Wichita eagle., 1889-07-04
EMOHAMMED'S CASTLE.
THE FORT THAT SEALED THE DOOM
OF CoNSTANTlNOPLE.

across his famous bridge of boats for the pas
sage Of his Persian invaders 1t was planned
some two thousand years after that invasion
by the young and ambitious Mohammed II,
whose bold and determined nature prompted
him to do and dare far more than had ever
before been attempted for the conquest Of
that much coveted and much fought over
capital, Constantinople
That fertilization like this and In this To-
cation was Of almost immeasurable import
ance to the besiegers Of Constantinople was
well understood by Mohammed IFS grand
father, Sultan Bayazid, as early as the year
1871, when he built the stronghold on the
Asiastic shore directly opposite, and only six
miles from Constantinopla. By building this
castle the young sultan completed the circle
his ancestors had been forging about the
doomed city.
STRETCHING AN OK HIDE
Traditions differ regarding the ruse by
which Mohammed II first gained foothold on
the rocky heights of Heromoion. One tells
us 1t was through the influence Of traitor
GUS Greek priest, who hurnbly sued for per-
mission to build there hunting box on land
that could be covered by an OK hide. This
modest request being granted, an OK hide was
cut in strips so narrow that when Joined they
could be stretched around the site Of this i'm
mense fertilization, from whose high towers
the doomed city could easily be overlooked,
while its great guns commanded the passage
of the Bosphorus and thus held the key to
both empires.
There Is disagreement among historians
about the time occupied In building the castle
of Mohammed Some say 1t was built in
.<x 10 ~ TO- ~; o$l
tell US six months were thus consumed Ger
tain it is that Mohammed had been industri
ously gathering material in the forests Of
Asia Minor, along the shores Of the Marmora
and the Black seas, around Nicomedia bay,
and when all the men and material he could
command in his own dominion were collected
he had no scruples about appropriating any
thing he could lay his hands on in this vicin-
ity. We are told that when digging to lay
these walls he unearthed massive foundations
Of a former castle and baths, which he at
once utilized. 1t was during the winter Of
1879 that men and material were hurried
here from all parts Of his realm. Then the
effe1ninate and luxurious rulersof Byzantium
were first awakened to their peril and great
CONSERVATION prevailed In Constantinople;
but SO needless and given to procrasttnation
had they become that, although it was begun
March 80, 1852, and doubtless occupied at
least four months, the sultan was interrupted
but once In his work, and that was when the
Church Of st. Michael at Arnatukue was be-
ing dragged away.
The importance of this site for fortihca-
ton could hardly be overestimated, as it at
forded a short and easy passage for troops
between bays that were protected from the
violent winds and waves of both the Black
Sea and the Marmora. The foundations were
laid in such form as to spell the sultan's
name It was to have four gates, facing the
four cardinal points Of the compass. The
circumference of the central tower on the
top was 225 feet; height 50 feet; inside di-
ameter, 4e feet; thickness Of wall, 10 or more
feet. The outside diameter Of two of the
huge towers was about 90 feet One thou
sand masons, each with two assistants, worked
on the outside of the walls, as many on the
inside, as well as countless carriers
FATE OF THE WEARY WORKMAN.
A large number Of troops were stationed to
protect the workmen. The sultan was pres
emit all the time to push the work with all
possible dispatch. The building of the three
larger towers was intrusted to three of the
sultan's ablest generals The Turks Of today
will tell you with an air of great solemnity
that the dark sculptured head you SEQ high
up in the massive wall of the white tower
yonder is truly the mummy of a workman
who refused to perform bis task, and the gen.
eral In charge had him walledfin OF That i'm
nense height. The cannon upon these walls
and upon the sea tower carried balls weigh
ing 600 pounds.
You may see many Of these great balls Of
granite still piled up on the quay beneath the
castles. The sultan placed q garrison COM
posed Of 400 picked men within the fortiica-
ton when completed. Many Of their de-
scendants stu live there, and exc out O scanty
subsistence by following the peaceful occupa.
ton Of fishermen. In one Of the strong
towers Mohammed II placed his treasure,
another was used as magazine. and others
were used as prisons, not only for persons Of
rank, but after time for tho dreaded Jan
nisaries Today these white towers stand like
sheeted ghosts in the moonlight, sole witnesses
Of the mighty host that stormed the great
capital Of the Roman empire Ia the east.
Hitherto Moslem valor had dashed In vain
against its triple walls, and might again have
done 30 IL only internal feuds and jealousies
had been set aside. But the day bad come
when people 50 stained with ssin and cursed
With greed must give way to gtalwart arms
and trenchant swords despite their strong re-
sistance for long centuries
1t was in the year 68S that the Mohaulrne-
dan host first began their inroads, and the
conflict ragged until the 29th Of May, 1859, not
continuously, It Is true, but In three furious
storms The first was the Argouaut onset,
which lasted $40 years, and tore from her
scepter the provinces Of Egypt. Syria and
MesopotanliA Next fell the assault Of the
Geliourhiau Turks, lasting two centuries end
o halt, and ending in the los Of almost the
vko,s Of Asia Minor. Then came tie Turks
Of the house q Gilman, strengthened By
memories of the remarkable, and, to them
prophetic, vision a their founder.
Mohauned lis triumph YVES NO. alone the
result Of the power Of one mans WIN; he but
echoed the voice of past generations Els
deeds embodied the efforts that had gone be-
fore.-Conssantinopls Coz. San Francisco
Chrolicla
A Standing Question
A social conuoirum which never stays m
swered Is the following:
When wedding cards are received should
tho recipients return their cards or write 81
Acknowledgements Of iuvita.lo1si Simply
send your cardS
When Baby was sick, we gave her cassoria.
When she uzx Cid, she cried for Casso-sA
When she hccsu,e - she chung 20 CassoriA,