The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-28
TH[DS LIGHT ON \, MOSQUE P|LLAGI sarhsalem Letter Tells of D English Work HOW STORM AROSE Officials in Constantinople We're to Get One-half of All the
 Treasures Found in
 Jerusalem

bara, Cal, writes as follows:
 The recent cabegrams from Jerusalem have described the excitement in that city over the proclamation of the Mosque of Omar, the most sacred place, except Mecca and Medinah, in the Mohammedan world. hut the reports have been 8ague and full of contradictions. It appears that instead of trying to recover the Ark of the Covenant and other religious and historic relics, a party of Englishmeh were searching for the mythical treasures of Solomon in jewels and gold, which, according to the legends, were hidden In the rocks under his temple before ms death Permission was granted upon an agreement to divide the spells with the government, but when the Jewlsh anu Moslem population of Jerusalem discoV- cred what was going on, they were Ter ribly excited and massacre Of Chtls- tians was threatened Such an act or sacrilege might have provoked hoiy war throughout the world and the mas sacre of the Christian population or Mo- bammedan countries. Recent dispatches from Constantinople intimate that 1t came very near causing the overthrow of the
 
 not yet been heard
 I have inst received a very interesting and detailed account of the occurrence from n friend who was in Jerusalem at the time. It is the first connected and Intelligent narrative that I have seen It was written on April 2S and reads as foi- lows:
 "There appeared here in 1909 pioneer acting mysteriously for some notably Eng lishmen for the acquisition of property so as to build schools or hospitals TOT inc people in behalf of the Turkish gov ernment,' and enjoying, according to his accounts, the patronage of the grand yizier the minister of the interior etc. Soon it evolved that the property sought for was situated to the south Of the city' abo 3 the Virgins Fount on the hll called Aphel. The answer made to the ohiection raised that the site. being un- healthy. was not suitable either for school or hospital, was that other sites would he sought. Meanwhile the local authori- ties ordered the municipal architect to make plans of the entire hill for the Eng ,ishmen. and in due time the rapacity of the Siloam people having been awak- ened the authorities appraised, advertised and purchased at a, nominal sum the tract desired, and handed the property over to the Englishmen at the same price
 ',Soon Captain Parker of the Royal Life Guards, brother of Lord Nor lev: Major Wilson, the owner of yacht that attended them; MT. Duff, said to be connected by marriage to the Duke Of Fife, who married the Princess Louise, Queen victorias daughter, and MT. Foley, said to be about to marry the daughter or the Duke of Connaught, arrived. with an engineer. certain overseers and many cases of implements for excavation. Al once they set to work to excavate the tunnels discovered and followed for a short way by Captain Warren for the Palentine exploration fund In 1870 and the following years. They were also work ing at the tunnel that conveys the water from the Virgins Fount in the valley of Jehosaphat to the Pool of Siloam on the west side of the hill. It was excavated by IIezekiah. as the oldest Hebrew in- scription discovered there some years ago records. There they discovered some hitherto unknown and choked-up dummy tunnels, running off southward from the main tunnel, which yielded nothing.
 ''The facts that have most impressed people are that not one of the party IS an archaeologist; they are not familiar with history of what has been done by previous excavators; and they were so mysterious in what they were doing, im- parting to none what they were after and permitting absolutely no one to visit the excavations, This naturally led to the conclusion that they were after treas ure, and soon all kinds of stories were af1oat, i. e., that they were trying to find the Royal Tombs of David and the Kings of Judah-that they sought the buried temple treasures--that they were after the Ark of the Covenant that was hidden there etc. They had two members of parliament from Constantinople (prom- inert ones) attending them as imperial commissioners, who were paid eSo a month each; also policemen, gendarmes and a city sergeant. They enjoyed every privilege and immunity, but let scarce ly any European pass that way
 'It should be said that in 1874. when the exploration fund conducted excava- tions here, this was only regarded as the hill Aphel at one time within the city walls, but since thta time research has convinced almost every competent archaeologist that here stood the oldest, the Jubuzite city, which David con ouered by the hand of Joab, his sisters son, who thus, according to David's offer, became captain of his host Here David built his home; here the kings were buried; here was the Zion. and northward from here rose the temple reared by Solo mon, his son. Here it was that everything described by Warren in his researches assumed so much greater importance, as having a bearing on Zion; on the most ancient city and settlement.
 Another matter that must have fn- fuenced them should be borne in mind, and that is the suggestion made by the eminent archaeologist, Clermont Ganneau. that here by the great sweep in the tun- mel Of Hezekiah, that conveys the water to the Pool of Siloam, must be sought the tomb of David. When Hezekiah was threatened by the King of Assyria with a siege he took counsel with his wise men, saying, "Why should the King of Assyria have abundance of water, and he brought the water to the north side of the City of David?"' Accidentally an inscription in the side of the tunnel was discovered. It read thus: The Cutting. Now this is the method of the cutting; while the workers lifted CD the ax each to his fellow, and three cubits were left, each heard the voice of the other calling 3) to his fell