Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
TUwER OF BABEL.
Smithsonian Institution Making .
Miniature Model to Send to Atlanta.


Miniature Model to Send to Atlanta.
The Smithsonian Institution is preparing
miniature model of the Tower of Babel
for the exposition at Atlanta. 1t viii be in
all respects, so far as possible faithful
reproduction of the famous original. The
latter was the greatest of the many mag
rificert temples of Babylon, being 40 feet
high- That does not seem much compared
with the Washington monument. but peo-
pie in those days were not accustomed to
tall structures, and the ancient capital Of
Assyria was situated in the midst of a
vast plain where there were no natural
elevations to serve for comparison. The
model in question will be five feet eight
inches square on the first story. When 1t
Is stated that the first story of the actual
Tower of Babel was 2I2 feet square, no.
ton will De given of the proportion. The
original building was constructed in dmin-
isting stories. each one being smaller
square than that beneath. This was COM
mon style of architecture in AsSyria, and
from it was evolved the Egyptian pyramid.
The stories for the model are square wood
en- frames of different sizes, SO made that
they may be superposed one upon another.
These frames, after being put together,
will be faced on the outside with a veneer
of plaster of Paris which will initiate the
sun-dried bricks of which the tower was
composed,
The building of the model is under the
charge of DR.. Palmer. The work, however,
is superintendent by DR.. Cyrus Adler, who
has made an exhaustive study of the his
toric Tower of Babel. Mechanically speak
ing, the most difficult part of the Job is the
casting of the plaster of Paris that Is to
initiate the bricks. Every brick on the ex-
terror of the structure Is represented, and
this Is accomplished by making a single
mold in which the little bricks are labori-
ously indicated. From this mold many
casts are made. and so the whole surface is
covered. The Babylonians had no stone,
and SO were obliged to employ for all their
buildings such Sun-dried bricks. which were
made and squared by hand. They did not
understand the use of molds for the pur-
pose. Naturally. structures of such ma
terial soon crumbled and did not last very
long
The Tower Of Babel stood upon an ele-
waited platform of earth 600 feet square.
This was surrounded and retained by wall
of bricks ten feet high. Both platform and
wall will be represented in the model,
which viii be quite an imposing affair
when finished The stories will be painted
in different colors to initiate the original
building. according to descriptions given of
it In Assyrian literature. The first story
story orange. for Jupiter; the third story
red. for Mars: the fourth story covered
with plates of gold. for the sun: the fifth
story white. for Venus; the sixth story
dark blue. for Mercury and the seventh
story covered with plates of silver. in honor
of the moon.
The old BabylonianS were worshfpers of
the sun and knew lot about astronomy.
The Tower of Babel was an observatory.
from which the priests gazed upon the
stars in the heavens. drawing portents from
thenl-presumably for sale at SO much a
portent The model will have no windows.
for it is not known whether or not the
original editice possessed any. Nobody as
yet has been able to discover how the
houses of the Assyrians were lighted. 1t
may be that all the light required for this
mighty temple was admitted from the top,
which was presumably open to the sky.
The stairs were on the outside and not on
the inside of the building. They also will
be shown. In fact, no detail will be omitted
that may help to give notion of the exact
appearance of this wonderful editice Of an
tiquity.