Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-06-21

flrst the explorers found, but it was
even larger than it had been said to be
by Herod0tus. The outer retaining
wall was tWenty-three and a half feet
thick, made of baked bricks, laid with
asphalt, next to which came a filling
of sand and gravel siXty-nine feet
thick, and the other retaining wall,
forty-fOur feet thick, making the en-
tire structure 1867 feet broad. It was
also found that many of the bricks OF
The wall and its citadeIs were beauti-
fully colored. as had been stated by
DiOdOrus
On the map you will see two rivers
lowing southwest toward the Persian
gulf. Just before they reach the gulf
Ole river empties into the other. The
larger of these two rivers is the Eu-
phrates and the other the Tigris
About three hundred miles from the
gulf are the ruins in which Dr.. Kolde-
Wey, the leader of the expedition, and
his Arab wOrkmen are digging into the
palaces of ancient kings. Babylon
extended along the Euphrates for
miles, and is said to have been larger
in the space it covered and the number
Of people within its walls than Lon
don is today. The canal is
thirty-nine feet wide 1t was cut
across the Euphrates to get water for
the famous hanging gardens, and the
explorers believe they may next come
ho no +hn31o CniUnc
These gardens ranked among the seven
wonders of the world, and consisted of
arches seyenty-five feet high, extend
ing 499 feet each way, on top of which
were trees and plants Of every variety
of form and color. From a distance
the arches themselves could not be
seen, so that the gardens seemed to be
hanging in the air. In his report,
sent to the scientific society at Berlin
to which he belongs, DR.. Koldewey
sends not only plan of this canal,
but also of an entire temple.
The court, in which there is we'll"
he says, is surrounded by rooms.
Doors lead from the court to a series
Of large chambers, the walls Of which
are literally Ornamented. There IS a
double tile pavement in the court and
the rooms A space of six and half
feet lies between the two pavements,
and in this strange store chamber
some fifty inscribed tablets have been
found, containing the names and
wages of the men engaged in the build
ing Of the temple The lists are dated.
giving day, month and year Of the
reign of Nebuchadnezzar and Evil
merodach.
Relics of Nebuchadnezzar.
Il have not found in any of the
excavations any old buildings or
traces of them. There are some re- |
mains from the time Of Nebuchadnez- +,
gar, such as the great Hittite slab, but |
wherever we dig, and we are now ten |
feet below the level of Euphrates, we
find seals of the time of Nebuchadnez-
Ear, but nothing of more ancient date.
The Oldest that can be yet assigned is
the lower part of the temple to Istar.
which goes back to Sardanapalus.
Even AROUND Tie CyIIuueT Vi
Sardanapalus were tablets OF Nebu
1t is probable that the
older buildings will be found when
we reach the southern part Of the
mound
1T seems daily more certain that
the entire Kasr (citadeD was a new
suburb limit built by Nebuchadnezzar
and his father, and that the long line
Of rulers who preceded them lived in
some other part of the city. 1t seems
hat Amran, as the Arabs call another
mound here, is the most likely spot
,or it alone of all the mounds is high
enough to hold the ruins which we
nave a right to expect. On the surface
S layer Of graves Of late date, but
If what IS beneath we know nothing
1t all. This hill is to be the next point
II attack, and we shall work with even
/ larger force than hitherto. In the
course of the excavations various frag-