The spire of the Strasbourg Cathedral could be seen some time before reaching the station, and well it might, being four hundred and sixty-six feet high, and by some authorities said to be the highest in the world.
The fortifications had been so fine at Mayence our party was surprised to find others much finer here, many of them being new, having been built at the time of the French and German war in 1870.
The engineering of some of them is particularly fine, as they are made to be opened, so that all the surrounding country can be flooded if necessary.
The train wound round the city, giving them a fine view of the fortifications and the soldiers being drilled in many of the enclosures.
Strasbourg was one of the most important cities during the last war, and a great portion of it was destroyed. One side of the cathedral was badly damaged, but is now thoroughly restored.
Mr. Winter took his family to a small hotel on the square near the station, having been recommended there by the manager of the hotel at Nuremberg. He found it very comfortable, and every possible attention was shown them.
Arriving about five o'clock, there was plenty of time to be driven around the city. Of course they started for the cathedral, but on the way the driver stopped the carriage to point out one of the highest chimneys on one of the tallest houses, where the storks had built a nest.
He also told them how the storks arrive every spring and build their nests, and then leave in the fall with their young, to return the next spring with their families no larger nor smaller than when they go away. What becomes of the surplus is a great question—whether they only increase sufficiently to fill the vacancies caused by death or old age, or that the young ones found colonies in other countries.
The storks are held in great reverence by mankind, and are never harmed. Indeed, it is considered good fortune to the inmates of a house when a nest is built on one of its chimneys.
The driver told a story of one man who gave up the use of his room an entire winter, rather than destroy a nest which two storks had built over the top of his chimney, and thus prevented his building a fire.