Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-08-28
The Marbles from the Temple of Diana,

Six months ago a cargo of marbles, the
first fruits of Mr.. Woods excavations on
the site Of the Temple of Diana, was shipped
at Smyrna on hoard the war-ship Caledo.
MA. Although these marbles arrived al
Malta in February last, only a portion, and
that the last interesting, of the cargo of the
Caledonia has as yet reached Eng land, the
remainder being now on boaad two iron
clads homeward bound. In the meantime
(Says the London Times) the silence 50
long maintained respecting Mr.. Woods
memorable discovery has at length been
broken, and quaS1-publicity has been
given to his operations through the timely
action Of the Dilettanti Society, who, a
short time since appointed committee
chosen from among their members to re-
port upon the results of the excavations at
Ephes us up to the present date.
1t was in exploring the Great Theatre
at Ephesus that Mr.. Wood obtained the
first clue by the discovery of an inscription
containing most curious information as to
the endowments and worship of the Temple
OF Diana, and laying down the route by
which, on the birthday-of the goddess, er
silver shrines and other treasures were to
be carried i'll procession from the Temple
to the Great Theatre through one city gate
and back to the Temple through another
city gate, which was called the Magnetism.
Starting with this clue in his hand. Mr.
Wood soon discovered one of the two gates
named in the inscription. From 1t issued
an ancient road, hanked, like the Appian
Way, by sepulchral monuments of the
Roman period, and along the line of which
might still be traced the foundations of a
portico, which there is good ground for
recognizing as built by one Damianus in the
second century of the Chris tian era TO pro-
tect the procession from SUI, and shower.
The ancient pavement Of the road lay at
an average depth Of twelve feet, and along
its course were the tombs ofthe Propretors
and other magnates who governed at
Ephesus after it had passed under the sway
of the Romans
In the Autumn of 1871 Mr.. Wood came
upon the lowest drum of column nearly
entire, on which was sculptured group
of male and female figures standing and
sitting. The standing figures were 6 feet
high; the whole mass of white marble
weighed upward of II ton. l. was ev-
ident that this belonged to one of those SO
sculptural columns which Pliny mentions
as among the admiranda of the Temple
Fragments Of two more sculptured
drums, pilaster with a fine group in high
relief, magnificent capitals, bases, and
drums of columns, all of the finest white
marble, were laying in confused heaps at
the bottom eff the excavation at the close
of the year 1871. 1t was time to remove
these first fruits of the enterprise, and the
Caledonia, promptly despatched from Nal
ia by the Admiralty, took ON board up
ward of sixty tons of marble in January
last.
Since the beginning of this year Mr..
Wood has removed the upper strata of soil
from a much larger area, preparatory to
deeper excavations in the Autumn, a sea-
son peculiarly favorable for his operations
because the water which accumulates in
the diggings during the Winter months has
then been absorbed by the sun.