Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-21
TA0uSANDTH SHELL HITS
THE RHEIMS CATHEDRAL
Four Of the Buttresses Supporting
Roof of Nave Demolished
by Germans.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
RHEIMS. November 4.-On the first
day of November the thousandth Ger
man shell struck the Cathedral OF
Rheims. Ever since the recent French
drive at Verdun. salvos of shell have
been poured daily into RheimA many
striking the cathedral. Four of the
flying buttresses supporting the roof OF
the nave have been demolished and
several others hit. AS the weight OF
the stone roof, which Is sixty cent?
meters in thickness, is borne almost
entirely by these flying buttresses, the
danger of it's fall has become tmmi-
nent. Other parts of the beautiful ar
chitecture and statuary have suffered
irreparable damage. and this increases
daily. but as their destruction does not
affect the stability of the building their
art.
Rain Falls Into Building.
The fears of the authorities have been
increased by the unusually severe rainy
season. which this year has been unin-
terrupted for many weeks. The timber
ing been destroyed early in the bonn
bardment. the rain falls directly into
the building through the shell holes in
the stone roof and washes away layer
after layer of the calcined stone of
the interior, leaving muddy puddles on
the floor and gradually percolating
through to the crypts and foundations
Endeavors were made at first to prop
~ ~ <Ho H,,t1 IN do nj
falling. The Germans. however. fired
on the working parties and the effort
had to be abandoned.
The Associated Press correspondent.
one OF the first to be allowed to wit
ness the destruction caused by the
German shells. was again granted per-
mission to view the interior. Inside
every particle of woodwork except a
few splintered stalls and the pulpit
has been removed in order to avert
danger from fire. The bare cathedral
could thus be seen in all its beautiful
architectural lines.
Unique Rose Window Ruined.
The unique rose window above the
front portal. whose stained glass was
considered as the finest specimen OF
that art. is In a sad state of destruction.
The bells in the belfry are held in their
places by ropes. for shells have de-
stroyed their supports. Fragments of
statuary strew the floor.
Outside the main portals now are
protected by sandbags. but all their
stone ornamentation disappeared dur
ing the first bombardment. All around
the roof the delicate stone colonnadea
show signs of topping over. The bish-
ops house by the side of the cathedral
has almost disappeared. and every
house in the direct line of fire from the
German batteries is mere shell.
Diminution in Population.
The population of Rheims. which be-
fore the war was considerably more
than 100000. has been greduced to ap-
proximateIy $4,000. Stores still keep
open in some Of the streets, but when
ever the arrival Of salvo of shells
from a German battery announces that
the town is to submit to a new bonn
bardment, these are closed. and their
proprietors as well as the other in
habitants retreat to their cellars. Some
of those however. who have remained
in the town since the Germans evacu-
ated 1t have become so accustomed to
the danger that they decline to leave
their work unless the Smelling becomes
UNUSUAL severe. For this reason scarce
'ly ever does a bombardment occur with
out causing some casualties among the
civil population.