Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-11

was sent through every cask to make
II germ proof.
The water for shipment was taken
from the place that tradition assigns as
the spot where John baptized the Saw
iour. IL was first placed I'm large ves-
sells to settle, and boiled in large caul-
drons TO insure the death of any live
matter that might exist there.
Then, so that the authenticity of the
water might be established the seal
ing of the casks was made an elaborate
public function.
Each of the fifty-three casks was
sealed by seal of the American consul
late of Jersalem, by seal Of the Con-
vent of st. John, near the Jurdan; by
Turkish stamp, and by seal of the
Turkish governor of the Jericho and
Jordan district.
This was done in the presence OF
A. Thomas Gelat, interpreter of the
American consulate; of Father Maxi
mos, superintendent of the Convent OF
ST. John. near the Jordan, representing
his beatitude, Damianos patriarch OF
the Holy city of Jerusalem; OF Hon. All
Ria, Turkish governor of the Jericho
and Jordan district, and of Colonel
Clifford IL. Naduud, president of the
international River Jordan Water COM
pany.
daud will receive q certificate from
Hon. Selah Merrill, United states con-
sui to Jerusalem: from his beatitude
Damanos. patriarch Of Jerusalem, and
from Father MaXimos of st. Johns, near
the Jordan: also from Hon. Ali Ria,
governor of the Jericho and Jordan
districts.
Perhaps not in its storied history had
the river Jordan seen such strange
e,Nn p1A q ~ ~
bination of old world simplicity and
new world enterprise
over the group waved Turkish and
American flags, symbols OF the nation
farthest behind and most ahead in the
march of civilization. The chief. of the
enterprise wore his Kentucky coloners
fatigue uniform. Seven races were
represented in the group-Turks, SOL
diers were sent to Nadaud. an excep-
tional courtesy. for his protection and
assistance during his stay-Arab,
Greek, Egyptian, Syrian, Bedouin and
American.
A caravan. under guard of Turkish
soldiers, took the first shipment of
water to Jerusalem. Next it went by
rail to Jaffa, the seaport. and thence
to New York. During all points of the
journey, the proper authorities attested
the genuineness of the water, and will
every future shipment.
1t is the present plan of Colonel Ma
daud to dispatch a cargo of water to
the United States weekly. He is as
sured that the demand will be great
enough to warrant this supply.
There is an element of the appro
pirate that it should be an American
who first puts into execution the
plan of carrying the holest water In
the world to the youngest of the great
countries in which the religion of the
great Nazarene is practiced. 1t was an
Lieutenant Lynch, who first
gave the world a knowledge of the
course of the river during the season
of flood.
Lynch was sent out by the United
States government in 1859, and ira
versed the Jordan over it's entire
length, from its headwaters in the Leb-
anon mountains to its mouth in the
Dead sea. An Englishman. Lieuten-
ant Molyneux, had explored the Jor-
dan in the dry season. and the discov-
cries of the two form the basis for
modern map.
Colonel Nadaud has had the water
OF the Jordan examined by experts,
who assure him that 1t would be safe
drinking water even after making the
long journey to the United States, but
as it is destined for baptismal pur-
poses, there will be no occasion to put
its purity to the final test.
1t is expected that every denomina-
tion of the Christian religion will have
some votaries who will wish to be
blessed in the waters of the venerable
river, storied in Bible history.