The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-26
BAPTISM OF CHRIST
How the Greeks in C0nstati.
nOple Observe 1t.
ON MARMORA'S SILYERY SEA,
A Few Bits of Hisi DRY Concerning tn O
Ancient Capital Near the
Golden Horn.
Special correspondence of The HERALD.

Special Correspondence of THE HERALD.
1t was one of those cold, frosty nights
IN the middle of the month of January
thathad settled down upon the Crescent
City, las mons can except after gale from
the regions of snow in the north, that
the solitude of the midnight air was of
sudden broken by the ringing of
church bells, barking of dogs, and odd
chants of men passing through the
streets. Even our night Waterman g con.
tinuous rap, rap, rap,o the stone pave
ment to scare away thieves and de-
mons, was lost in the din and excite
ment. Being located in the very centre
of the commotion, the "Mormons" of
STEAMBOAT donned their Turkish para
phernalia. and sailed ont among the
crowd to reconnoiter. The truth was
soon revealed, that the Greeks were
celebrating the baptism of Christ, or
were going to re-baptize Him by i'm
mersing the cross. We wound our way
through the dark, narrow streets until
their church was reached, and then
entered the sanctuary with the boldness
of accustomed votaries. The place
proved a regular bazar for bartering
righteousness, and we first met with the
inquisitive glance of man selling holy
lights in the form of miniature Sleeps
tallow candles, one of which each de-
votee carried lighted in his hand; then
followed host of beggars with brass
trays, praying for relief of pastor,
schools, hospital, poor, etc. Each
donor, on placing his coin on the tray,
would 60 through the performance of
the cross by placing together thumb
and first two fingers of the right HAND,
and bringing it from shoulder TO shout
der, and from navel to chin, twice in
quick succession. This constituted the
sole religious performance, except the
| burning of incense and the incessant,
monotonous chant of band of gaily
| dressed priests who seemingly spelled
each other in their lugubrious task, but
| gave no mercy to their congregation,
al OF whom had to stand and take it,
| as seated chapels are oat OF the cues
| ticn with them.
But the exciting part of our nights
revelry remained to be enacted on the
| shores OF the silvery watered sea of
Marmora, whl her the vast crowd pro-
| ceeded, joined by company of Turk
lsh infantry TO preserve peace, and pro-
tect the worshippers in case of neces-
sity. Preparations indicated that the
| cross would be cast into the sea at a
| distance from the shore, so the Nor
| mons" procured a boat and proceeded
to that point. The early rays of dawn
had now crept upon us, when patrl-
archal.looking priest, holding in his
hand silver cross, ornamented with
black strips of ribbon, became the
centre of attraction; around him in
boats stood three naSed men, ready to
dive for the treasured emblem, when it
should be cast into the depths of the |
cold. salt sea. We would naturally
presume that the solemnity of their act |
would cause them to hold their breath |
In reverentlal silence. But not so, the |
priest jokingly pretended 10 throw the |
cross in order to deceive the divers into |
the cold water after nothing, they seem.
ing over anxious to secure the prize. |
Each such act was loudly cheered by |
the crowd. But the realistic point was |
at length reached, and the cross whirled !
high into the air only to quickly strike |
the bosom of the water nearly in uni |
son with the plunge after it of the three |
bigoted divers. There were few mo-
ments of hushed silence, and then an |
unusually lively scene among cluster |
of boats whittier some of the divers |
were endeavoring to come to the sur |
face. In the jostle and excitement, |
three bUats We're capslzsd, and some |
twenty persons left to do some terrific |
hsllooing and splsshing in the cold |
briny water. Thanks to the stubbor- |
ness OF our boatman, whom we vsinly |
endeayored to row Us nearer the impor- |
tant scene of action. had it not been for |
his not wanting to obey Franks" we |
might ourselves have been forced TO |
test the morning temperature of the |
water. Itwas said that two women and |
child were drowned, but later accounts |
snoweI all rescued.
And what became of the holy cross? |
One OF the divers secured it from the |
deep, and is now the proud godfather
to its immersion. For a month, he is
privileged to carry it about town on ex-
hibition, and receive gifts from Greek
fanatics in respect to his vaior.
Thus we have briefly alluded to the
worship OF people whose genealogy
leads to the proud subjects of the By
zantIne empire; an empire that, while
all Europe beside trembled at the word
Saracens, its chief city at enc time en-
dured their hea' ed siege of seven years, Il
nothing saving new Rome but the fire
of naphths and sulphur that poured
from its ancient battlements. Nor did
1t succumb until the Turks under Mo
manned H., with an army of over
$50 600 men, sat down before Constan-
tinople. Artillery of unwonted size
battered its walls for tifty-three days,
when the proud young Janizaries at
length burst through. The Emperor
Constantine, the last of the Caesars, was
slain, sword in hand. in the beach, and
the Byzantine empire that had lived
l ,05S years, fell to rise no more. The
crescent replaced the cross on the dome
of st. Sophia. where, to this day, it
waves in triumph. The conquered peo-
pie are now in silent thought that the