The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-12-09
HERE'S A MODERN
TOWER OF BABEL
MONUMENT TO HUMAN CREDu'
LITY NEAR LONDON.
Lofty Ruin ON Chatham Hiil Known
as Temple Of JczrceI--cutious
symbols.
IT'S COST WAS OVER saoo,ooo


Chatham hilf, near London, stands a
sort OF modern tower OF Babel. Huge,
desolate, an unfinished ruin, II rises
high enough to dwarf into insignifl-
canoe the few ether structures near
by. and stands In a lonely place and
position amid picturesque land
scape, colossal monument and
memorial OF human credulity and
guilibility. The story or this modern
relic OF the confusion OF tongues Is
thus told BY T.. j. Dark, and is a
warning against other similar adyen-
lures with which our credulous era
abounds. II Is known as the temple
Of Jezreel, and Is inscribed with vari-
Gus mystical characters. which make
II seem relic OF, ancient days and
Wild superstitions:
This enormous pile of bricks and
steel was once the scene OF remark
able activity, work people swarming
over II like ants when Il was in
course of erection, but now II is desc
late and empty and stands an idle
framework. given over to a guide to
religious enthusiasm, pointing the
way not TO go.
Built ~ n Refuge.
Its history In certain particulars
strangely resembles that OF the Bibli-
cal tower OF Babel. II was built as a
refuge for a certain number OF chosen
spirits. who within It's walls. safe
guarded by certain signs and SYM
bols were 10 await the last trump
without fear. believing that they
would be safe while all the nations
OF the world would perish. For a
time its erection proceeded with re-
markable activity. Thousands OF
workmcn. urged on by religious zeal,
made the huge fabric grow Ike a
summer planN but long ere II reached
anything like completion the hands
OF death seized the moving spirit and
paralyzed the work, and. In the words
Of Milton. referring 10 is prototype.
Thus was the building left ridicu-
lous' For over twenty years Il has
remained unroofed and unfinished, a
mighty building. but Disagreement
ahA n hl'A th'h Nh tHaNhah = uhaA-
tractiye scenery.
1T Is known locally az Jezree's
tower. or the Jezreel temple. and
given is name to the district to
which Il Is al eyesore. IL Is about
40 fee, square and Is over 100 feet
high. with a square tower at each
corner. Il IL bigger than Il looks.
but stands so lonely that II is difi-
cult to Judge of its vast bulk by OBJ
Jects near at hand. II was originally
intended to carry II TO an enormous
height, making the gigantic sky
scrapers OF America look puny by
comparison. but the war Office. which
controls things around Chatham,
stepped In ana put limit TO its
height. as Il would, II carried much
higher. have come into the line OF
fire of one of the forts. As IL was. u
never reached anything like this
limit. but II Is a huge structure.
John white. Founder.
Something like 100000 has been
spent In is erection. partly the con-
tribution OF thousands of believers.
and partly the out-of-pocket pay
ments of the builder. The founder.
OF the Jezreelites. whose headquar-
ters II was TO be. was one John
White. This man. said to have been
an ignorant soldier. was one OF the
numerous claimants to divinity
false Mossiahs who. throughout all
ages. and particularly In the present
age Of ighteliinent. have reaped
rich haryests from credulous multi
tudcs by setting up some theory OF
the second advent. White seems 20
have been as successful as the rest In
extracting money from his followers;
for although the building was seized
for the debt of the builder. vast sums
had been subscribed toward it,