Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-31
A GRAPHIC WORD PICTURE OF THE
GLORY OF THE MIGHTY CITY OF
THE ANCIENTs.
The Handwriting on the Wall Applied to
Our Present Day and Country.
Sins Banquet and It's Inevitable Punish
ment.


sermon this morning in the Acadamy OF
Music in this city, and he preached II
tonight at the Christian Herald service
in the New York Academy OF Music.
HIS text was Daniel v, 30. I'm that
. night was Belshazzar, the king OF the
Chaldeans, slain"
After the site OF Babylon had been
selected two million Of men were en-
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
was twenty-five gates, solid brass on each
side OF the square city. Between every
two gates q great watch tower sprang
AID 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 regularity. The houses did
not Join each other on the ground, and
between them were gardens and
shrubbery. From house tops to house
tops, bridges swung, over which the
inhabitants were accustomed to pass.
A branch of the Euphrates went through
the city, over which a bridge OF mar
yelous structure was thrown, and under
which tunnel ran. To keep the river
from overlooking the city in times OF
freshet. great lake was arranged to
catch the surplus, in which the water
was kept as in q reservoir until times OF
drough. 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 pal
ace seven and half miles in cirumfer-
ence. The wife OF NebuchadneZzar,
having been brought up among the
mountains OF Media, could not stand 1t
in this fiat country OF Babylon, and so to
please her, Nebuchadnezzar had a
mountain, 400 feet high, built in the
midst Of he.city.
BABYLoN's woNDERoUs STRUCTURES.
This mountain was surrounded by
terraces, for the support OF which great
arches were lifted. On the top OF these
arches fat stones were laid; then a lay
err OF reeds and bitumen; then two rows
of bricks closely cemented; then thick
sheet 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 on
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 constructed
which drew the water from the Euph-
rates far below, and made it spout up
amid this garden Of the skies All this
to please his wife! l think she must
have been pleased.
In the midst of this city stood also the
temple of Belus. One Of its towers was
One-eighth OF a mile high, and on the
TOD Of 1t 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 censers,
all of gold. One image weighed LOCO
BabylOnish talents, which would be
equal to S62, 900, 900. All this by day,
but now night was about to come
down on Babylon. The shadows Of her
$50 towers began to lengthen. The
Enphrates rolled on, touched by the
fiery splenders 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,
fragrance for many miles around. The
streets and squares were lighted for
dance and frolic and promenade. The
theaters and galleries OF art invited the
wealth and pOmp and grandeur OF the
CITY TO rare entertainments. Scenes OF
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.
GRAND FEAST QFBELSHAZzLR.
A royal feast tonight at the kings
palace! Rushing up TO the gates are
chariOts, upholstered with precious
cloths from Dedan, and drawn by fire.
eyed horses from Togarmah, that rear
and neigh In the grasp Of the chariot
GERS; while thousand lords dismount,
and women, dressed in all the splendor
OF Syrian emearld, and the color blend
ing Of agate and the chasteness Of coral,
and the sombre glory Of Tyrian purple
and princely embroideries, brought from
afar by camels across the desert, and by
ships of Tarshish across the sea.
Open wide the gates and let the guests
come in. The chamberlains and cup
bearers are all ready. Hark the rustic
OF the robes, and TO the carol Of the
music. See the blaze OF the jewels. Lift
the banners. Fill the cups. Clap the
cymbals. Blow the trumpbets. Let
the night 90 by with song, dance, and
ovstion, and LET that Rsbylonish tongue