Middletown transcript., 1868-05-02
Nebuchndnezzar's Hanging Garden.

The vast structure built by Nebuchad-
nezzar which has been celebrated in all
ages as one of the wonders of the world
under the name of the Hanging Gardens
of Babylon, was really an artificial noun
tain-or meant to be such. 1t was built
to crafty the desire of a wife of Nebu-
chadezzar, named Amytis, who, having
been a native of mountainous country
towards the North, soon grew tired, when
she came to Babylon, of the level monot-
ony of the country there, and, as young
brides on the Western prairies of America
often do at the present day, when they
remember the green declivites and sum-
mits, and the secluded and romantic dells
of their native New England, she said to
her husband that she longed for the sight
of hill. Her husband therefore under
took to build her one.
'" The structure consisted of a series of
platforms or terraces, supported on arches
OF masonry, placed one above another, and
raised SO high that the upper one was
above the walls of the city, SO that the
spectator, standing upon it, could not only
look down, but could also extend his view
beyond the walls, and survey the whole
surrounding country. The several terra
ces were supported on immense arches of
masonry. The lateral thrust of these
arches was resisted by solid wall, twenty
two feet thick, which bounded and closed
the structure on every side. The plat
forms covering the arches and forming
the terraces, were constructed of immense
Hat blocks of stone, cementcd at the Joints
with bitumen. Above this pavement was
layer of reeds, and then another of btu
men, upon which, at the top of all, was
flooring of brick, which formed the upper
surface of the platform. On this foun-
dation was laid thick stratum of garden,
mould, deep enough to afford support and
nourishment for the largest trees The gar
dens made upon these terraces were laid out
in the most costly and elegant manner, and
were provided with statutes aud fountains,
and with the choicest fruits and rarest and |
most beautiful shrubs and trees, and parter-
res of brilliant flowers, and seats, and bowers
and ornamental arbors-with everything,
in short, which, the horticulturist of the
day could devise to complete the attractive
ness of the scene.
hS CdCH Vi llCSO terraces
to the one above was by broad and beau
tiful flight of steps, and visitors who ascen-
ded from one to the other saw on each sue
cessive platform new and ever-changing
beauties, in the varied arrangements of
walks and trees and beds of flowers, and
in the new views of the surrounding coun-
try, which became, of course, wider and
more commanding the higher they ascen-
ded.
"TherG were spacious and airy apart
ments built among the arches below, which
opened out upon the successive terraces.
These apartments commanded very beauti-
ful views, both of the gardens before them
and of the country beyond The interior
of them was splendidly decorated, and they
were fitted with all necessary convenenices
for serving refreshments to guests, and for
furnishing them with amusements and
entertainments of every kind. On the
upper platform was a reservoir of water,
supplied by vast engines concealed within
the structure. Pipes and other hydraulic
conducted this water to all the
lower terraces in order to supply the vari-
Dus fountains and to irrigate the ground.
In fact, so vast was the extent, and so mag
nihcent the decorations of this artificial
hill, that, as long as it endured, it was con-
'idered by common consent, as one of the ;
wonders of the world" {
.