Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1896-10-17

The great Russian engineer Melni.
koff writes from Odessa to the Smith
sonian institution describing the ruins
of an ancient canal discovered in the
Crinea. which he regards as one Of the
wonders Of the world. It Is certainly q
centuries old, and among similar ancient
objects Of historic interest is second ouly
in age to the great pyramids. The hang,
ing gardens of Babylon and the Colosau,
of Rhodes are shrou9od with no deeper
mysteries than the existence Of this Great
ditch, whose ruins can be traced fer %
long distance through the Crimean plain.
Whether it was q waterway in the Olden
times and the pathway Of ancient com
merce between the Black sea IN the sea
of Azov or means Of defense for the
people living in It's vicinity is d question
which wise men, supposed to know all
gbout antiquitica, cannot c&plain.
Xenophon, the distinguished Athcnian
who conducted the retreat of '0,0W
Greeks from tho up country march, sc
called, writes of bitches which were dug
by inhabitants of hostile territory
through which they passed as an i'm
Dediment 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 very large scale.
While it was of grand proportions, which
at that early day surpassed the engineer
ing feats of the Suez canal, the foryiiica
tons for its protection are no less inter
esting. AT each end of the western side
there was a lofty castle, the ruins of
which remain to this day, the cubical
contents exceeding 100000 meters. 4
part of these stones, as well 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
adjoins.
During the CTimean war some OF The
stones remaining were utilized III the
construction Of hospitals for the wound
ed 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
high wall, which e-t>nGed its entire
length. At an equal distance from each
end there was q gigantic fortress, built
in the form O. d square and covering
space of 80 400 square meters. Ihe ca
nal is as straight rs al arrow its enJlre
length except at this point, where 1t
forms three sides OF a square about the
fortress. Here there VS. q smaller canal
on the outer side, which may have pro-
vided greater security.
One of the gateWGy3 CT tie fortress is
still partially preserved, and through it
passes a dilapilated road. The canal
was built by AssarGe Of B0snorus III
the seventh century b (. and Is . kuo-
meters long. Mentions IS made of this IN
the writings Of Pliny and Strabo, but
nothing is said about th9 great amount
of time and money eZpanle3 in its con-
struction or fer what special purpose 1t
was done 1t passes by the modern town
of Perekop, and is not far from the
Greek city Of Nnapolis, whose name was
changed by Assdnde after the building
of the canal to Tapharas, which IS the
Greek for ditch. Its width on the bot
tom was about 5 meters and its depth
10 meters. Whether it served formerly
as a great and towering fertilization or
not, it certainly contained water enough
to sail ships of considerable burden.
Undoubtedly before the time of Christ
many ships used it as short cut across
the peninsula between the two seas. The
bed is now dry, except for a few stand
ing pools, bat it is said that the Oldest
inhabitants can remember when, for sew
eral miles in the central part, there was
sufficient water to form roadway for
the lighter craft of the semibarbarous