The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-22
The great waIl of f.hinal

The great wall of Ghinai
What a wonderful structure 10 is and
how mighty it must have been before the
days of gunpowder and cai1son. / have
seen the pyramids, but this massive wall
impressed me mors forcib4y than they.
The greatest Of all the pyramids is an im-
mense pile OF stones. covering thirteen
acres and reaching TO height less than
that of the monument at Washington
City. The great wall of Cana, II the
brick and earth composing IT could be
carried TO the valley of the Nile. would
carpet the best parts of Egypt. and il is
work incidentally greater than the monu-
ments of the Egyptian kings. / visited is
where 1t runs through the Mon
golian mountains, about ninety miles
from the city of Pelfng. and
solid structure than that at Shan Hal
Kwan. on the edge ~ the sea 1t begins
here at the head of the Gulf Of Pechfh and
runs up aud down the mountains, clear
across the boundary of Northern China,
separating the country from its vast tribu-
tary provinces OF Mongolia and Maucharla,
till IL reaches the CREST desert of Cobb,
above Thibet. IL - more than !, 90 miles
long in a straight line, and With its wind
ings up the hills and down the valleys il
measures all told a distance OF more than
1909 miles. This wgsl Is about thirty
feet in height, or as tall as a three
story city house. It's width at the points
where l have visited it ranges from
fifteen to thirty feet The aver
age paFloF 10 not more than fifteen feet
wide, and If you viii imagine 4 solid block
/ of three-story houses fifteen feet deep,
built across the United States from New
York to Omaha, YOU can get faint idea
OF the size of this great nall. Such
block, however. would be easy 10 con-
struct in comparison yith the work needed
for this vast fertilization. At would cut
the plains OF New York, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Iowa. where the soil has much
olay and wherS the railroads could carry
the materials.
The great wall Of China was built right
over the mountains. liz climbs up crags so
steep that the bricks bad, IL is said, to be
carried on the backs of goata Ii crosses
peaks taller than the Allegheny mount
aims, and at one point goes over one which
IL 8 600 feet above the sea- A large part of
il has foundation Of granite blocks from
two and half 10 four feet thick, and the
base Of the wall Is ten feet wider than the
top. The bricks of which sc " made weigh
from forty TO sixty pounds, or as much as
6year-oid boy and the clay for these
bricks had 20 be transported long
distances from the anterior at some por-
lions OF tho wall. These bricks are OF a
slate color. According TO measurement
they are fifteen inches long, nine inches
wide and about live inches thick. They
are put together in solid masonry by
means Of lime mortar, and they are built
up from the foundation in two walls, each
about two feetthick running parallel with
each other. the space between being filled
with earth End ston9 well rammed down.
The ton OF the wall is paved with these
bricks and its average width Is about fif-
/ teen feet. 1t is everywhere 30 vide that
two two-horse wagon loads Of hay could
be driven along il and the hubs OF the two
teams would not touch. SIX horses
abreast could be easily driven upon
its paved highway, and on each side
of the road along iss whole ]. 500
miles of length There 10 a brick
crensllatsd wall as high rs your
head. which would prevent them falling
or IN case OF stampede. At short inter
walls che wall Is crowned by great two and
three-story towers. made of these big blue
bricks. aud at the passes IN the mountains
thero are Arehed gates 81 stone, some Of
which are beautifully carved Here and
there the wall is doubie, second wall
running over the country some distance
back from the first. and on the peaks near
Ne there are often watch towers, IA which
the guards stood in times past and warnsd
the soldiers stationed on its top OF the All
vancing hsrdes y hich they spIcd coming
from the vilds beyond.
Much Of the great wall is still in perfect
condition. Standing upon i: az the city OF
shan Hal Kwan We could see lt climbing
up the Msnehurian mountains, jumping
the gorgss and scaling the PEAKS. Gray
With its life Of twenty centuries. II seemed
70 grasp the earth of the present vita its
mighty hand, and where 10 crosses the
mountains il seemed As imperishable as the
hills whose hoary brows it crowned Al
other places, however, time has gained
mastery, and nearest the railroad there
is /. breach at least 100 feet wide. and one
side Of the Hau where IL bounds the city
of shan Hal kwan has been almost over
thrown. Its sides are covered with moss,
and the grass has grcwn epon Is p@'s.
yne1ats Nc archeTs nov guard q, ana u
oulx rrmaFsls as a monument OF the han
fTsssz Of thousands Of Acknowledged men
Vshs, q 90 wears ago thus sought 70 protect
their homes snd those OF their dsscendsnts
from the sayages Of the Norta Tor al oine
10 cone. No one can stand upon Is FA,S-
,szrss and not be impressed Win Aas
strength OF this great Chinese aafeon.
Seventeen hundFed years before America
was ytiscoyercds al . time whsn our Que
blood~a ancestors, hasf-aaked and a4i9-
L eether savage. we're wandering tnF9aka
the wgLds OF France. GertnAay ana e. Z
land- when Rome 81 soA a repae4ie, Eght-
,osr Ser lask battles Sith the Garth asinialAs :
- wears hefess Christ Vas cora. tasse
.ane Chinese people batl. this naighiy
WaN Their History states thar eqtlifso
an army 81 So4seQ aen 10 pFQssca sc
builders. and millions Enesf have been en-
,iovrI in the an deftSksng. hASe SEEN
Enough Of The b1ssfiHg 81 railroads ana
oTher works IN CAinA au<ing nay pTes<ae
sonr % understand hog II vas profAeiy
ronstructec. There MAS no machlnefy
81 and few caktle and earsss hFeft
-. - 81 a. l.,allf hr naAr. and SD It's ]. roO