The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-25

CduSSu Dy the possession OF Palestine,
and fearing to see the same trouble
commenced all over again in the mat
ter of this discovery of a new holy
place came to their assistance by for
bidding any modification of the exist
ing condition of the locality.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSE
Panaghia-C apouli is four hours dis
tant from Smyrna, on the summit of a
mountain. The facade of the house is
north and south, its axis directly west.
The following is the description given
by Catherine Emmerich:
The Virgins house was made of
stone and square. Only IN the back
it was round or 'octagon.'
The windows were placed at a con-
siderable hight from the floor: there
was a platform in front of it. 1t was
divided in two quarters by a hearth
placed in the center o
The anterior part of the house was
separated from the rest by light lat
tlce work partitions, placed to the right
and left Of the hearth. When it was
desired to transform this part of the
house into one large room these partf-
tons were detached and lift
ed.
To the right and left and back of
the hearth light doors led into the 9TH
er parts of the house. This was dark
CT than the main portion, and ended in
mi-circumference or an angle.
The end of this quarter, separated
from the rest by a curtain, formed the
oratory of the Blessed Virgin.
To the right of this oratory, in a
niche formed by projection of the
wall, was the sleeping chamber of the
Virgin.
Fronting this room, and to the left
Of the oratory. was another room in
which she kept her linen and belong
ings.
A large curtain hung from one of
these rooms to the other, and shut off
the oratory situated between them.
The back Of the sleeping room was
formed by wall covered with tapes
try. The right and left sides
We're furnished with marqueterie. And
the anterior part had IN the center a
light door with two halves opening in
to the interior The ceiling Of
the bedroom was also in lattice work.
and was formed of pieces so Joined as
to form valuted roof The
wall, was a hollow box a foot and a
half high, and being as long and as
wide as an ordinary bed
ITO this description the 'voyante'
adds the fact that after the Virgins
death the humble house was trans
formed into a church.
THE HOUSE AS IT APPEARS TO-
DAY
Now, this is the actual condition Of
the place. The house is of stone. with
some parts brick. It is composed Of
a rectangular, preceded by a vestibule.
and hanking it's extremity are two
rooms, one to the right and the other
to the left
The wall at the back has two pro-
Jections on the outside, round a half
cylindric. For three years it has been
mystery as to what the 'voyante'
meant by the word 'octagon.' One
day the idea presented itself to dig in
the earth accumulated for years be-
hind the house, and the spade brought
TO light at depth of ninety centime-
tres perfectly shaped 'octagon wall
Leaving the description of the yes
nbule until later the interior rectangu-
lar is composed Of two distinct quar-
tiers. The first one upon entering is
almost square. 1t offers nothing very
remarkable except the traces of some
ancient paintings on the lower part of
the walls. The second quarter terni-
mates at the end by a large and high
niche, which was the oratory, and the
roof of which still retains traces Of
having been arched
To the right of this second quarter
is the sleeping-room of the Virgin. The
wall Is bare at the end But in this
wall, at about fifty cenimeters below
the old board, is found a groove about
two meters fifty centimeters long to
slxty-seyen centimeters wide, with a
projection of ten to twelve centimeters.
1t was this groove that formed the
Virgins bed, and in this projection that
she reposed. Three of the chambers
angles still retain traces of the old
arches
To the left of the oratory is a room
something like a closet. Unfortunate
~ the upper part has crumbled away
and the lower portion is still buried in
the ground. Nothing of this can be
seen except a slight trace in the in
terror of the archway of the entrance
door, and outside a portion of the wall
near the oratory.
Such as it is the house shows some
primitive portions and some of a later
period, so that it is a difficult matter
to definitely determine the epochs.
Archaeologists have commended that the
two large lateral arches, the doors and
the center of the veStibule are con-
structed of the same bricks as those
of the Gymnasium at Ephesus from
which they can safely say that this
vestibule should and does date from
the first centuries of our own era. and
though being of the same period as
the rest Of the house, it's construction
was certainly an afterthought, as it IS
not part of the primitive house, but
an addition put to IT. The construction
of this vestibule and several other
alterations were evidently completed
when the Apostles, as Catherine En-
merich said, transformed the house into
church.
THE concordance of the 'voyantes'
revelations with the. reality are not con-
fined alone TO the Virgins house. Be
hind the house she said. at short
distance away, the high rocks lead to
the summit Of the mountain, from
which Ephesus can be seen and the sea
and it's numerous islands. This spot
Is not as far from the sea as Ephesus
itself, and cannot be more than a few
leagues
"All this is exact. A few steps from
the house, projecting from the weeds
and bushes, can be seen great blocks
of rocks. On climbing them the sum-