New Britain herald., 1918-08-02
ENEMY DESTROYING
AMIENS CATHEDRAL
Is Almost as Great a Loss to Art
as Rheims

Washington, y. G., Aug. 2.-"In
some respects the reported destruction
of the Cathedral of Amiens at the
hands of the Germans, whose big guns
have been bonn harding the ancient
capital of Picardy for several weeks, is
almost as great a loss to the art world
as the demolition of the more historic
Cathedral of Rheims,' says war Se-
ography bulletin issued today from the
Washington headquarters OF the M
tiOnal Geographic society.
The Amiens cathedral enjoyed the
distinction of being the largest ecclesl-
astical structure in France and was
one Of the finest examples OF GotHlc
architecture in the world.
''Unlike the great majority OF med
ieyal cathedra1s, the erection Of which
extended over periods of several hun
dreds of years, the Amlens cathedral
was practically completed Cat least
rooted in) within the span of a single
life time having been started in 1Z2O
and finished in 1888. Robert de Lu-
zarches was the great architect who
began its construction and his work
was carried on by Thomas de Cormont
and the latter's Renault. 1t would
probably have been completed In an
even shorter period Of time had not
financial difficulties been encountered
in 1887, followed by a serious fire
some years later.
Strange as it may seem, there is
considerable discrepancy on the part
of generally accepted authorities as to
the exact dimensions of this edifce,
one giving it's length as ATS feet, an
other 40 feet, third as 469 feet and
a fourth 442 feet. There is an equal
diversity of opinion as to the length
Of the transepts, which approXtmates
215 feet, while the great nave is in the
neighborhood of 14O feet in width with
an interior height of perhaps a few
feet more than that, the vaulting be-
ing supported by 1875 great columns.
There is Cor was q slender central
spire which lowered to q height of
more than $50 feet. The two side
towers are without spires.
This cathedral is notably rich in |
it's external sculpture, many pieces of
statuary approaching in beauty Of
form and grace Of design the marbles
Of the ancient Greeks. The sculpture |
Of the famous western facade tells al |
most the complete story Of the Bible |
in the only universal language-the |
language of pictures, in this instance |
marble pictures.
I'm view of the destruction which |
has overtaken this great edifice during |
the last few days, it is pathetic to
read the following comm ent of a ia
nous authority on cathedrals writ |
ing in 1910: AT Amiens we see what |
is rare in France, a cathedral finished, |
and one, moreover, that seems alto |
gether to have escaped the ravages Of |
revolutionary fanaticism. None of the |
sculptures, which are so numerous and |
SO interesting, has received any other |
injury that what time and weather |
have effected in exposed spots
perhaps no better idea of the beau |
ty and grandeur of Amiens can be |
gained than from the following de- |
scription, written eighty years ago:
eff you have never heard and seen
it you cannot imagine the sublimity
of a procession in such q church as |
that of Amiens. I can almost fancy
that I see it now, as I saw 1t for the |
first time. The stupendous height of
the vaulted roof, the rich foliage of |
the piers-the tall lancet arches |
throwing themselves upward-tbe in
terlacingS Of the decorated window
tracery-the richness of the stained |
glass, the glow of the sunlight on the |
southern chapels-the knotted intrca-
cies of the vaulting ribs-the flowers |
and wreaths, the holy symbols that |
hang self-poised over the head-the |
graceful shafts of the triforium-the |
carved angels that with outstretched !
building the delicately carved choir |
stalls the gorgeous altar seen family |
'beyond-the sublime apse, with its |
imitation slim lancets, carrying the |
eye up, higher and higher, through !
the dark triforium gallery, through |
the blaze Of crimson clerestorey, to the |
solemn grandeur of the vaulted roof, |
lights and carving, and jewels and |
gold, and the sunny brightness of the |
nave, and the solemn greyness of the !
choir-these all are but accessories of |
the scene. The huge nave piers rise |
from the midst of mighty multitude; |
the high-born lady. the peasant moth
er with her infant, the grey headed |
laborer, the gay bourgeoise-the child
that knows only the sanctity of the
place, the strong man and the cripple |
the wise and the unlearned-the |
great man and the small-the rich
and the p0or--all meet as equals
THAT scene is gone forever from
Amiens. Her noble and ancient place
of worship is a shattered, smoIering
ruin; her deVout multitude is sea tered
homeless and helpless. The spirit
of Amiens alone survives.'