The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-26
FOUND The ARK Of NOAH
AdGreek Priest Who Tells a Very
Queer Story With Many
Details.
the Bow and Stern in Position
But tho Sides Are
3s@3 Cavod In.
n Has Rested ON Mount Ararat for Be
twssA 5000 and 5000 Years
Up to Date.

D., ths chaldean arehdeacon of Babylon
and Jerusalem. who arrived Al San Fran
Disco Vie Other day IN the steamer China
according 10 ths Examiner. says hs ha'
seen Noah's ark. Al he recognized he ha'
travelled. prsaehiug and exploring in var
ions lands. go 600 miles. He set out from
his homo in Jerusalem seven years age. anc
II will BE- I'VE years yet, he says, before hi
gets back. In ths i've years he will travs
1901 600 miles more. making a total in the
twelve years Of 400, 600 miles, or a distance
Of moro than hfteen times around the
earth. In addition to the Office held by
him, a. Indicated by his degrees, he il pom
siheal delegate general Of Nsdabor and ex-
grand secretary of the metropolitan arch
diocese of Persia and India. He was edu-
Gated At Babylon. previous to which he
spent much of his time in Jerusalem and
lagdad.
One Of the things he told about was his
explorations in the Mountains of the Moon,
In the East Of Central Africa. while trying
10 find the source of the Nile. in which no
round gold SO plentiful that the mountains
wsre fairly ribbed with il. and boulders
along the way sparkled with the yellow
metal. The other was the discovery OF the
sources of the Tigris and Euphratss In
Mount Ararat in Armenia, and a tremend-
ous vessel on top Of one horn of Mount
Ararat, which he regards as the veritabls
ark OF Noah.
I'm his journey to tho undiscovered and
hitherto ]unexplored Mountains OF the
Moon" said he, IT set out from Alexandria
and penetrated 1000 miles IN the interior.
I went by way of Cairo. thence down to
Cedar, and thence to Ksrtoum in the VAL
ley Of the Nile. From there l proceeded to
Timbuotoo, in the south of the great ss-
hara. Timbuctoo now has between
$1,000 and 10000 people. 1t is very
ancient and very famous. wing
with Morocco. AlViers and Tripoli in
commercialt trade. Great caravans Of horses,
camels and elephants ply between all these
cities. / had travelling with me and COM
posing the rest Of my party six Ahyssinians.
who were of the Greek orthodox faith. We
moved forward in all kinds of ways, some
times on donkeys, again on camels and in
between five and six months to complete
our explorations. All this time, whenever
we we're among any people, no matter how
barbarous. I preached to them.
About 200 miles over the desert from
~.rimbuctoo We began to get into the gold
bearing mountains. The richness of the
increased as We advanced until
the rocks were scanned with gold.
From here / still extended my researches.
preaching all the time when ! could AS l
went. l had in view the searching Of the
of the two great rivers Of the Bible
the Tigris and Euphrases, of Mesopotamia.
Gaining facts, as / am. for a great coolest
-nks~rl kinkorD ~ tina Fnfnr, oh,~nh
throughout the world, and constantly visit
ing ancient museums. universities. and
everywhere where manuscripts and tablets
could be found. l thought it was important
TO search for myself for the source of those
great rivers. l found them after great
difficulty. and in doing this | climbed al
most to the top of tho horns Of Mount
Ararat. in Armenia. Up owsrd the domss
of Mount Ararat is a fat valley. large in
area, which may be designated a plain. 1t
is nearly 1000 feet above the level of the
sea. About 200 feet above the plain found
the sources of those two great rivers.
They are very closs together. The water
was extremely cold and clea-.
"Thsn we proceeded to ascend to the top
of Mount ArArat. We first chose the smaller
horn. This il about 16, 600 feet high
while the other is, as nearly as can be as
csrtained, about 5000 feetin altitude. We
succeeded in getting up about 1900 feet.
l. Attc q poI Pctuhle III tubEe, 0uu IL ley
very deep. A violent wind was blowing,
and the mountain was so precipitous that
we could not 60 farther. Accordingly, we
retraced our steps, and when We got down
to a point from which We could cross over
to the other mountain we went over to it
mt began climbing. We reached an slti-
tude of IA, 900 or Is, 600 feet. The snow heie
also was very deep. We walked on till it
Was impossible to go any farther. We
walked for hours and hours on the snow.
finally came down 1000 or 5000 feet.
ut was in the month of March that we
made up our minds that it would be i'm
possible to reach the top in such weather.
We must wait till the snow, or a great deal
of it at least, melted. We accordingly
went still further below, and remained till
April. Then we were abundantlv paid for
our labor, for we discovered what | feel
sure was the ark. the actual work Of Noah.
! discovered it myself, being the first to see
1t. ! saw it through a field glass at first.
though we got SO close to it that it was Wis
iblet to the eve alone. We had reached a
blight over the green grass. and at length in
deep snow and over glaciers of probably
E. 900 or It, 800 feet and within 1900 or
1000 feet of the top. Presently q great
object came into view through the glass.
The bow and stern were clearly in view
but the center Of it was buried in snow and
one side Of il had fallen down and was do
cayed. 1t stood more than 100 feet high
and was more than 300 yards long. The
wood seemed very peculiar. IL was dark
reddish. almost iron-colored, and sesm.d
very thick. l saw it perfectly, especially
the rear part. 1t is between 5000 aud 5000
years ole. Would the wood last for that
timer Oh, yes. 1t would not were it not for
ths snow. but that has preserved it. Were
1t not for that constructed even of hard
wood IA 1t Is, 1t would have been impossible
to last oVer 1000 or 5000 years. AS ii is. it
will be preserved for ages and ages. per-
hats 10000 or 30, 900 years.
Never bstote have told of the discovery
3or publication" said he. and l never have
tolo II 10 anybody, except to a few psonje
IN India. | Will tell you why | did no, an
nounos 1t before. II is because some of tho
people l told 1t TO laughed and would NOT
believe 1t. Therefore / said | will not tell
II, uniess they ask me, but whore they do
VIII tell tho entire story. Meantime,
trust TO the future 10 verify what | hRye
seen. IL was on April %, at about two
O'CLOCK III the afternoon. that | finally SAW
the ark upon the mountain. was almost
overcome. The sight of the ark, thus yeri-
flying the truth of the acrlpture s, in which
mad before had no doubt, but which for tho
sake OF those who did not believe. WAS
glad. filled me with gratitude.
Inc top OF the ark that still remained
was covered with a cap of from five to ten
feet of snow. but in other places, where the
top has fallen IN, | judge the snow is from
thirty to fifty feet deep. | went clear
atound and came back again, and looked at
the rear or stern critically, at length and
with great care. Not n cloud nor Il lift or
even heecv snow obstructed the view, II
WAS all as clear and plain as tie clearegt
sunlight could make it. Some of the rooms
or turrets of the al X we're hroken hale u