The state chronicle., 1893-04-28
A CANAL OF ANCIENT DAYS.
Second In Age Only to the Great Pyra-
mios of Egypt.

AA 6SC Ouly " tuc UACoe |
mios of Egypt.
Washington Post.
The great Russian engineer, Mein-
1off, writes from Odessa to the
Smithsonian Institution describing
the ruins of an ancient canal dis
covered in Crimea, which he regards
as one of the wonders of the world
1t is certainly twenty-seven centu-
ries old, and among similar ancient
objects of historic interest is second
in age only to the Great Pyramids.
The Hanging Gardens OF Baby
lon and the Colossus of Rhodes are
shrouded with no deeper mysteries
than the existence of this great
ditch, whose ruins can be traced
for long distance through the
Crimean plain. Whether it was
waterway in the olden time, and the
pathway of ancient commerce be-
tween the Black Sea and the sea of
Azof, or means of defense for the
people living in it's vicinity is
question which wise men supposed |
to know all about antiquities can
not explain. Xenophon, the dis
tinguished Athenian who conducted
the retreat of 10000 Greeks from
The "Up Country March, SO called,
writes of bitches which were dug
by inhabitants of hostile territory
through which they passed as an
impeachment to their march. Water
was often turned into these 80 that
crossing was rendered more difficult.
Perhaps this ancient and wonderful
canal served the same purpose on
very large scale. The engineer is
inclined to believe that it was
commercial thoroughfare of much
Importance and therefore strongly
| guarded.
Whileit was Of grand proportions,
which, for that early day surpassed
the engineering fests Of the Suez
Canal, the Notifications for it's pro-
lection are no less interesting. At
each end on the western side there
was lofty castle, the ruins of which
remain to this day, the cubical con-
tents exceeding 10000 meters. A
part of these stones, as we'll as those
with which the bed of the canal
was paved it's entire length, were
removed some time ago to build a
town which adjourns. During the
Crimean war some of the stones re-
naming were utilized in the con-
struction of hospitals for the woun-
ded soldiers, which are still stand
ing.
| Along the banks of the canal
there were once at least six towers,
but what purpose they served, un-
less for defense, is uncertain There
was also high wall which ex,
tended its entire length. At an
equal distance from each end there
was a gigantic fortress built in the
form Of square, and covering 8
space Of 80, 400 square meters. The
canal is straight as an arrow its en-.
tire length except at this point,
where it forms three sides of q
square about the fortress. Here
there was g smaller canal on the
outer side, which may have pro
vided greater security. One of the
gateways of the fortress is still par
TALLY preserved, and through il
passes dilapidated road.
The canal was built by Assande
[, of Bosphorus, in the seventh cen
tury B. G., and is nine kilometers
long. Mention is made Of this in
the writings of Pliny and Strabo
but nothing is said about the great
amount OF time and money ex.
pended il its construction, or 70,
what special purpose it was done
1t passes by the modern town o
Perekop and is not far from th,
Greek city Of Neapoiis whose nam,
was chang nged by Assande after tn,
" building Of the canal to Tap ras
which is the Greek word for ditch
It's width on the bottom was abou
t five meters and it's depth ten meters
J, Whether it served formerly as
t great and towering fertilization Q
# not it certainly contained waite
enough to sails ships of considers
bic burden. Undou ubtedly befor
n the time of Christ many ships use
a it AS short cut across the pcn;nsul
d between the two seas.
o The bed is now dry, except for
IS few standing pools, but il is sal
that the Oldest inhabitants can +,
It member when, for several miles
If the central part. there was suficiel
is water to form roadway for tt
70 ligter craft Of the semi barbara,
le people. This is accounted for t
d the fact lh&t some time in the Il
g, teentb century the canal was r
% paired.
Of The Russian government has
project under consideration OF opeI
as ing up 8 great water way across 81
es peninsula between the two seas, al
Ia its connection with this scheme
n what led the engineer Meluikof
Is inquire into the history OF the o
ed canal and attempt to explore
a wonders It is a subject Of cor
in ment that historians have not stur
of bled upon an object Of such gre
th interest before this day. It forr
tie an important addition to the hi