Rheims

remz, a city of France. It is situated on a small stream 100 miles northeast of Paris. It is connected with the capital by canal and railway. The city nestles among vine-clad hills and is the center of the champagne industry. The wines are stored in large cellars excavated in the chalk cliffs. There are 150 miles of passages rivaling the catacombs of Rome in extent. Thirty million bottles a year are stored away to mellow. There are also extensive manufactures of flannels, merinos, blankets, and other woolen goods, as well as of candles, soap, glass, and paper. The city is noted also for its gingerbread, biscuit, and dried peas. The present population is about 110,000. The city is defended by a ring of forts.

Rheims is a city of historical importance. In the day of the Roman Empire it was the terminus of a military road. A triumphal arch 108 feet in width and forty-three feet high still stands. Clovis and his soldiers were brought over to Christianity at Rheims. The crowning feature of the city is a magnificent cathedral dating from the thirteenth century. The front or facade is one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages. It is pierced by three portals, laden with sculptured figures. A rose window set above the main portal is one of the finest specimens of stained glass known. The front towers, one at each corner, are unfinished. They stop at a height of 267 feet. The design calls for pointed spires 394 feet high. For centuries the kings of France were crowned here. The interior, designed to hold the vast crowds that surged to the coronation, is 455 feet in length. The nave is ninety-eight feet wide and 125 feet in the clear. It is surrounded by beautiful galleries adorned with sculpture. Priceless tapestries and an organ with 3,516 pipes add to the deep impression created by the interior. Other buildings of interest are the town hall with its museum and immense library, the archbishop's palace, and the House of the Musicians.