The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-03-07
THE SEVEN WONDERS"

THE "SEVEN WONDERS"
''Grandpa," said Irwin, as they were
sitting by the open CRATE one winter
evening, "grandpa, will you please to
tell me about the Seven Wonders of
the World?' Our teacher told us to-day
that we ought to know all about them"
perhaps you had better ask your
brother Fred, who has just left college,
to tell you about them"
''He don't know, grandpa, for I did
ask him, and he said such an inquiSi-
tive boy as am was one of the biggest
wonders that he knew anything about"
''Well, one of the ancient wonders
was the Hanging Gardens at Baby
Ion.
Ibid they hang in the air like the
Brooklyn Bridget" inquired Irwin,
"Oh, no; they were connected with
the royal palace, and were about four
hundred feet square at the bottom, be-
ing supported on several tiers of open
arches, built one over the other, and
the top, which was about seventy-fve
feet high, was covered with large
mass of earth from which grew flow
ers, shrubs, and even large trees"
"How did the people water the gar
densP" inquired Irwin.
"There were fountains and a large
reservoir on the top, supplied with wa
ter from the river Euphrates. This river
ran through the city of Babylon and
the two portions of the city were con-
nected by stone bridge. The high
gates and broad walls of Babylon are
mentioned in the Bible, and the walls
were noted for their height, thickness
and strength.
"What was another of the wonders,
grandpa?"
"Well, the Pharos at Alexandria was
the first light-bearing tower that we
have any record of. 1t was built of
white stone, and stood upon a craggy
rock on the island of Pharos, near Alex
andria, in Egypt. 1t was three hun
dred feet high, and its light could be
seen for many miles. JOsephus states
that its beaming summit might be
seen for three hundred stadea, or forty
English miles,
"Who built the Pharosp"
lit was twelve years in building.
Sostratus was the artisan, and he i'm
mortalized his name by inscribing it
upon the Pharos; but it was erected UNI
der the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus,
B. G. 1872, the same King who COM
manded the Septuagint or Old Tesla
ment to be undertaken in the Hellenic
versions. The Pharos, or lighthouse,
was Illuminated by huge wood fires
Before this time mariners were warned
at night of their approach to land by
coal or wood fires that were built on
prominent headlands."
"Well, grandpa, what was the next
of the wonders?"
"The Olympian Zeus, or the colossal
statue of Jupiter at Olympia, which
was the last great work of PhidiaS. It
was a seated statue, made of ivory and
gold, and, including the throne, it was
tifty-five feet in height. It's temple was
built on the model of the Parthenon at
Athens. Jupiter was considered the
king and father of the gods, and sup
posed to have universal power in the
earth and air. He gave the rain, the
thunder and lightning, and the storm
and the calm were supposed to be under
his control. This statue was erected
between B. e. 438 and 432, and in A.
| d. 361 it continued to receive the
homage of Greece. Epictetus says that
it was considered misfortune for any
one to die without having seen this
masterpiece of Phidias.
''The worship of Jupiter was uni
versal, though his name varied with the
country that sacrificed to him. You
perhaps remember that when Paul went
to Lystra he found temple of Jupiter
before that city. Jupiter was generally
represented as seated on a throne hold
ing thunderbolts in his raised hand,
scepter in the other, with an eagle at
his feet.
''Irwin, do you remember that when
Paul was in Ephesus riot was Gre
ated by Demetrius among the crafts
men?n
"Yes, grandpa, he was afraid the
people would belief Paul's words, and |
then his trade of making silver shrines
would be gone"
land what did they cry?"
1.-The mob cried great is Diana of
the Ephesians.'"
Eyes, the Temple of Diana was built |
at the common charge of all the Asiatic |
States. 1t was four hundred and TWEEN
ty-fve feet long, two hundred and |
twenty-five broad, and was supported |
by one hundred and twenty-seven col
umns of Parian marble: each col |
umn was sixty feet high and each |
furnished by different King. This
temple was burned on the night |
of Alexander's nativity, and was
then rebuilt. Diana was believed to |
have fallen down from Heaven, and the |
public games were connected with her |
worship. Especially was the month of |
May sacred to her, and a large man
ufactory grew up at Ephesus of porta-
BILE. shrines of Diana, which were sold to |
strangers and carried with them on
journeys or set up to worship In their
houses"
"You have now told me about four
of the wonders, grandpa, ''and if you
are not too tired | would like to hear
about the rest of Them
Il am only too glad to see you inter-
ested in your studies, and will now
speak of the Colossus of Rhodes. This
was gigantic statue of Apollo or the
the sun-god. 1t rested on moles en- each
side of the beautiful harbor of Rhodes,
and vessels passed between its brazen
legs. 1t was over one hundred feet in
height, and there were winding stairs
" which it was assembled. The statue
held in one hand light for the direc-
ton of mariners, and it was completed
two hundred and eighty years before
Christ. 1t was thrown down, presum-
ably by an earthquake, and never re-
hnilt. but fraornenta of the stafua re-