The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-07-12

for Poland TO the baltIc, -
thus described In q bulletin issued by
the National Geographic society:
Picture far north Venice, cut
through with streams and canals,
equipped also with sort of irrigation
system to flood the country for miles
about, not for cultivation but for de-
Tense; city Of typical Philadelphia
streets, only with those long rows OF
stoops made Of stone and highly deco
rated and juttlng into the roadway In
stead of on the sidewalks, and you
catch but glimpse Of the composite
Danzig.
AS a city Of churches Danzig vies
with Brooklyn; its crooked, winding
streets suggest those Boston thorough
fares Of cowpath derivation; and were
It's grain warehouses more modern
the visitor might believe himself
In Minneapolis-that is he might
| until he heard their names-such as
Golden Pelican, Little Ship, Gray
Goose and Milk Maid-then he might
look about for some popular resorts
Of New York's Greenwich village.
In no other German city is medic
val architecture to be found in such
variety and preservation as in Danzig.
Conspicuous both in Polish and Ger
man history, Danzig was one OF the
four principal centers Of the Ham
seattle league, while not far up the Wis
tula is Marienburg, capital Of the Teu-
tonic Order of Knights, which -four
ished in Danzig.
Ancient Art Works Intact
Physically, Danzig escaped many eff
fects Of the reformation. Even in her
famous St. Mary's church, one Of the
largest Protestant edif1ces in the world,
covering an area as great as the
Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris,
are to be found reliquaries and
manuscripts, embroideries Of Roman,
Byzantine and Gothic designs, treas
ures in precious metals, stones and
worries, and q noted collection Of vest
ments. Among its art works is the ia
nous Last Judgment" of Hans Meal
ing. In appearance almost as much
like a fortress as q church, bringing
to mind Luther's militant hymn "a
Mighty Fortress Is Our Cod" the
church has been called zone Of the
most German things in Germany" In
many weCs 1t suggests the Prussian
militarist spirit From the vaulting,
for example, projects one Of Napoleon's
cannon balls.
But the Danzig visitor needs no in
direct intimation of militarism. The
city was one Of the most strongly for
tilted places in the now shattered Ger
man empire. To the east and south
Of the city older defenses were sup
plemented in recent years by score
Of bastions. Along the Vlstula. on
which the city lies, to its mouth at
Neufahrwasser, four miles away,
stretches line Of forts. In addition
three sides of the town could be In
undated by the garrison.
Quaint House Architecture.
Streets are lined with ornate old
houses Of the Hanseatic period, crown
ed with high gables, often profuse-
ly ornamented. Balconies overhang
the streets and in spite Of the impede
mant they offer to traffic, many Of
the elevated stone porches still re-
main. Gargoyies grin from ancient
walls. Vistas abound. There are
many old water gates. One of these,
the Hebe Tor, is fashioned after Ro-
man arch. Another, the Kran Thor,
with each successive story projecting
farther than the one below. looks like
the leaning tower Of Pisa.
Danzig's beginnings are not known.
Poland, Denmark, Pomerania and
Brandenburg held 1t at various early
times. In the fourteenth century 1t
came under the sway of the Teutonic
knights. Not long afterward it be-
came one Of the four centers Of the
Hanseatic league. With the decline of
the league 1t allied itself with Poland.
retaining most Of its rights as free
city. %ft had a flag derived from the
red and Waite Aemblems Of the league.
employing the red as a field upon
which were thrice gold crowns, ar
ranged vertically.
Separation I'd om Poland.
Russians and Sal IONS took the city
and the score or MORE neighboring vii
lages-it governed IN 1874. When Pc
land was partitiongd. four years before
the American ooloJhists signed the Dec.