Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-05-07

The old fortresseS Of Asia and Ea-
rope stand on either shore Of the RoS.
phorus, about hall way up, where the
channel is usually narrow, and at a
point once traversed by the celebrated
bridge of Darius. The fort OF ASIA,
Anadoli Hissari, rises on the lip OF a
pleasant rivulet, which emptieS itself
into the BoSphorus.
The fort Of Europe, Roumeh His
sari, on the opposite shore. is Of Singu-
lar construction. The ground plan
forms the characters OF the prophets
name, by whom tradition says it was
built in six days, by permission of the
Greek emperor. He, with more cour.
tesy than policy. aceedCd to the desire
Of Nahomet TO possess a pied-a-terre
on the European edge of the channel
This fortress was the celebrated prison
of the janlssaries, and the large gun
which was fired on the execution Of
every criminal, to announce to thu
sultan that the guilty one had ex
plated his crime, yet fills its EN-
brasure on the lower rampant
This fort possesses great strength.
strategic and defensive. 1t is we'll sup
piled with water and the means OF
storing provisions. The Traitors
Gate is the only seward entrance, and
through its low, wide arch the bodies
of strangled janizarieS were dragged by
the heels and flung into the Bosphorus
There are four principal towers, one
of which occasionally served as a
state prison for persons of distinction;
that Immediately above it is calico the
Tower of Blood, where the agas, or
chiefs of the janizaries. were put to
death privately, ana their bodies CON
veyed to the Bosphorus through a tun
mel eNcavated beneath the foundations
of the fort.
The few houses built within the
walls of the fortress are surmounted by
pleasant gardens. Their tenants
marry and intermarry continually, not
being permitted to form any alliances
with families unconnectcd with the
castle.
Immediately opposite to the Jonshi.
Dajhi or Giants Grave. 1t is pre-
eminently the fortress i'll finest repair,
and is frequently visited by the sultan
in the summer months, attended by a
train OF pashas and beys.
The city Of Constantinople itself oc-
cupies a triangular promontory above
the Propontis. 1t has been strongly
fortified on all sides, including the side
washed by the sea and that which Is
The base of the triangle and connects
it with the mainland. The walls eS-
tend twelve miles, sweeping from sea
to sea. running along the whole length
of the harbor and terminating in the
celebrated fortress of the Seven
Towers. At some points the founda-
ton of the walls is formed by huge
masses of rock, 4 species of architec
ture still TO be traced in few of the
most ancient GleCian structures and
formerly termed Cyclopaean In other
ports, particularly on the side of Mar
mona, the masonry commences regu-
larly from the edge of the water. The
most ancient portion of the walls is
necessarily that which incloscs the
ancient By2antium, now known as the
SeragliO Point where the apex of the
triangle divides the Propontis from
the port, and instead of being peopleG
by the busy multitude of the city, is
silent in the stateiness Of its gilded
palace and ovcrhaEgtng groves. These
walls that are now standing we're built
over 700 years ago.
The extensive fortress of the Seven
Towers, into which the walls extend,
consisted originally of seven principal
towers, dominating series Of dun
geons, courts and guardrooms whose
secrets seldom transpired beyond the
walls. Hccatombs of heads sacrificed
10 state policy OF private gave their
name to a small inclosure now Ca. I'd
the palace Of Heads where they are
said to have been blIed upon each other
until the mound was of sufficient
height TO enable the eXecutioners to
command from its summit wide view
of the sun lighted Propontis. Stone
tunnels are 10 be seen on all sides.
Four of the towers to which the strong
hold is indebted for its appellatiOn are
now partly in ruin From STATE
prison for attainteG Turks the fortress
became the compulsory abode of the
Muscovite ambassadors on all out
breakings of discord between the auto
Gratis of Russia and Turkey, and still
more recently it has served as a plague
hospital for the Greeks. 1t is ready
now, however, to resume its original
functions as a fortress.
In the English army every soldier
has to carry a shaving outfit. That
was because in the last century it was
usual to shave the troops, In England
Il takes a long time to change; hence,
although most of the soldiers wear
mustaches, and some Of them boards,
and all Of them are free to wear their
faces in any shape they like 50 long
as they do not wear them backward J,
they still have to lug a shaving outfit
in their kits.-New York Dispatch