Evening star., 1938-07-10
BY CHARLES WELLINGTON FURLONG.

BY CHARLES WELLINGTON FURLONG.
"H1S week has seen in France the
renaissance of the Cathedral of
Reims. From the Bay OF Biscay to
the Rhine, from the Channel to
the Mediterranean, cathedral France looks
toward the spiritual center Of the nation
Reirns. For here, in this ancient town of
Clovis, the Merovingians and the Bour-
bons. Of Jeanne dare, of the great ducal
payne country. this ancient city Of the
Remi. where France crowned her kings,
becomes emphasized as perhaps never be-
fore as a supreme symbol of the nation
itself
The occasion Is the restoration, in so far
as has been possible, of its Cathedral and
its conservation for the first time in the
history Of France. The impressive cere-
mony has drawn many to Reims, both
French and stranger. along these roads
which converge in Reims. But lovers of
France, and of the informed Christian
world converge in thought to this heart
OF the nation. They listen to its resusci-
tated, quickened beat, for the Cathedral of
RemS lives again.
But a short month after the Armistice
I found myself, in accord with my orders,
approaching Reims from Epernay, in a
car OF our Army Transport Service MY
thoughts drifted back. Twenty years be-
fore, with other art students, when the
grand old Jean Paul Laurens and Bou-
gereau taught at the Academic Julian on
the rue du Dragon, we made joyous week
end excursions to Milet's Barbizon,
Chartres and other cathedral towns. OF
course, we went to Reims and Travelled
over the plain on which it lies, framed by
vine-clad hills. On their northern slopes
were growing those marvellous black grapes
OF a quality different from any other grapes
OF France, and which make this the only
district in the world from which comes the
sparkling golden champagne.
This wine was stored in great under
ground cellars quarried out of the chalk
formation which underlies this part of the
country. So vast was the accumulated
supply-the worlds supply-that the chalk
caves OF Madison Pommerey alone, extend
IL miles underground. lined with bottles
OF champagne in triple tiers 1t is re-
corded that in "the dank corridors of
Maison Ruinart ct Gle is stored a million
and halt bottles whose contents are at
various stages of fermentation" But we
young art students went TO Reims. not to
drink in its champagne, but the inspira-
ton OF its royal Cathedral, impregnated
with piety, history and beauty, noblest in
all France
Stopping the car got out and left car,
World War and armistice behind me. For
lew seconds lived in memorys store
house, for in slatey gray Silhouette the dis
tant towers of the Cathedral rose in
darker tone through the gray mistiness
which softened and merged Cathedral and
town, completely camouhaging their scars
OF war. Blessed be Natures healing dis
tances! But on nearer approach gaps of
gutted towers and roofless nave hinted at
the holocaust. Then I crossed the Vesle
The outer city walls grew higher and the
Cathedral towers dropped from sight
behind them.
Passed through the gate by guard. I
came upon shambles; public buildings,
architectural monuments, Cathedral, all
ruins. The achievement and beauty of
mans peacetime handiwork through the
centuries, war had undone in a night A
bare 100 of Reins' $4,000 houses were
habitable. Most Of the others were COM
pletely destroyed. Many of the smaller
streets were filled with the rubble of shock
and shell and in many places even travel
afoot was impracticable. Reims is only
miles from the Belgian border and about
ITO from Germany itself and became an
object of immediate attack and was always
in the war zone.
The vast devastation of broken stone
and tiles, twisted iron, mortar and house.
hold effects, spread out before me- These
cold cinders of peace seemed silent echoes
OF the terrible turmoil of war The wonder
Of it was not that so much destruction had
been wrought, but that anything whatso-
ever had survived. A main street or so had
been cleared, but soon abandoned my car
and picked my way laboriously, with an
occasional stumble through the rough piles
Of the ruck Of war. How. wondered, was
it possible for single soul to survive such
destruction.
Kept House In Caves.
Strange as it may seem, 1900 Remois
endured this pummeling of Armageddon
until after the 1917 Easter week lombard
ment and would have still stayed had they
not been ordered away by the French
authorities. The protection of these citi-
zens were they famous wine cellars into
which, during the first bombardments, some
of the people retreated Eventually the
bombardments. with increasing persistency.
grew worse. and all but the 1900 gallant
citizens evacuated Reims. These remain
ing, taking with them certain of their
household effects, set up housekeeping in
the caves. This colony was known as Reims
sous terre. Here an orderly little township
was established and regulated, with its
schools, religious worship and daily life
Courts Of law functioned as previously, and
the leading newspaper of Reims, which will
this month carry the remarkable story of
It's restoration and the conservation Of its
cathedral, moved underground and the