The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-05-28

hanging together, depending only on
the thin iron supports inserted through
them. Considering the entire cathcd-
raj. / would Say that probably three
chance shots or possible half "A
dozen would rare Il To- the ground.
with the loss of the flying but
tresses the pressure of the other sup
ports has become so great against The
other walls that thcy are bulging out.
New cracks are appearing constantly,
50 that the vicinity OF the cathedral
IS very unsafe. II could be saved II
no more shells hit II. ! don't mean L.
could Doe restored II Is too badly
smashed ever to be restored, except m
spots. What / mean Is 10 could be
preserved as IL iS-d wonderful and
inspiring ruin. quite as magnificent IN
is Way "a the Roman Colosseum. No.
mater what further destruction occurs
II seems 10 me II huuld be- Kept simply
as a ruin 60 let the Whole world see
throughout all time what savage IN"
Germans really are. Even 10 preserv'
IL would D." q difficult task. but nov
ldays IL D. possible % preserve al
most anything. n | believe % tempo
rary support could he Installed. ho;h
inside and outside the walls, that
would prevent them from failing uu'll
they could be sufficiently strengthened
ana again made intact However. tn"
Germans are probably able to prevent
the building being saved, as they Seem
intent on it's total destruction.
since / was here the last time !
should say It's condition is Owe so per
cent worse. The whole exterior is now
tpo badly Scared for any modern res
grafton 10 make anything Of IT. tn"
magnificent h'uts rclicfs ot the tuur-
tcerth century that ,oN cred one entire
interior end wall are Dog SOME miracle
s,ill half intact. They are the most
unique treasure of the cathedral.
There is nothing like them an place
, else In the world but. alas. they cau-
not he removed a. they are carved oNt
of IN" Cathedral itself I am glad 90
see the authorities are now building
% thick brick wall covering them, but
inasmuch as the Germans have lately
been sending shells Of $50 millimeieIs
into the building II will be more than
a miracle II they escape.
'Of course, II Is simple To- see that
the German statement that the cathed-
raj has been shelled because IL Is used
as an observation post Is only another
81 their lies. The cathedral overs
are about eighty meters high, and you
can count ahout sixteen French OBJ
servation balloons hercabouts that ar,
at least 500 meters high. What good
would the towers De as an ohserva'
tory Also the Germans ann truth,
fully charge they are firing al the
cathedral tu destroy French hattoric'
! -a-UH N.N....UWnL N rs
So can they hat there Is no French
battery within a mile of II. Also theS
lie when they say that the shells hit.
ting the ca hedral have been Academia
and that they didn't really mean 60 hi
Il because as YOU can also easily SEE
when approaching rheims IN the dis.
lance the cathedral looms above ia.
town as big a an elephant In "a back.
ward. 80. the Germans are ruthless
rs destroying this great work of art ho
%lcausr they are what they arc-that b
TO say, because they are Germans. JUS
Germans-therc rs no name to cali an,
ono that could Doe worse.
The interior condition Of the cathcd
raj is now so bad It is impossible 4
Keep the rubbish cleared, ns was TN
case up To 4 month ago, when visitor
| WIZ 'NANNANNAAlN AAhfA NlAfNfa I ~
there was only ~ hole In the root
hut now there is q succession Of grca
holes and assures joining them So tina
the floor Is in places five feet dee
with crumblcd masonry. The higl
altar has totally disappeared aud IN
priceless stained glass Of the window
has uow all gone.
The greatest miracle ~ an is Ia.
the building has resisted dcstructlo
so long" Mr.. Warren explained. 1T
only the great thickness Of the wall
md the stone arches Of the roof tina
have saved II from falling long ago
During the period Of the war pre-
cedinE the great allied offensive b
April II Is estimated that about 80, 90
shclls fell pm the city ana church, bU
during ;le spite homhardmont' tina
followed the offensive 10000 shells
all sizes were rained on the place dun
ing q period OF eight days, and eve
YESTERDAY while We were there the de