The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-21
Natives, at Least, Believe IL to Have
Been Her Home. hut the Vatican
Has Not Yet Accepted L..
ITS ANTIQUITY UND0UBTED
QUAINT INTERIOR or THE BUILDING
REMAINS UNDIsTURBED.
A Place of Pilgrimage for the Simple
Minded Christians of the
Region.

Correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.
AYASALUK. on the Ruins OF Ephesps.
Nov. 1.-Guided by the vicar of the Roman
Catholic Cathedral in Smyrna, have.
found the house where the Virgin lived and
died, and am writing this letter on the very
granite slab before its gate-a SECOND
Loreto as it were, but devoid of the santa
Casas miraculous features.
first hear! of the curious edifice at the
monastery of ST. John, in the capital OF
Asiatic Turkey. when the prior told me
that he discovered the house some eleven
years ago under strange circumstances.
Learning that 1 was bound for Rome he
asked me to visit the place in order that
might add my testimony to his own, con-
veyed in a letter to the head Of the Propa-
ganda which he begged me TO bring TO the
Vatican.
The Ephesus of the present day has
neither temple, cross, crescent nor city,;
il is a place of desolation, almost wilder
ness, sparsely settled by handful OF Mo-
hammedans, Christians and Jews Yet the
several wretched villages standing on the
site of what was once the first and richest
city of Asia Minor are accessible by ran
from Smyrna Arriving at Ayasaluk. the
biggest of the settlements, found, on con-
sulting the map, that was just 24s miles
from Constantinople. 1t All Saints
day, and the greater part of the passen-
gers left the train where L did.
eff we follow these people we will reach
the sanctuary by the shortest and least
troublesome route" said the vicar who had
spoken to some of our copassengers In
whom he recognized members OF the
Smyrna Cathedral congregation.
The railway stopping place-there was no
sign of a station-was surrounded by droves
of donkeys and their drivers Offering their
services. The reverend gentleman and
myself secured a strong pair of grays and
set out. The way led over miles upon miles
of sand-covered ruins, past the fragments
of the great theater to which the apostle
Paul alludes in his sermons delivered in
the ancient town and the excavations at the
spot where stood the famous temple or
DIANA one of the seven wonders OF the
world. Arriving at the foot OF a noun
tain known as Bulbul Dag we came across
a considerable procession Of native Cath
olics. and, dismounting. joined them for
the rest of the way.
Vicar Ephraim explained that this being
All Saints day the Christians in the neigh
borhood had turned out TO worship the
Virgin in her own house. L counted some
five hundred pilgrims. vast number in
pagan country where the crescent has long
superseded the cross.
THE HOUSE OF MARY.
I strained my eyes to discover the 'house
Of Mary from the place where We started
on our upward journey. but Rev. Ephraim
informed me that, though situated on q
precipice, it was not visible from below.
The road I'D the mountainside was steep
and narrow, compelling TO walk in single
file. The vicar and myself. however, were
we'll i'm the fore and reached the edifice
within two hours after leaving the train.
We had nearly assembled the summit,
when the vicar at a turning in the road.
pointing out a cliff to the right. There
ne said. "you see the place where the Vir-
gin told her woes and joys to the waves.
| and John, the disciple, whom Jesus loved.
looked upon his bishopric of Ephesus."
saw a small house partially built OF
brick and partially of stone. with a little
bell tower, very simple and TO all appear
ances as old and weather worn as any
ancient building in Smyrna and Palestine
| have come across. The situation is as the
reverend gentleman described it-on one
| side the ruins of the great city, at the other
an enchanting outlook upon the blue sea.
L covered the last hundred feet. or there
abouts. that separated US from the edifice
| at run and soon stood on the threshold.
Here was charming simplicity for you.
The House of Mary remains as she left It
to join her heavenly son more than eight
cen centuries ago, rather as John. the
apostle, left it, as the bishop OF Ephesus
outlved the Virgin. for whom he cared.
many years. according to the best author
/ tiles. HE must have outlived all Of those
who had been the friends and companions
/ of his maturer years." says Eusebius, IA
Their of the church.
Unlike the Loreto house, which is sup
posed to be the ancient abode of Mary and
Joseph in Nazareth, where the infant Jesus
was brought up. the dwelling place where
Mary is said to have spent the last years
of her life. is still unobscured by pious
vandals. Its outer walls are not incased
in marble like the Santa Casa; one may see
the woodwork and cement plaster OF the
interior without raising shields OF gold
and silver covering them. There is none
Of that bewidering profusion OF lamps.
candlesticks. goblets. crowns. crucifxes.
images, canoes, pearls and gems OF all
| kinds that detract ones attention in the
Italian place Of pilgrimage. but instead the
mind is powerfully impressed by the prob
ability, or at least possibility. that the
things one sees may have really belonged
to the sanity persons to whom they are
| ascribed.
CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING.
The house Is built of little red square
bricks cemented together, alternating with
| pieces OF rock. apparently taken from the
| mountainsde. The vicar did not know the
dimensions which l secured by a foot rule
am in the habit OF carrying on my trav-
els. The house is thirty-six feet long. fif-
teen wide and nearly twenty feet sigh at
the sides. The bell tower. made OF black
ened cedar wood and propped up by beams
| placed against IL on all four sides by native
Christians. is less than five feet high. There
is an iron rod upon which the bell may
have rested, but the bell itself is gone. In
all probability IL was stolen by some poor
shepherd. or artisan, In need OF metal
AS In Santa Casa. the stonework Is ir-
| regular: the bricks not set in line. but
merely used 10 help out with the rocks.