The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-20
LouvaIn Was Only Three-Tenths De-
stroyed BY Fire When the
Germans Took
TREASURES ARE SAFE
Famous Paintings Have Been Stored
In Basement Of Hotel
and Are Being
Preserved.
[By Carl W. Alderman, United Pres
Staff Correspondent

[By Carl W. Alderman, United Press
STAFF Correspondent
LOUvAIN. Belgium, May 11.-(By
mail to New York.)-Louvain is full
OF surprises and filled with pathos.
One is surprised to And at least sew
en-tenths of the city untouched by the
fire which the German army kindled
to punish shipping warfare. One is sur
prised to see the Hotel de Vile still
standing with not trace OF smoke,
fire or shell. The beautiful carved
statued facade Is as white as paper.
One is surprised, too. to see the pro
gress the inhabitants are making In
cleaning and rebuilding their ruined
city.
But all this cheerfulness in a city
that was thought to be dead is almost
covered up by the pathetic faces OF
the inhabitants whose homes we're
ruined.
1 travelled through Louvain today
by automobile. tramped through the
center Of the city, examined the In
terror Of the cathedral and later rode
through the city on the train and
saw the blocks and blocks Of brick
walls, plSlSCu anu OAoShOhSos DAS
which one day were homes and stores.
Louvain is undoubtedly martyred
city.
Colonel Burmann Of the German
army, who was our guide, was one OF
the first Germans to enter Louvain.
He knows the history OF the fighting
and fire better than probably any 9th
er soldier now in Belgium. No one
~ fva1 hi fav ,tc
more than this big German officer.
The fire was started, he said, only as
last desperate effort of the Germans
to stop the shipping warfare. Thou
sands Of Germans, he declared, were
| the city. In the cathedral alone, he
said, the Germans found 400 Belgian
rifles and many boxes of ammunition.
| Today the art treasures of Louvain
are securely packed in the basement
OF the Hotel de Vile. The art world
owes the safety of these priceless
works to young German art student
who was with the invading army.
! When this boy, who has studied In
Louvain university, heard that the
city would be set af1re, he rushed to
the commander, told him Of these
valuable treasures. This youth then
mapped out the location OF these
treasures and under his guidance they
were removed from the burning terri
tory to the basement of safety.
| I was told that most of the paint
| fngs from the cathedral were saved,
but as I tramped about in the ruins
counted six large OIL paintings still
on the walls of the church but entire
tly unframed. This cathedral appears
| to be about half destroyed. On one
side the paintings and beautiful black
and white marble affairs are untouch-
| ed. On the other only the bare stone
walls remain. The church chimes
have fallen from the loft to the
cathedral floor and broken into score
of pieces.
| But ID0vain's ruins are guarded as
priceless treasures by the inhabitants.
The only souvenirs travellers pick up
are postcards and the dust on their
shoes.
Should you wish a birds eye view
Of I>ouvain. imagine city shaped like
| large wheel with ten spokes running
from the axle or center. Picture to
yourself the cathedral, Hotel de Vile
and Louvain university around the
hub. The spokes are city streets and
between are the houses and stores,
for Louvain was city Of 10000 peo-
ple. Imagine then that fire swept
away the houses between three spokes
and destroyed everything around the
hub except the Hotel de Vile and the
cathedral. Then you will see Louva1n
today.
Now stand before the Hotel de Vile
and look to the west. Not house or
building Is touched by fire or shell. A
short distance away read the sign:
Cafe de wilson" Now turn to the
left and you see more city streets I'M
touched and crowded with inhabitants.
Business going on as usual. Nearby
you read another sign: Hotel de
IAmerican." In nearby restaurant
| you will find bread as white as you
| eat in America for It's bread made
| from American wheat which the Bel
gian relief commission is supplying.
Down the street which we travel en-
| route to Brussels you will see work
men pilfng UP bricks from the ruined
i houses-for the inha bitants headed by
the mayor are trying their best to re-
build the city.
Louvain is full Of surprises and fill
ed with pathos. But from what 1 saw
/ today I do not believe it is dead
| city. 1t will rise some day out Of its
ruins for with seven-tenths Of the city
untouched by fire or she'll, with the
1 beautiful Hotel de Vile still standing
to inspire the people. It needs only
peaceful, normal times to grow and
prosper.