The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-01-05

OF this grand structure was surrOuT
ded with massive wall two and
half miles in compass, in which wer
several gates, all fsolid brass. Th
b old palace which had been occupie
by the former kings was four mile
IN compass. The new palace erect
ed by Nebuchadnezzar, and occupie,
by him, was two miles each way
making eight miles in compass.
} was surrounded with three walls
one within another, and otherwis
strongly fortified. In these werr
several large brass gates, which wer,
guarded at all times.
The greatest wonder of all was the
celebrated
HANGING GARDENS
which were the glory of Babylon
and which for originality of design
and construction so far surpassed
everything else in that great city
that they dwindled and sunk into
insignifcance These gardens We're
built in an exact square, four hund-
red feet on each side and three hun
dred and fifty feethigh. The ascent was
bymeans of terraces ten feetwide and
in the same manner as that of the
temple above described. The whole
of this wonderful structure was sus-
tanned by arches built upon arches,
one upon another, and strengthened
by wall surrounding it on every
side, twenty-five feet in thickness.
The floors of these terraces were laid
as follows On tOpof the arches were
laid large fiat stones sixteen feet
long and four feet broad. On these
was layer of reeds mixed with a
quantity Of bitumen over which were
two layers of bricks closely cement
ed together by plaster, and thenover
all were laid thick sheets of lead and
lastly upon the lead was laid the
mould of the garden. This mould
was of sufficient depth to support
large trees with which it was abun-
dantly supplied, as we'll as plants
and flowers OF anything else suitable
for a pleasure garden. On the top
was an acqueduct filed from the riv-
er with water to supply the garden
with moisture. This garden was
constructed to crafty the king wife,
Anyistes, who was great admirar
of forest and mountain scenery, of
which this was only poor imitation.
The river Euphrates was walled
up on both sides from point two
and a half miles above to the same
distance below the city. These walls
were eighty-seven feet in thickness
and of the same material as the wall
around the city. On either side of
the river, where itcrossed the streets,
steps were made leading down to the
water edge, where boats were kept
with which to cross over, AT these
streets, On either side of the river,
were large brass gates, which were
kept open during the day and closed
at night. These walls were for the
protection of the city from inunda-
ton during the floods caused by the
melting Of the snow in the country
above, which generally occurred
about the month of June or July.
For the more thorough security of
the city twolarger canals, some miles
above, were cut across from the Eu-
pirates to the Tigres river, and thus
Immense quantities of water were
conveyed through these canals and
discharged into the latter river. Be-
sides these canals, an immense exca-
vatiOn was made to receive the wa
ter from the Euphrates. This lake
was forty miles square and not less
than thirty-five feet deep, some say
seventy five feet deepand others that
II was thirty-five feet below the sur
face and embanlments above the
surface forty feet high, which would
make it seventy-five feet from the
top of the embankment to the bot
tom of the lake.
Notwithstanding the greatness of
this famous city, the greatest in the
whole world, the All-Seeing eye of
God beholding her iniquity and all
manner of denominations, had mark
cd her for visitation of His mdig-
nation and wrath. How complete
was her destruction and howterrible
her desolationl
About the middle of the second
century there was nothing left of all
her former grandeur but a portion
of the outside walls, these were re-
paired for the purpose of enclosing
wild heaatR, which We're kept within
hg the kings for their own hunting
purposes, and kept up for this pur-
pose until about the beginning of
the fourth century.
From this time we have no ac-
count of the place for more than six
hundred years, or about the Year Of
cur Lord, 1873, when We find the
wallis utterly destroyed, desolation
reigning supreme, and the once
great city Of Babylon has become
TIE dwelling pItse Of owls aUd IN