Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-11-21
A CANAL IN CRIAIEA.
THE AGE AND HISTORY OF A WORLDS
WONDER UNKNOWN.

A Great Waterway which n Russian EnEi-
neer Thinks Was Duiit as a Means of De-
Tense In Ancient Times-A Detailed Ae-
count OF the Wonderful Structure.
The great Russian engineer Melni-
kon writes from Odessa to the Smith
sonian institution describing the ruins
of an ancient canal discovered in TIE
Crimea, which he regards as one OF the
wonders of the world. 1t is certainly %
centuries old, and among similar ancient
objects of historic interest is second only
in age to the great pyramids The hang
ing gardens of Babylon and the Colossus
OF Rhodes are shrouded with no deeper
mysteries than theexistence of this great
ditch, whose ruins can be traced for a
long distance through the Crimean plain.
Whether it was n waterway in the olden
times and the pathway of ancient COM
merce between the Black sea and the sea
of Azov or q means of defense for the
people living in its vicinity is q question
which wise men, supposed to know all
about antiquities, cannot explain.
Xenophon, the distinguished 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 i'm
pediment to their march. Water was
often turned into these, so that crossing
was rendered more difficult. Perhaps
the ancient and wonderful canal served
the same purpose on q very large scale.
While it was of grand proportions, which
at that early day surpassed the engineer
ing feats of the Suez canal, the fortifica-
tons for its protection are no less inter
esting. At each end of the western side
there was Il lofty castle. the ruins of
which remain to this day, the cubical
contents exceeding $50, 900 meters. \
part of these stones, rs we'll as those
with which the bed of the canal was
paved its entire length, were removed
some time ago to build town which.
adjoins.
During the Crimean war some of the
stones remaining We're utilized III the
{ .ruction of hospitals for the wound
| co soldiers, which structures are still
standing. Along the banks of the canal
! there were once at least six towers, but
what purpose they served, unless for de
Tense, is uncertain. There was also a
high wall, which extended its entire
| length. At an equal distance from each
end there was n gigantic fortress, built
| i'll tie form of a square and covering
space of S2.i0J square meters. The ca
nal is as straight as an arrow its entire
length except at this point, where ii
| forms three sides of q square about the
! fortress. Here there was smaller canal
on the outer side, which may have pro-
vided greater security.
| One of the gateways of the fortress is
| still partially preserved, and through Il
| passes q dilapidated road. The canal
was built by AsSande l of Bosporus in
| the seventh century B. c. and is kilo-
meters 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 expended in its con-
| struction or for what special purpose it
was done. 1t passes by the modern town
of Perekop, and is not far from the
! Greek city of Neapolis. whose name was
! changed by Assande after the building
of the canal to Tapharas, which is the
Greek for ditch. Its width on the bot
tom was about meters and its depth
| 10 meters. Whether it served formerly
as n great and towering fertilization or
not, it certainly contained water enough
to sail ships of considerable burden.
]
many ships used it as a short cut across
the peninsula between the two seas. The
bed is now dry, except for a few stand
| ing pools, but it is said that the Oldest
inhabitants can remember when, for sew
eral miles in the central part, there was
sufficient water to form a roadway for
the lighter craft of the semibarbarous
! people. This is accounted for by the
fact that some time in the fifteenth CEN
fury the canal was repaired
The Russian government has project
under consideration OF opening up
great waterway across the peninsula be-
tween the two seas, and his connection
with this scheme is what led the engi-
nccr, Melnikoff. TO inquire into the his
tory of the canal and attempt to explore
its wonders. Melnikoff writes in French
and conveys vivid description of the
ancient ruins. He has just written
pamphlet, and this contains in Russian
| a full account of all that is known and
all that has been said about the canal in
the centuries since its construction. It
also contains diagrams and illustrations
of the canal as 1t now appears.-Phila
delphia Telegraph.
No Respite
Mrs. Bolus-You have been under DR..
Probes care for years, haven't youE'
Mrs. Lightweight-Ycs. Ever since
he began doctoring me.-Brooklyn Life.
Half H0IIdsy Exhibitions In London.
Fires are per cent more numerous in
London on Saturday than on any other
day in the week.