REVIVAL OF OSTEND.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 September 1919, Page 7

REVIVAL OF OSTEND.

2 After nearly five years of war, 03stend is resuming ordinary life as far ’as possible under ‘present conditions, iwith the reopening of the famous !CasinoL A few months ago the great gsalons of the Casino were a scene 0”: :devas'ration and wanton destruction The buildings escaped the bombardment that tronsfornied so many of the beautiful hotels and villas along the ])jguc into heaps of rubble, and the use of nine tons of'BlaSS has repaired all the damage thus occasioned, bu‘. the Germans had plundered and defiled the salons. ; Every stock of furniture was taken, away’, beautiful tapestries were slash—} ed and torn by German bayonets, and every mirror in the halls was removed,‘ together with the copper candlebra in 1-11., salons and the beautiful copper staircase. Not content with robbery, the Germans left the whole place in a state that wodlu have shamed‘ any animal inhabitating a stable. But since then a miracle has been wrought, and but for the fact that some of the more \'{-Iluablc, fittings are at present only! temporarily replaced, there is no evidencc of the war so far as teh Casino. is concerned.