The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1910-04-07
ON TIE ISLAND Of MALTA
Twin Falls Business Man Visits His
tOrlc Island.

To the Tribune: After a nice but
rather choppy trip across the Medi-
terranean we anchored at Valetta on
| the island OF Malta, another OF Eng
| lands great Mediterranean fortresses.
The island OF Malta was once the re-
puted scene OF much ancient mythol-
ogy, and actual scene of historical ro-
nance and biblical history, as we'll as
originating Maltese knights, cats, and
dogs and lace. The knights of Malta.
am told, originated from a bunch OF
merchants, which later grew into q
military order, moving first to one is
land and then another and proved to
be great fighters, giving the Turks so
strong an argument that at last the
knights finally surrendered under
most favorable terms and were gwen
the island Of Malta by Charles ",
which they fortified in most stupen-
dOus manner. After q stormy period
lasting centuries, fighting against
Turks and Algerine pirates, in the
year 1900 the last grand master OF the.
knights surrendered to Napoleon with
out a battle, under his pledge of pro-
lection, which was most f1agrantly vio-
lated A year later England helped
the Knights to Danish the French, and
the treaty allowed the Knights to again
assume control but the Maltese peo-
pie preferred the English control
There are still local societies of the
Order of knights in Europe. The is
land has 10000 acres under cultiva-
ton producing three crops per year.
The first place of interest to be visited
by our party was the church of ST
John. Again, my powers of descrip-
ton fail to convey even the slightest
impression of the Interior. Imagine
If you can a great chapel, with high
arched ceilings, the supports and grid
ers of which were deliberately carved
and gilded with gold leaf and between
the girders, beautifully painted biblical
pictures by great artists. The farthest
end over the great carved high altar,
is statue of life size figures, repre-
senting John baptizing Christ, done
out OF one large piece of marble, To
the right of the nave is another room
containing the Chapel of Holy Sacra-
ment, in front of which is an altar
railing made of solid silver. This
heavy rail and its supports, all of sill
yer, are about four feet high and
twelve feet long. When Napoleon's
soldiers were pillaging the city, a
quick-witted priest painted the altar
black and the soldiers overlooked it.
The sides of the main room and all the
chapels are covered with paintings by
the great masters, Michael Angelo at
the head. The most impressive work
was the beheading of ST. John, which
was grueSome in extreme. The floor
of this immense building was very in
teresting. Underneath its entire sur
face were the graves of 400 knights.
Over each grave and forming the floor
were beautifully carved slabs in the
memory of each knight 1t seemed in
teresting to note how solid the founda-
lions must be. After a careful exam
ination | was unable to find a place
that was not absolutely level-no sag
ging at any place. Also the delicate |
carving and MOSAIC work seemed worn
scarcely at all. | imagined the mar
bic of this country must be much har-
der than that of the United States Up |
on the wall of the Chapel of the Holy |
Sacrament were three very large |
bronze keys of curious shape which
they claim are the original keys of |
Jerusalem, Acre and Rhodes. In the |
Chapel of San Carlo, to the left of the |
nave, was another reputed thorn from
Christs crown of torture; also the
stones used in killing Stephen, and
some bones of the Apostles. Under-j
meath was a crypt containing the re-
mains of former high priests in ele-
CANT marble tombs Great paintings, |
fine statuary and marble tombs artis-
tically arranged, the sunlight stream
ing in, high above our heads, the
priests chanting, the people devoutly |
kneeIing, the smell of incense, all
helped to create Impressions never to
be forgotten We next visited the gov-l
ernor's palace, in the council cham
Der of which we found tapestries 200
years old, and considered as fine as
any in the world. Tho armory hall
was most interesting and our time was
only too short here. The room was
filled with implements of the armor
worn by Spanish knighthood, hun
dreds of suits of FURNISHED steel ar
NOR, lances, shields, spears, swords,
helmets and all the different styles of
war clothing worn when 'Knighthood
was in Flower One armour was
worn by a Spanish knight seven feet
six inches in height, the helmet alone
weighing q pounds. However, the
average armor is too small to fit the
average American. They also had here
a cannon 500 years old made of tarred
rope covered with leather.
We then visited the Church of !
Monks and had our first view of what |
is said to be quite common in differ
ent places over here This was an un-
foreground crypt containing 1000 |
skulls, forming wainscoting around |
the room four rows deep and the other
bones of the bodies arranged most ar
tistically on the walls and covering |
the arched ceilings, like fil1igree work,
proving that we all contain something
which at some time or other, at least |
can be made artistic. Most of these
skeletons were of Maltese soldiers kill