Cologne's Cathedral

A correspondent of the New York Tiiues w rites f'roin Cologne, October 15, as l'ollows : Threo days ago I was in the Chaptcr house of' the ho-pital of St. Jobn, at Broces, lookin at the wonderful pictures of Hans Meualing. Prominent among theni are the ornaiiientations of the reliquary of St. Úrsula, a wooden chest made to hold the arm of the saint, and covered with the most beautiful miniature paintings, six of which representations of the cathedral of Cologne, as it appeared in the fifteenth century, with the famous wooden crane on the summit of the half-completed tower. It s hard onjpo years since that rcliquary was ainted, auAht is not yet thirteen years since the oJWrane was removed to make way for mofrern machinery. It was already an uVA crane when Memling saw it, for work was suspended on the cathedral ip 1509, and was not fairly rpsumed until 1842. The craue, indeed, stood in its place until 1868, and was an object of superstition to the people of Gologne. The half-fiiished church had been begun in 1143, and the chnr w,secrated in 1 '22. This is still, to my mind, the noblest part of the building, built just ai'ter the best period of Gothic art. It displays tbat infinite variety of detail, consistent with entire unity of design, which distinguisbes ancient froin modern Gothic. It is, indeed, a noble and impreseive cathedral, one of the largest in the world. Today, 632 years after the first foundation was laid, the last stone hos been placed upon the spire, and ihat stone towers 511 feet above the ground, eom ploting the tallest monument, if I uiistake uot, ever bulit by man. It is, indeed, a day of high festival in Cologne. Nor has a guest worthy of the occasion been wanting. THE AQF.l) KAISER, undoubtably the most remarkable sovereign in Europe, has invited all bis dependent prinocs to the ceremouy, and but luw have declined tocóme at hissummons. We are looking out on the Domhof, that great square on thesouth of the caihedral which the visitor to Cologne for mány years iast has seen divided betwecD building materials and valets de place. To-day a great scaffolding has been erected around three sicJes of it, the fourtb side being occupied by tbe cathedral itself, and by somo small buildings probably put up for the workmen. A space as wide as a narrow street ia left between this scaffolding and the house?, and here the public is still walking to and fro. At the iurthest corner from the window where we are sitting is the imperial pavilion, gay with flags and red draperies. The seats in the square are slowly filling. The imperial party is to hear a service at the church of tbe Trinity, for the celebration labors under the difficulty that, whereas this is a Catholic cathedral, the court of Prussia is Protestant. So the emperor has gone off to say hia prayers at the Lutheran ohurch, and will be received at the west door of the cathedral by and by, first by the building committee and tben by the chapter, and to hear a te deum, after which he will come out at the south door just at our left, and cross the square to the imperial pavilion. And dow, tbe shower having long since stopped and left only a lowering sky, comes THE BAND OK TUE WUITE ('UIRA8SIEBS, escorting the carpenters, builders and slaters. These wear leather aprons, white and brown, and carry carpenters' squares and otuer impleiueots of trade tied with ribbons of the national colors. They place themselves in two lines on either sido of the path the imperial party will pass from the church door to the pavilion. Then, with more bands and many banners, come the chorus, the school childrcn, and the societies of Cologne. At last the band breaks into muño. The kaiser is coming. With the broad yellow ribbon of the order of the black eagle over his dark blue uniform, weariDg a white plumed helu.et, he comes down the steps. The empress la on his arm. Behind him comes the king of Saxony, in blue ; the crown prince, in a white cuirassier, uniformed, and a brilliant train. They advance to the pavüion. A paper is read to them. The kaiser seats himself at a small table. I can see his hand move as he signs the paper. He takes 60 long that it must be soinethinx more than a signature. The empress tbllows him at the writing table. Then come the king of Saxony, the duke of SaxeWelmar, the crown prince, who also writes a long while ; the crown princes?, still in halfmouming for her son and her sisier. As they write, there comes a burst of vocal niusic. The emperor, having done his hbare for the moment, stops out in front of the imperial box and talks and shakes hands with various pers ms. " Cover yourselves, gentlemen," and on go the bats, Meanwhile the signing continúes. Wc can see riUNCE HENRY, THE TW M SAII.cK SUN of the crown prince, writing, and hia maiunia standing over him, and apparently mtirning his style or his penmanship. Do tbe all put appropriate sentiments over their signatures ? At least the "all highly loid lineases " show some interest in the paper, and look overeitch otherV shoulders. 1 can see the flutler of blottinp-papcr ; they turn the page and the writing goes on. Tliii document is to be deposited in the la.