Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-31

est OF oceans is now spanned. An enter
prisIng gentleman has sent a telegram
to himself around the world In forty
hours That Is an achievement which
In itself 3 q marvel. What II means TO
Great Britain Is thus summed up by
the Scientific American:
This new cable brings the Austria
lasian colonies 10000 miles nearer to
Canada than they were before. and at
the same time opens up possibilities OF
other substantial improvements IN lm-
perial communications. Across the Pa
ciflc, from Vancouver TO Queensland.
the cable touches only British territory;
ana now there Is completed telegraph
sirdle of the world which touches fol
eign territory only at Madeira and st.
Vincent, In the Cape Verde Islands,
both belonging to an old ally, Portugal.
Thus the empire Is bound together by
what Is all but an all-ilritish line, CIV
Ing an alternative means OF communi-
cation free from the grave dangers
which at critical moments would
threaten connection with the colonies
By the previously existing route. The
new route viii have a further great adj
vantage In speed. since II has only
three transmssons across the Pacific,
all on Brlt.sh soil, In place OF over a
dozen belonging TO various nationals
ties. It's tariff VIII be less than half
that OF the other route prior to reduce
tons which are directly due to It's COM
petition. There IL no reason 10 doubt
that II will be fully employed, nor ans
reason TO fear that it'sill do any harm
to established companies. The reductions
In their rates which nothing else would
have induced them to make have been
balanced by an Increase of business,
and further reductions would undoubt-
eddy lead In the present conditions OF
the world 10 a yet greater Increase Of
public patronage. The commercial use
Of the long distance cables has been
terribly hampered by almost prohlbl-
tive rates. and the social use OF them
can hardly be said to exist. There Is
indefinite expansion to be looked for In
both directions, proportioned to the IA
cllitles that can be obtained at reason
able charges
Another great achievement OF the
year Is the opening of the Nile dam at
Assouan. Egypt. The dam Is across the
first rapids Of the first cataract, TO the
north OF the Island Of Philae, and the
height TO which the water Is to rise
has been so adjusted that the ancient
temples on this island will not be en-.
tireiy submerged. It's total cost Is g.
O,OO0 Egyptian pounds The storage
capacity OF the reservoir Is estimated
at iO65,O00,O00 cubic metres OF water.
The reservoir Will be filed between
December and March, after the flood
has passed. and viii be discharged dur
ing May, June and July. There are l40
under sluices, IA square metres In area,
and 40 upper slulces, seven square me-
tres in area. In food the sluices viii
be fully open. so as not to lessen APP
preciably the velocity Of the river and
10 avoid the deposit Of silt After the
flood, when the water Is cIear-for the
Nile food brings down the rich silt
which Is the fertilizer of Egypt-the
slulces will be gradually closed and the
reservoir filed In all probability this
work will prove one great step towards
the restoration Of Egypt to something
like its ancient glory and splendor.
One of the greatest archaeological dis.
coverles OF recent times belongs to the
past year. II Is that OF Prof. Hilprecht
Of the University Of Pennsylvania, In
Babylonia ne found library which is
thought to have been in existence at
least 5000 years ago and probably
much farther back, and which con-
tains the oldest records OF the human
race. This collection Is OF clay tablets.
and many Of the events given to their
keeping transpired in an age so far
remote that only an estimate OF the
date is possible, This, to be conserva-
tive, is given at from 1000 to 10000
years ago.
These clay books, we are told, are be-
ing decphered slowly and many years
must necessarily elapse before the rec
ord they hold IL given to the world.
More than 10000 tablets have been re-
moved from this ancient depository Of
learning but lately unearthed in Baby
lonia, and II is estimated that six times
as many more remain in the mounds
which have not yet been explored II
Is believed that they have lain where
they now are In the ruins Of the library
OF the Great Temple OF Bel. ever since
the Elamltcs oyerran Babylonia, nearly
1890 years before Christ. II this theory
is correct the tablets must have been
inscribed before Abraham journeyed to-
ward Palestine. From what has been
deciphered it is learned that at the
time of which they deal there was a
high state OF civilization in the Valley
Of the Tigrls- Euphrates. Historical
texts, dictionaries. hymns. asuonoml-
cal Inscriptions, architectural calcula-
tons and accounts Of temple revenues
are among the bits Of ancient chronicles
that have been regiven to the world
through the reading of these tablets.
Some Bible scholars have been slow
TO accept the high antiquity given to
man on earth. by psychologists as well
as biologists. They have been afraid
of accepting theory that seemed to
come IN conflict with sacred history.
But there Is no need for anxiety on this
account. Science may prove that the
generally accepted chronology Is faulty.
but that does not prove the sacred his
tory untrue. The Bible history does
not profess TO give complete chron-
ology, There are several gaps that
must be filled In, Scientific discoveries
may prove Archbishop Usshers calcu-
latlons wrong, but the facts given in
the Bible are not touched thereby.
The question Of the high antiquity OF
man on earth has also been discussed
In this country. and. 1t must be adj
niited. the evidence produced does not
entirely sustain the extremist view on