Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-07-13
FAMOUS ED|FICE
MAY Be USED As
PANTHEON Of WAR

the heroic dead of all the Allied ma
tons at the end of the World War gives
timely interest to the National Geo
graphic society's bulletin on this great
Gothic edifice.
Pronounced by many students Of
architecture the most beautiful struc-
ture produced during the middle ages,
the cathedral of Rheims is also one of
the worlds most historic edifices, some
of the most inspiring and magnificent
pisodes in the life Of the French nation
having taken place within its walls"
says the bulletin.
1T is the matchless beauty and SYM
metry of the cathedral's west facade
which distinguished it above all other
ecclesiastical buildings of the moyen
age. This front of the edifice, which
has been so frequently pictured since
| its Disagreement by the shell-fire of
German gunners, has three recessed
Iportals which are decorated with more
than 800 statutes of saints, apostles,
martyrs, vices, virtues and historic fig
ures, together with sculptured scenes of
famous events. Above the portals is
the indescriably beautiful rose window
fully forty feet in diameter, while to
the right and left the massive yet
graceful twin towers rise to a height of
more than 260 feet. The spires which
were designed to crown the towers
were never built, although they had
been started ard were destroyed in the
great fire of 1881 which consumed the
roof and five lead spires of the north
transept.
The most notable piece Of statuary of
the cathedral is the figure of Christ in
benediction, over the smaller OF the two
portals of the north transept. This
statue, known as lie Beau Dieu, has
been described as a work Of such
beauty that it may bg considered the
most solemn creation OF its time
The wonderful simplicity and sew
Gritty Of its architectural outlines, free
from the trappings of period 'restora-
tons can be attributed in large meas
ure 10 the fact that the cathedral was
rushed to completion in the space of 80
years 1212-1242) by the Archbishop
Alberto Humbert, who employed the
services of four great architects
Bernard de scissors, Gunthier de
Reims, Jean d'Orbias, and Jean Loups.
During the latter half of the 18th cen
fury the completed structure was found
to be entirely to small to accommodate
the vast court assemblages which gath
| cred to witness the coronations of the
kings of France, so the nave was
Heightened during the 14th century, I'M
der the supervision of Robert De Coucy,
from 18th century designs.
THE history of the cathedral of
Rheims may be said properly to date
from the fifth century, even though the
structure was not begun until more
than 700 years later. 1t was on Christ
mas dav Of the year 496 that st. Reh-
| Gus baptized Clovis and Amounted him
| king of the Franks in the little basilica
which stood on the site now occupied
| by the cathedral Upon that occasion,
according to legend, dove flew down
I from heaven bearing a vase (Ampulla
Remensis) filled with ineXhaustible oil,
with which the king was christened.
/ This sacred vessel was retained in the
cathedral and offered the excuse for
holding the subsequent coronations at
i Rheims. 1t was shattered during the
French Revolution, but fragment con-
tanning a particle of the oil was sup
posed to have been preserved and plac-
ed in new ampoule which was used
| for the last time at the coronation of
Charles X in 1925.
After Clovis, Pepin the Short was
crowned at Rheims by Pope Stephen
II, Charlemagne, by Pope Leo III, and
Louis the Debonair by Pope stephen
nv. Beginning with the Capetian dyn-
asty all the KINGS of France were
crowned either in the earlier church,
which occupied the site, or in the
present cathedral, except Hugh Capet,
who was anointed at Noyon; Henry ",
who was invested at Chartres; Napol-
eon, who crowned himself in the ca
thedral of Notre Dame in T-aris, and
Louis XVIII, Louis Philippe, and
Napoleon III, none of whom was ever
formally crowned.
In all this long line Of Rheims cor
onations the mast famous was that of
Charles VII, who received the king