New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
TEE LESSON OF LOST CITIES.


The account which We published on Sunday
last of the intensely interesting archaeological
discoveries in Syria piques curiosity to ask
some pertinent and important questions. There
were found. largely in an admirable state OF
preservation. the remains Of nearly twOScOre
splendid and extensive cities. In what way
have they been SO marvellously well kept while
other abandoned cities of later date have
Crumhled into almost unrecOgniZable ruin? And
how was il possible for a population of many
millions 10 be sustained in prosperity and lux
ury in a region which is inhOspitable
desert that. to Sheridan's grim words. a
bird flying over il must carry his rations with
him? We know that once il was n fertile land.
The richness Of the pastures and iOcks and
herds of BaShan has for ages been proverbial;
and TO this day the orchards of Damascus and
the wheat fields OF the Hauran are the admra-
tiOn OF the world Why is this land of the thirty
three cities a glaring desert of sand and basalt?
We may answer our first question with the
last. The remains OF the cities have been pre-
served partly because they were well built and
partly because ever since their abandonment
the land has been arid desert There is
vegetation and there Is no humidity. There is
a fair amount OF rain from October TO May
the annual precipitation at Jerusalem Is about
the same as at ChicagO-and from May 10 OctO-
ber there are nightly dews. But, falling upon
beds Of sand or slopes of limestone and basalt
all such moisture swiftly vanishes. leaving no
trace behind. In so dry an air the deserted
buildings may well be imDerishable. But what
change has thus dried up realms 10 deserts?
The answer is not difficult 10 find. 1t is TO be
read in the traces OF vast irrigation systems.
now for centuries neglected. and In the well
maintained systems which keep Damascus and
~
the country was ever well wooded may now he
an unanswerable question, though it is at least
reasonable 10 suppose that at one time it was
profusely clothed with vegetation, arboreal and
herbal which was destroyed by the reckless
ness and prOdigality OF man. as il is to-day
being destroyed in our own land. Certain IL is
that when these lost cities were in their
prime the fertility or the land was maintained
by systematic irrigation which not only sup
piled needed moisture TO the soil, but also, by
fostering vegetation, aided In conserving and
regulating the natural moisture that fell from
the clouds. As long the people Were there
and kept up irrigation works the land was fer
tile. AS soon as the people removed
whether by slaughter OF war, by pestilence or
by any other means, we know nOt-the work
OF artificial irrigation ceased and the land be-
came a desert Rain continued TO fall copiously
%
vegetation. The result was that it's precipitate
torrents washed the soil away, leaving the hill
sides mere slopes of rock
That IS the explanation of the conditions
which 10 day prevail in that land of lost cities.
We shall be blind indeed If we do not perceive
in IL a lesson apt and valuable TO our Cwn land.
Exactly what has occurred I'm Syria might oc-
cur In the United States. Nay, i'm incipient de-
gree IL is to-day occurring. and that within
few hours ride Of this city OF New-YOrk. There
are regions in this State where forests have
been ruthlessly swept away and the land left
bare. The result is that hillsdes once covered
with vegetation and with deep rich soil are now
glaring slopes of naked rock streams which
once flowed steadily the whole year round are
now ra glng and destructive torrents for n time
and the rest OF the year entirely dry and farm
lands which once were perennially fertile now
ruinously alternate between food and drouth
We know that the dreadful famines OF India
and China are largely due TO the reckless de-
forestation OF the mountain slopes and conse-
| qnent arrangement not only OF the brook and
river systems, but of the climate itself We
know that Spain and France and Italy and
| turkey have all suffered and are to-day suffer
ing soreiy from the same cause. Rentzsch went
even so Tar as 10 declare in all seriousness thar
| the pohneai deeadenee of Spain was wholly due
TO the destruction OF her forests" We NAV NOT
| accede TO quite SO extreme view But the
| lesson OF all the Mediterranean lands from
l Spain 20 Syria, is unmistakable: Wherever
| forests exist, conserve them; wherever the land
| 10 arid, irrigate IL And II is lesson which NOT