Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-11-07
The Seven Wonders.
st. Louis Republic.


full account of the seven wonders Of
the ancient world. Different authors
disagree in describing the seven pop
ular wonders of olden times. At
present, | believe, the Pyramids, the
Colossus of Rhodes, the temple of
Diana, the Mausoleum, the Statue of
Jupiter Olympus, the Hanging Gar
dens of Babylon and the Pharos, or
Watchtower Of Alexandria, are us.
ually reckoned as the "Oriental Sew
en- Wonders" With the single ex-
ception of the Pyramids, all of the
above have disappeared. One, two
and three thousand years ago. accord
ing to tradition and authentic histo>
ry, some of them were wonders in
deed.
The first Of the wonders, the great
Pyramid of Cheops, is situated seven
miles from the banks of the Nile and
twelve miles from Cairo, Egypt. 1t
was built in the childhood of the hui
man race, long before history began.
Yet ii stands today Il monument to
the memory ola wonderful people.
The "Great Pyramid of Cheops" is
believed to have been built by the
monarch whose name it bears about
5000 years B. G. Its weight is $50
feet inches, and its base 1914 feet
square. Many Of the monster blocks
OF granite used in constructing il
weigh thousands of tons. Tradition
tells us that'l00, 900 men were employ.
ed for a period of thirty years in con-
structing it.
The Colossus of Rhodes, the second
in the list of ancient wonders, was
great brazen statue of Apollo, which
stretched its huge legs across the har-
Dor of Rhodes, and was so large that
ships in full sail passed between. 1t
was los feet high and of most exact
proportions. The erection of the CO.
iussus was begun in the year 300 B.
c., but was not finished for nearly
200 years. 1t was of brass, cast in
sections, and was overthrown by an
earthquake in the year 224 B. c. 1t
weighed 10000 pounds.
The Temple of Diana is another of
the Seven Wonders of the World
which has entirely disappeared. 1t
was a magnificent structure, situated
upon the Evantine and Ephesus, and
was constructed at the common cost
of all Asiatic countries. The lofty.
doomed roof was supported by. 1877
monster columns of Parian marble
the tribute to Diana of 127 Kings.
The facade of the temple occupied
200 feet upon the Evantide, and the
walls stretched back 425 feet. all gilt
tering with gems and precious stones.
Fourth in order of prominence was
the Mausoleum-the tomb of Mauso-
lus, the first King of Caria. Accord
ing to Pliny it had total height of
14O feet. 1t was erected by Arteme-
STA, the widow of Mausolus, about
1853 B. G. 1t consisted of basement
65 feet high, on which stood an Ionic
colannade 333 feet high, surmounted
by a pyramid, rising In steps to a
similar height, and on the apex OF
the pyramid colossal group of Maui
sOlus and wife in a chariot drawn by
four horses of heroic size. The Maui
solemn endured until about the year
l4O4 A. d., when it was partially de-
stroyed by an earthquake and finally
torn down by the knights of st.
John.
The Fifth Wonder, the Olpmpian
Zeus, was statue of Jupiter Olym-
pus, said to have been 60 feet high
and chiefly composed of ivory and
gold. 1t is usually located at Ellis, but
nothing certain is known of its loca-
ton or of its reputed builder, Phidias.
Ifpossible, tradition and history
have told us less about the Sixth
Wonder of the World-the hanging
Gardens of Babylon-than they have
of the fifth. Herodotus does not men.
tion them; Pliny only casually al.
ludes to their existence, and the
scriptural account of the reign o.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ignores the subject
altogether. Popular accounts of the
Hanging Gardens say that they were
huge baskets of brass and iron, 4Ot
feet square, swung on mammontl
stone arches, which were erected nea
the Royal Palace at Babylon.
, The Seventh Wonder was com
bined light house and watch tower