The daily star-mirror., 1923-07-25
BRUCES RESUMES
ODD CELEBRATION
Procession of the Most Sacred
Blood Again Is Held.
CITY OF BELLS AND BRIDGES

Bruges, Belgium, has just had tn
greatest Of it's annual celebrations. tn
procession of the Most Precious Blood
which, now that the World war is wei
past, has taken the prominent place II
Belgian hearts that it held before tn,
German occupation caused its TEN
porary suspension. OF the city of thi.
procession-one of the leading religion.
celebrations of Europe-a bulletin from
the Washington, d. c., headquarters o1
the National Geographic society says
IF we are unfamiliar with the Ian
guage Of foreign country we are
likely to accept the names of its cities
as meaning nothing in particular or as
having an esoteric significance which
we can hardly hope to fathom. But
Bruges fools us. Its name has about
as common an origin and is about as
logically descriptive as Three Rivers
or Smiths Crossroads Because the
town from the beginning had numerous
canals and structures carrying streets
across them it was named Tin Flem-
ish) Bridges 1t is sort of reversed
Venice. Whereas the latter is an area
OF sea with islands scattered in, it,
BrugeS is land area cut into islands
by numerous canals. In both cities
many houses rise sheer from the water
and boats are used for traffic.
Like Venice again, Bruges was once
the commercial and banking center of
the world. This was In the Fourteenth
century. The center of commercial
activity had moved from Italy to Flan-
ders, and Bruges was then Flanders
greatest market. World trade came up
the river Zwyn which then gave it
harbor; merchants from the four quar-
ters of the world maintained head
quarters in the city; and it's bourse
regulated the exchange rate for all
Europe. Ghent was a strong rival but
until the Zwyn finally silted up in 1890
Bruges held its own. At the height of
its power Bruges had population Of
100000; now the inhabitants number
about 5000.
Had Notorious U-Boat Nest.
Not to be cheated Of a port by
Natures destructive forces, the people
Of Bruges have built several canals to
the North sea. The largest and most
direct leads eight miles to Zebrugge
(meaning the seaport of BrugesO.
This port and its canal and the basin
at Bruges figured prominently in the
World war. The Germans developed a
strong U-boat nest at Bruges from
which their underwater commerce de- |
allied ship and to which they returned |
for repairs and outftting. A tre-
mendously strong shelter with a con-
crete roof six feet thick, built over the |
water, stands near the Bruges end of |
the sea canal today, a monument to
German U-boat activities. Allied
bombing planes were unable to find the
exact location Of this camou1aged nest,
and probably would have been able to
infiict but little damage on It's roof
even If direct hits had been scored.
The British, however, successfully him
dered the U-boat activities from the
Bruges nest by their famous sortie
against the Zebrugge mole when old
ships filed with concrete were sunk
across the entrance channel to the
canal.
Most Medieval Flemish City.
''Bruges is one Of the quaintest Of
he old Flemish cities, and is said to
preserve in its architecture a more
medieval aspect than any Of its sister
Prominent architec-
ural features are the church of Notre
Dame and the Cathedral Of ST.
sauveur, both excellent examples Of
.arly pointed Gothic; and the Market
lall with its dominant belfry housing
q bells, one Of the most famous col
ections of chimes in Europe.
"In st. Basile's chapel is kept the
Jacred Vial, brought by crusading
nights from Jerusalem, reputed to
ave been the vessel holding the water
With which Joseph of Armiathea
athed the blood-stained body of Christ.
his reliquary is carried once each
ear in the procession of the Most
'recious Blood
"Bruges has long been noted for it's ,
yoolen cloths. In recognition of the II
ity's prominence in this field in 1880
hilip the Good of Burgundy named
ne order which he then created, the
rider of the Golden Fleece This has
yer since been one of the most exclu-
We knightly orders"