Connecticut western news., 1891-01-28
DREAD HANDWRITING
DR.. TALMAGE BREACHES A SERMON
 f1N BABYLON'S FALL.

If You Do Not Fear God You May Ono
 Day Expect to See the Handwriting on
 the Wall Yourself-A Powerful Dis course.
 BROOKLYN, Jan. 25.-Dr. Talmage preached the following sermon this morning in the Academy of Music in this city. and he repeated it tonight at The Christian Herald service in the New York Academy of Music. His text was Daniel v. 30: '1n that night was Belshazzar. the king of the Chaldeans, slain"
 After the site of Babylon had been selected, two million of men were em- ployed for the construction of the wall and principal works. The walls of the city were sixty miles in circumference. They were surrounded by trench, out of which had been dug the material for the construction of the city. There were twenty five gates of solid brass on each side of the square city. Between every two gates a great watch tower sprang up into the heavens.
 From each of the twenty-five gates on either side a street ran straight through to the gate on the other side, SO that there were fifty streets, each fifteen miles long, which gave to the city an appearance of wonderful regu- larity The houses did not join each other on the ground, and between them were gardens and shrubbery. From housetop to housetop bridges swung, over which the inhabitants were accustomed to pass, 4 branch of the Euphrates went through the city, over which a bridge of marvellous structure was thrown and under which a tunnel ran. To keep the river from overhowing the city in times of freshet great lake was arranged to catch the surplus, in which the water was kept as in a reservoir until times of drought, when it was sent streaming down over the thirsty land.
 A palace stood at each end of the Euphrates bridge; one palace mile and three-quarters in compass, and the other palace seven and half miles in circumference. The wife of Nebu- chadnezzar, having been brought up among the mountains of Media, could not stand it in this flat country of Babylon, and so to please her Nebuchad- nezzar had a mountain four hundred feet high built in the midst of the city. This mountain urrounded by ter races, for the support of which great arches were lifted. On the top of these arches flat stonas were laid then layer of reeds and bitumen; then two rows of bricks. closely cemented; then thick sheets of lead. upon which the soil was placed
 The earth here deposited was so deep that the largest trees had room to anchor their roots. All the glory of the fowery tropics was spread out at that tremendous height, until it must have seemed to one below as though the clouds were all in blossom, and the very sky leaned on the shoulder of the cedar. At the top an engine was con- structed which drew the water from the Euphrates. far below. and made it spout up amid this garden of the skies All this to please his wifel I think she must have been pleased.
 CITY OF REvELINGS.
 In the midst of this city stood also the temple of Belus. One of it's towers was one-eighth of & mile high. and on the top of it an observatory, which gave the astronomers great advantage, as, being at so great height, one could easily talk with the stars. This temple was full of cups and statues and cen sers, all of gold. One image weighed thousand Babylonish talents, which would be equal to fifty-two million dol lars. All this by day; but now night was about to come down on Babylon. The shadows of her two hundred and fifty towers began to lengthen. The Euphrates rolled on, touched by the fiery splendors of the setting sun, and gates of brass. furnished and glittering. opened and shut like doors of flame.
 The hanging gardens of Babylon. wet with the heavy dew, began to pour from starlit flowers and dripping leaf a fragrance for many mikes around. The streets and squares were lighted for dance and frolic and promenade. The theatres and galleries of art invited the wealth and pomp and grandeur of the city to rare entertainments. Scenes oi riot and wassail were mingled in every street; goddess mirth, and outrageous excess. and splendid wickedness came to the kings palace to do their mightiest deeds of darkness.
 A royal feast tonight at the kings palacel Rushing up to the gates are chariots, upholstered with precious cloths from Dedan, and drawn by fire eyed horses from Togar1nah, that rear and neigh in the grasp of the chariot eers, while a thousand lords dismount, and women dressed in all the splen dors of Syrian emerald, and the colol blending of agate. and the chastenes' of coral. and the somber glory of Ty rian purple, and princely embroideries brought from afar by camels across thu desert. and by ships of Tarshish acros the sea-
 Open wide the gates and let thu guests come in. The chamberlains ane cup bearers are all ready. Hark to th' rustic of the robes, and to the carol O the mus.c' See the blaze of the jewels Lift the banners. Fill the cups. Clal the cymba's Blow the trumpets. Le the night :, by with song and danc' and ova 2. and let that Babylonisl tongue be palsied that will not say
 "Oh. King Belshazzar, live forever" NO COMMON BANQUET. An! my friends, it was not any com mon banquet to which these great peo pie came. All parts of the earth hs