St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-03-22
THE SEVEN WONDERS.o

''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. 2
'He don't know, grandpa, for / did
ask him, and he said such an inquisi-
tive boy as am was one of the biggest
wonders that he knew anything about. y
''Well one of the ancient wonders
was the Hanging Gardens at Baby
lon.
ssDid they hang in the air like the
Brooklyn Bridgep' 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 seYenty-tive
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
dens?" inquired irwin.
''There were fountains and 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
We're noted for their height, thickness
and strength
/" What was another of the wonders,
grandpaP''
Well, the Pharos at Alexandria was
the first Hght-bearing tower that we
have any record of. 1t was built of
white stone, and stood upon cragsv
rock on the island of Pharos, near Alex
andria, in Egypt. 1t was three hum
bred 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 torty
English miles"
''Who built the Pharos?''
1T was twelve years in BUILDING.
Sostratus was the artisan, and he i'm
mortalized his name by inscribinp it
upon the Pharos; but it was erected I'M
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. 1t
was a seated statue, made of ivory and
gold, and, including the throne, it was
fifty-five feet in height Its 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. 9. 438 and 432, and in "A. |
d. 361 it continued to receive the
homage of Greece. Epictetus saws that
it was considered a misfortune for anv
one to die without having seen this
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
as seated on throne hold
ing thunaerbolts in his raised hand, a
scepter in the other. with an eagle at
his feet /