Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-09
AT CRADLE OF RACE
Tradition Locates the Garden
of Eden Near Erivan.
NOAH LANDED NEAR THERE
Is Declared to, Have Founded the
Village of Nakhikheban.
UNDER CONTROL OF TURKEY
Russia at the Border and Is Pre-
:. pairing for Annexation in
the Future.
NOAH LANDED NEAR THERE
UNDER CONTROL OF TURKEY
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIs
Special Correspondence Of The Star and tn.
- Chicago Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondents of The Star and the
- Chicago Record Herald.
ERIVAN, Armenia, June 6, 1910.
You can go to the foot Of Mount Ararat
by railway nowadays, and although you
cannot see the ark, you will be able to
meet many venerable Armenians who
will remind you of Noah for they look
exactly as that old mariner must have
looked. And you can visit what is claim
ed to be the oldest town in the world
the Armenian village of Nakhikheban
the descended first), which, according to
local tradition, was founded by Noah
when he landed after his memorable ex-
perience with the flood and the dove
This railroad is due to the military en-
terprise of the Russian government for
strategic purposes. in anticipation of an
other war with Turkey, and must not be
attributed to any benevolent disposition
toward tourists. As. matter of fact,
the Russian government does not encour-
age tourists, and every stranger who
comes within range is an object Of es-
pionage SO long as he remains.
Location of Ararat.
II you will take your map of Turkey in
Asia and the Caucasus you can see for
yourself where Ararat is situated, just
across the northern boundary Of Turk
ish Armenia, and very near the corner
where the territories of Russia, Turkey
and Persia meet. North and east of
Ararat is the Russian provice Of Geor-
gia, with the River Aidara-Aras, which
Is the AraXes Of the Bible, separating it
from the Persian province of Azerbaijan.
This famous river flows into the Cas-
plan sea about sixty miles south of Baku,
the center Of the Russian petroleum in
terest. South OF Armenia is Kurdistan,
a Turkish province, whose inha bitants,
nomadic and half civilized, claim to be
descended from the concubines of Solo
mon. Beyond Ararat to the southwest
is the city of Bayazid, and still farther
is Lake Van, a very interesting body of
| water. with two cities called Van and
Bitlis upon its banks. both Of which are
menia. Lake Van Is 1907 feet above
the level Of the sea. and is one Of the
sources of the famous Tigris river. An
other source of the Iigris is Lake Urmi,
In Persia. which Is 4. 100 feet above the
sea, and near 1t Is Tabriz. the most i'm
portant city In northern Persia.
Once Center of World.
South of Kurdistan is the Turkish
| province of Mesopotamia lying between
| the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which
was once the center of the world, and
as important to mankind as London OF
New York is today. Somewhere there
| the Garden of Eden is supposed to have
| been located, although 1t is very fal
| away from anything like paradise now
| 1t is sandy waste. producing very little
| vegetation, supporting few goats, sheer
and camels. and practically uninha bite6
| except by rowing tribes of half-savage
| Kurds. 1t Is confidently believed, how.
| ever, that Mesopotamia can be reclaimed
and Sir William Witlock. an English
| engineer who built the Assuan dam ir
| Egypt, has laid before the new Turkish
! government a plan for the Irrigation OF
| that historic place.
| The railway to Mount Ararat begins al
| Tif1is and creeps around through the
| mountains for a distance of 27S miles
| climbing as high as 400 feet and makins
| the journey in seventeen hours, which
| seems too long for the distance but train,
| go very slowly and stop a long time al
| every station. The frst-class cars arr
| luxurious.
Turn Seats Into Beds.
/ They are divided into compartments
1 for the accommodation Of two and four
people, with the seats running from side
to side. and are arranged 80 that the
back, which Is upholstered can be lifted
/ to horizontal position, like an upper
| berth in one Of our Pullman cars. Thus
i q day coach may be transformed into a
| sleeper without extra charge. although
passengers II they would be- comfort