-t stone at the top of the south tower. Now the signing is over, an j ihe paper, in a cylindrical box that looks like tin, but may besilver hasttartcd for the top CiJfthfl spire. The kaiser is reading an address. At this distance we can see his lips move with a field glass, but can hear no sound ofhiivoico. It isjust as well. Addresscs are dreary enough to hear and drcarier slill in print. THE EMPRESS, l.N WHITE SATÍN with a white bonnet, stands a Hule behind him, and then the court. He turna and rcads to them : " You my fellow princes." He turna back to the erowd agaio. It is over. The kaiser raises bis helrnet. There is a great waving of white plumes as the officers and princes uncover. The governor of the province, standing on one of the lowiT steps of the payilion with his head bare, addrcsses the kaiser, standing covered above. There seems to be a deal of talking, but they must fill the time while the paper in its box is carried up those 500 leei. Uut at last the crowd has turned round and fuaes us. The box bas ovidently arrived. Yet the governor still goes on with bis address. At last it is over. Then cernes another shorter speech. And now a man in black coat steps up to the kaiser. "We only await your majesty's permission," or words to that effect. A roll of paper is waved, and all eyes in the sea of heads before us are turned to the towcr. In a few minutes it is over- the work of more than 600 years. Aiuid salvos of artillery, peáis of bells, and a hymn of thanksgiving, the cathedral is completed. The crowd cheers, but not vociferously. Tt oheers again for the kaiser, who steps forward and bows. Then tbe brilliant group in the pavilion melts away, the emperor returning once, with his great coat on, to bow and be cheered again. We hear the acclamations of the di.stant multitudes as he steps into his carriage and is driven rapidly through tho streetn. The show is over. To night for the illuoiina tion aud to-tnorrow for the historioal prooession. THE HISTOIUCAL PROUE38ION. The inperial party has driven up. The emperor and ompress in a phaeton with two black horses and outriders. The princes and suite precede and follow them. They are not in gala costumes to-day. Nobody wears the broaj yellow ribbon or the black eagle. The crown prinoe has on a plain infantry uniform. Priee Kriederick Karl, however, still wears the showy cap and white breeckes of the hussar, the mast pió turesque uniform of the army. We notioe the empress talking to Yon Moltke. Oíd people these tbat stand at the head of jíurope 1 On whose shoulders will the mantle fall ? The crown prince's look broad enough to support it. Presentir we hear a 3ound of trumpets, and the procession begins. First come the mounted trumpeter in oíd Germán dress, half white, half olive green , divided mi, up and down the iniddle, like the convicta in somc of our prigons. The effect is fine, however. After them rides the city herald, and then a horseman in yellow and blue with the banner of the empire, tbe oíd empire which was put out of its misery by Napoleon after a long HngerinK illness. This prooession, howover, recalls the days of ita glory. Then comus the city banner, red and white, with threecrowns emblazoned on it, in memory of THETHREB KINO8, whoe bones lie in tbe eathedral. After the banner follows a mounted escort in buff and mail, then the burgomaster and town council in crimson velvet and fur. Not the real burgomaster and conncil, you understand, but a play burgoniastor and play council, tbr all this is but a show and represents the thirteenth century. The real burgomaster, in a dress coat, with a gold cuain around his neck and a tall bat on, is yonder in the train of the kaiser. Now comes the shrine of the three kings, or a fac 8imile thereof, carried by eight goldsmith's appren tices and fullowed by a band of mu.-ic. The real ghrine, with the real bones of the kings, lies in the treasury of the cathedral hard by ; at least it is the shrine, thougb some of the iewels were taken away at the timnof th Froooh revolution, and I've no doubt the bones are as genuinc as ever they were. They are certainly very beautiful as they pass in long array, mail-clad knights and buffcoated men at arms ; ladies in rich clothing that reminds one of ILLUMINATED CHRONICLES, escorted by paes and bowmen, and interspersed with banner-bearers and spearmen. Several historical charactersare represented. King William of Holland, with his gold crown and longfloating mantle, and Cardinal Carpocci, in red silk, with his red bat hanging on his back, and Archbishop Conrad von Hocstaden, who laid the first stone in 1248, and Archbishop Henry, of Virneburg, in complete armor. Nor must I forget to mention the noble lady with the falcon on her wrist, and followed by her pages, as f starting for a day's hawking. THEN TUERE WERE THE KIG PIECKS. One large waon, repreeenting the laying of the corner-stone, was continually getting stopped by its own weight and its balking horses, and carne to a standstill for ten minutes or so just in front of the imperial boy. Better and more interesting than this was the ship, emblematic of the Hanseatic league, and the old heavy wagon that typified mediasval commerce. In this part of the procession marched the various guilds as they exiatedin middle aires in Cologne. So muoh for the theatricaj part of the procession. It was both brilliant and interesting, and, with the exoeption of the balking hordes above mentioned and the delay occasioned by them, went off suioothly and ''ffectively. 15ut something even more h.storical remained behind. Thia ws the modern Germán soldiery. From every branch of the service a few men had been detailed - infantry, cavalry and artillery, hus.-ars and uhlans, the jagers and the line. They were but a tiíw men in all, hardly so many as go to niake a battalion, b it under the eyes of the greatest uiüna 'h of his day and of that monarch'8 grcate.-t captains, passed in review those few soldiers of the aruiy that fought at Konigratz and at Sedan. TIn1 rear broughtup and the procession ended by a detachment of the white dragoons, who number the crown priuce and Prince liismarck among their officers. Twice the pageant passed before tbe royal pavilion ; then camo th i royal carriage?, and the court party drove rapidly away.