Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-01-16

| fire. earthquake and war. 1t Is ready
now to drop with old age. The part
threatening collapse Is the fiat wooden
roof which is richly ornamented with
ornate sunken panels In the style
known as coffered. Both on account
Of Its antiquity and Its beauty Its fall
would be a loss to the whole world.
To make the roof safe would cost $40,-
900, and the Pope has ordered a sub
scription to raise the required amount.
Cleopatra's Needle, like the Sphinx,
Is monument of the dead past. No
one likes to be told that 1t Is falling to
pieces. But this ancient landmark Is
not withstanding the rigors of the
Western climate. There In Central
Park, New York. like the Sphinx on
the Egyptian desert, 1t is beginning to
show marked signs of falling age. The
fate of the transplanted relic of the
Nile Is assuredly the same as that of
the native and undisturbed relic of the
sands save for it's foreign surround
ings.
The bell tower of San Stefano, In
Venice. Is threatening to fall, after
having stood for more than 800 years,
and portion of the front of the
Church of Saints John and Paul has
tumbled bodily outward, with its
storled window, through which the
light used to stream In softened SPLEEN
dor on the long array of sculptured
| tombs of the dead doges.
The Partbenon.
Most strenuous efforts are now being
de to save the Parthenon or Temple
OF Athena, that most perfect specimen
of Greek architecture. Tourists arriv-
ing In Athens are In perfect state of
exultation over what Is hoped to be
the recovery of this proudest posses
sion of Greece. Great praise il due to
the Archaeological Society of Athens
for this. The work of saving the elias.
sic pile from destruction was com.
menced in 1896. but since the fall of
the Campanile greater alarm was felt
for the safety of the Parthenon, so the
society pushed the work to finish.
All these years the view has been
hidden by Its surrounding scaffolding.
Now its face Is again revealed. The
Parthenon Is great Dorlc temple
erected under the superintendent OF
Phidias, by Ictinus and Callicrates.
1t is built of Pentelic marble. Eight
pillars mark the width of the struc-
ture. On each side there are Ii, not
counting those ON the corners. The
total length Is 22S feet, the height at
the top of the pediment Is GA feet. I'm
I'll 1t was used as a Turkish magazine
this magnificent relic of Periclean
times stood little injured by the wealth
er or war. That was In 1887, when a.
bomb from Venetian mortar burst
within, the explosion breaking the
building practically In two. 1t was
the time of the siege of the Acropolis
by the Venetians under Morosinl. By
order of Lord Elgin of England many
of its remaining glories were subse-
quently removed. bringing its final de-
struction all the closer.
Nothing was done to render the safe.
ty Of what was left more secure until
1895, when the Archaeological Society
Of Athens took an interest In the mat
ter and experts were engaged to in
spect the venerable ruins. The result
of these deliberations was to strength
en-. but not restore, the facade of the
Parthenon which was most threatened
the western.
The design Of the repairs was well
conceived, and Is being wisely carried
out. Wherever the heavy stones Of the
architecture had not support sufficient
they were strengthened by the inser.
ticn OF maintaining pieces, by clamps
and other contrivances that, while not