Year: 1869

anu preaching tne Gospel OF the blessed
Savior.


After he had traversed these trackIess
wastes, be had crossed the Andes to Peru
and Chill; and while he still fingered
along the Pacific coast he had been re.
called to Italy by Pope Gregory, and
made the Bishop of Imola.


1t was really enchanting to hear him
describe the sublime scenery of the
Andes, whose SUBMITS are nearest
heaven. He surely possessed wonder
full talent for word pictures; so clear and
well defined were they that panorama
Of those distant regions seemed to pass
before US as we listened to him. The
vast tampas of Buenos Ayres, boundless
and painless as the ocean; the glory Of
morning on the topmost peak of the
Andes; the frail bridge of vines across
the wild chasms, thousands of feet in
depth the little valleys shutin by noun
tains Of enormous hight, where be had
met tribes of Indians, said to be fierce and
warlike, but gentle to him-and when he
told them of Gods love for them and all
the human race, they had gladly received
the sign Of the cross upon their dusky
brows; then the first view of the calm Pa
cific, not one wave breaking its mirror
like surface


"Ah! the New World was very dear to
me, and regretted to leave it |" he ex-
claimed, as the conversation drifted back
to the Old World.


Four days before our audience with
His Holiness, a frightful accident had oc-
cured at the Monastery of st. Agnese
during his visit there. Wild rumor had
proclaimed that this accident was not one
in reality, but conspiracy upon the life
of the Pope.


When we congratulated him on his es-
cape, he most kindly related to us all the
circumstances of the sad occurrence
first dwelling with touching eloquence
upon the goodness of God which had so
miraculously saved him from terrible
death.


The Monastery of St. Agnese is some
distance from Rome, and while the work
men were making repairs to the old
church, they discovered catacombs be-
meath it, the entrance to which were
Immediately closed up until they could
be visited by the Pope. Soon after he
received information of the discovery, he
proceeded to the monastery, accompanied
by grand suite of cardinals, bishops,
priests, and several foreign ambassadors.
After they had explored the subterranean
home of the dead, they entered the mon
astery near by. In an immense room
which had been the refectory of the build
ing long years before, when the monks
were more numerous than now, a COLA
tion was spread for the distinguished
guests.


His Holiness was seated at the head of
the table in geat chair with high back
and enormous arms.


Before the repsst was served, the pu-
pills of several neighboring schools were
brought in to receive the Pope's blessing.
After be had blessed them all, he directed
the attendants to bring him some of the
delcacies to give to the children. They
encircled him by dozens and dozens,
holding ont their hands to take them,
when fearful crash was heard, and the
aoor sank into the vault thirty feet below.


Appalling shrieks Of horror and cries
of the wounded resounded through the
monastery. The crowd without, hear
ing them, rushed into the corridors, and
to the refectory hall. The walls of the
room alone were standing. Far below
there was mass Of stones and wood with
the crushed bodies beneath them.


"Save our Father save our Fatherr
was the cry, heard above the frantic tu-
multi of the agonized throng. After
some exertion, the door of the vault was
forced open and the crowd found its way
to the scene of disaster. After removing
the debris of the floor, the chairs and ts-
bles, and some of the injured children,
they reached the great chair which had
fallen over the Pope. At first they
feared to raise it, SO sure we're they that
he had been crushed to death beneath its
ponderous weight. At length trembling,
thew lifted it up, and found him unhurt,
his hand clasped in prayer. The high |
back and strong arms of the immense
chair had protected him, and thereby |
saved his life. Then joyful shouts rang
through that dark abyss, and were caught |
up and echoed back again by the crowd
without


Ali with what thrilling interests we
listened, and impulsively l said:


How terrineu you must nave oeeu
when the floor sank into the vaults be-
lowl"


Very calmly be answered: "No, no,
was not terrified, for l knew gracious
God would save me, were 1t his divine
will; but my heart was pierced with
agony as l heard the cries of the inns-
cent little children, and thought of the
poor mothers rendered desolate BY this
horrible accident, for | was then certain
that many persons were killed. How,
ever, the result was less severe than l
imagined, and many Of the wounded,
trust, by the blessing of the Almighty,
will recover" :.


BE then explained the cause ofthe dis
aster. Upon examination, It was! dis
covered that the great wooden beams \
which supported the floor had given
away nesf the wall from the weight OF
the multitude assembled in the refectory.
This room had not been used for years
until upon the occasion Of the Pope's
visit 10 the monastery.


As soon as the information reached
Rome Of this accident. IL was declared j