Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1882 — The Highest Building in Europe. [ARTICLE]

The Highest Building in Europe.

Hitherto the Hospice of the Great <3t. Bernard, which stands 3,200 feet above the level of the sea, has enjoyed the distinction of being the most elevated inhabited building in Europe. This honor, according to the Builder, it can no longer claim. During the past year the city authorities of Catania, in Sicily, have caused to be erected near the summit of the great volcano, Mt. Etna, an astronomical observatory, which stands 2,943 meters abvoe the sea level or fully 1,000 feet lugher than the Hospice of St. Bernard. The structure is nine meters in hight, and covers an area of 200 square meters. It consists of an upper and lower story, aud is built in a circular form. In the lower story there rises a masse ve pillar, upon which is placed the great refracting telescope. The lower story is divided into a dining room, kitchen and storerooms, intended for the accommodation of astronomers and tourists visiting the establishment. The roof consists of a movable cupola or dome. From tlie balconies of. the upper story a psospect o vast extent ana grandeur is presented. The spectator is able to see over half the island of S’clly, the island of Malta, rhe Lipari lies, and the province of Calabria, on the mainland of Italy. The observatory is erected up. on a small cone, which will, iu the case of eruption, protect it completely from the lava streams which cl way b flows down on the opposite side of the volcano.