New-York tribune., 1901-03-10
SAVING STONEHENGE.
PLANS FOR RESTORING AND FREsERN
ING THE UNIQUE REMAINS.
From The London News.

interest in our past will be glad to learn from
Lord Edmond titZmduri2e that definite steps
are at last being takeE to insure the preSerVt-
ton of StOnehenge Sir Thomas Browne. who
was too amiabe a man to have any conception
of the vandalism that exists in the world, did
not foIesee the need of any particular precau-
tions to this end These mountainous monu-
ments,' he observed, may stand, and are like
to have the same period with the earth But
the last two three centuries have done more
damage TO our finest megalthlc monuments
than perhaps all the ages since they We're punt
by strange and forgotten race. The glorious
temple of Avebury once the finest thing OF the
kind in the whole of Europe, has suffered most
of all. Some archeoogists-t lucky people,
the Syracusan lady says in TheocrltuS. To
know all that'-are of opinion that Hecat;euS
referred to AvehUry when lie went into classical
raptures about the magnificent circular temple
that stood in the Island of the HXperboreans,
over against CeltiCa-
1t is certain that old Aubrey thought that
Avebury, in its fair ami unpolluted days did
as much exceed StonehenEe as cathedral does
a parish church" Now 1t has all but perlShed
out of t50 great stones that once formed its
circles, not more than twenty are standing.
Lord AyehuTy. who very appropriately took his
title from the ruin that he did more than any
other Englishman of our days to Illustrate,
mourns that unfortunately for US, the pretty
I little village of AVebury like some beautiful
parasite has grown up at the expense ana IN
the midst of the ancient temple" 1t IS a
natural tendency of the uncutivated human
mind TO utilize the relics of even a prehistoric
past the quarry for modern castles pig
sites. The medieval Romans happened to build
castles out OF the Coliseum, and one Is less
I angry with them. perhaps, than with the Wilt
, shire farmers who turned much Of AVebury
into cottages and pigStIeS. After all, can
pride ourselves never having done anything
quite so Lad $ the Roman builders mo fed their
( lirnekilns with the sculpturad spoils Of Greece
We may be nartiSti" race. but for thorough
vandalism We have t. look 70 Italy, the home
/ and stepmothcr of tho fin" arts one cannot be
so very angry with the Wiltshire farmers who
uStd 10 S.nd cart J." SinnrhrhSr As Au't.N
and Stukcly tell US when they needed stone for
. their bridges or mllI dams. But the time mas
come to stop that kin ~ enterprise for ever
The Willis County Council through th~ mouth
al Lord Edmond FifzmIurice. announce that
I they aT" IN communication with tho 90" n'r OF
stoIehen-. and with th- Society II AntiiUarieS.
and propose 10 put forward suggestions as to
. the restoration future custody and pr,serya-
ton Cf that mosaiIthc monument
W" hop" that the public viii h1H, an nppor-
tunity of considering tho ultimate decision in
L- taken for granted. "" have rather terror
If restoration. thanks To- Il RuSh'n's "n"r-
g-tlc -Np"Sure # the crimes that haF" been com
mittei in IFS name some ut tho finest ~
ancient churches and II i7 restoration as we'll
aS SAT" keeping that SOM demand for stone
h-nca There lS no longer aUy fear Of the
Who'll. thing being shipped OF h.oly 90 America.
t-lirt- wealthy lealcr m cur'"sIties
Ma hl"s ami Cle. .p1ig.t.s Needle left us little
rlCht 20 affect Indignation at This. but II would
/ not Doe alla" l. Nor is th"re much fear "f tin
tourist wh" loves T" carve has name in tn" most
. .uauproI-idtc places or TO TeuoV" specimens of
remarkable monuments The stone Is $" cX-
/ c-cdlngly hard wrote John Evelyn VINO tTlrd
II, that all my strength with hammer cpul!
/ not break "A fragment. which hardness attrlb-
ute 10 their 50 long exposure only deter
. mined GIarrl man can tp any deliberate dam
agr. and Lc IS waiu-d IF Tor all time Iut
/ th.r.. is tho weather ta reckon with Th- fall
/ Of stones 1T the end Of tn, last c"uturt nearly
! "oinCidnE with thc centenary Of the previous
| fall. which lrca! Tories attributed to som.
! occult sympathy with the cXCcSSes of thu
| French Revolution suggested that il might bc
needful TO take steps for saving the remaining
ready PROSTATE. ON the latter point are
I Convinced that any such attempt would t- as
! gross those into y hiCh the SO. allied
reStorcrs Of churches hay often fallen. lingo
Jones thought of restoring Stonchcngc To- its
original plan and all thankful that b"
abandoned tn idea. Post. rity might not think
any better Of our antiquarian knowledge than
| We do Of his Flinders Petrie who has sent
home from Egypt the most interesting con
tributiOn that has Yet been made to the discus
sion, says with great justice that to trim up
the place. 10y re-erectinE every stone that has
fallen, would he no benefit either to its appear
ance or To archaanlugy The real effort
should be 10 save those gradually yielding
over. especially the largest stone of all
I Surely resources Of modern science quite
adequate 10 preserve StOnehcnEe. exactly as ii
is ROW, for the next twenty centuries. other
wise, when think Of our namcleSS anCeSt tors
who swung these blocks OF sixty or seventy tons
tive muscles and a few bronze tools and hde.
roIes TO help them. We could hardly feel tn"
proper pride in mans advance through the ages.
Flinders PetFe. who speaks with the high
( est authority on question Of arch;el logical
excavation. and has donc more work than any
out that the process of bedding the stones in
concrete give them firm hold 70 th-
next twenty centuries would afford unprec-
edented opportunity of settling the long VcXcd