The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-22


posed OF three pieces. Six OF these col
umns are still standing, having sur
vived three earthquakes and one noun
tain torrent. The six columns with the
capitals and cofnice give some Idea or
the magnificence of the temple before
its decay. The stone used is taken from
a limestone quarry near the city, and
the carving is excellent. ENORMOUS
masses of stone lie scattered over the
ground-parfs of pillars, pieces of cor
nice, and sections of the pediment. How
these huge blocks were ever lifted into
place is still a matter of conjecture.
No mortar was used and, yet in some
places the joints are so nicely fitted
and the stones so accurately cut
that a knife blade cannot be inserted
after a lapse of nearly twenty centu
ries.
Stupendous as is the plan of this
wonderful temple, and elaborate as is
its Ornamentation, the most remark
able feature is the size of the stones
employed. The guide first shows a
number Of blocks about thirty three
feet long, fourteen feet high and ten
feet thick. After ones wonder has had
sufficient time to express itself, three
blocks are pointed out which measure
siXty-four feet in length, fourteen feet
in height and twelve feet in thickness.
The estimated weight of one of these
stones is nearly LOCO tons, and it is cal
culated that it would require 10000
horsepower to lift it.
At the quarry q companion block
seventy-two feet long and bout fifteen
feet in height and thickness is to be
seen, chiseled from the stone about It,
but not entirely separated from the
stratum beneath it. This was probably
intended for the sustaining wall around
the temple, Whether it remained at the
quarry because the work was inte~
rupted or because the builders de-
SPARED of being able to move it is
secret which the living are not able to
reveal. After the decline of paganiSm
the Christians built a church in the
great court, using the stones and pill
lars for the walls. Then came the Mo-
hammedans and turned the courts and
temple into a fortress, making use of
the walls of the church.
A little way distant from the great
temple is a smaller temple dedicated
to Bacchus, which would of itself be
sufficient to distinguish a city but for
it's more famous rival. This temple IS
about 225 feet long by 10 feet wide,
and a row of fifty columns, of which
fourteen are fiuted, surround it. These
columns are sixty feet in height and
about six feet in diameter. While
smaller in its dimensions this temple
is even more elabOrately carved than
the larger one Some of the clusters of
grapes are less than two inches in
length, but exquisitely wrought. This
temple is in much better state of pres
ervation than the great temple, and is
therefore in some respects even more
interesting.
r. ~
Emperor William of Germany VISITED
Baalbek in 1898 and was so impressed
by the ruins that he obtained permits
sion from the sultan to clear away the
debris. and the travelling world is I'M
der obligations TO him for having made
it possible to inspect the foundations
and the ground plan. In this connec-
ton it may be added that Emperor
William seems TO take a deep interest
in this part Of Asia. He visited Jeru-
salem to lay the cornerstone of the
German church: he sent to Damascus
a beautiful bronze wreath TO adorn the
tomb of the great Mohammedan gen
eral, Saladin, and he has encouraged
The establishment of German colonies
in Palestine There are German settle
ments of considerable size 1T Jerusa-
! lem, Joppa and Haifa. At four places
we found German hotels. and 1t Is
needless to say that they are kent with
the excellence characteristic Of the
race.
The friendship which the emperor
has shown for the sultan seems TO be
reciprocated, for roads were built, har-
bors improved and many other things
done in honor of his visit, We have
heard all sorts Of rumors as to the
kaiser's intentions. but tho only thing
| that seems certain is that German in