent o. her
Fisi9n
After kneeliag before the monarch
NAon she had placed OF The throne.
sae begged ihe gentle king TO allow
asr to return 10 her aocks7
The elaborate richness OF the sculp-
5lre. its stained glass and statusry are
not surpassed il any existing strue-
tare.
IA the north transspI over the sac
risty Eas = clock said TO have been
the oldest moving piece OF horology in
existence. Among the priceless ca
JRedral treasures were some wonder
:ui church plate OF the early centuries.
seiiquaries containing 8 thorn OF the
Holy CroHn. the skull OF St Remy,
and countless tapestries. some dating
from the fifteenth century.
In q chapel attached 10 the vestry
vas q rare collection Of Roman and
msdieFal sculpture. including the "a
NOUS sarcophagus OF Joyinus, the
Roman prefeet OF Reims. who was COT
.erted to Christianity in 366
Palace Home Of Kings.
The arehbishop's palace. also r.
ported as destroyed. Is q double chapel
dating from about 1850. There the
monarchs Of France were housed At
their coronafions and there Joan OF
Arc lodged when she came 70 Reims
20 crown Charles VII
The palace sd5oins the cathedral,
and about q quarter OF 3 mile 10 the
southwest * the church OF St Jacques,
also reported destroyed or seriously
damaged in the b0mbaEdmenJ- Save
for its antiquity. dating from the
twelfth century. St Jacques possesses
little interest. ali the valuable church
antiquities OF Reims having be=n col
fscted in the cathedral
City Hail Rare Structure
The Hotel de Vile. or city hall, also
said 10 have been ruined or badly
damaged by shell FIRE. vas commenced
in 1921. but not completed until the
present century Il contained a fine
-.