The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-12

get horses. which carry US out over the
valley TO I1plesus.
Now a Mud Puddle.
me site of the temple is surrounded
by hills. II lies in the valley not far
above the level of the Mediterranean
which We can sec shining in the sun
not more than five miles away His
tory says it was swampy and that the
great structure was erected upon col
iimns. This statement is borne out ny
the present The excavation made in
rcmov wing the ruins is now filled with
water. IT Is a mud puddle or mnia-
ture lake hled with broken pillars ana
capitals lying half in and half out OF
the water. We stand on the banks
beside iiuted columns OF snow white.
marble, and see broken marble every
where near. That man who plows on
the southern ridge of the sand turns
up marble bis Mt every step OF his
bullocks. and the girls behind him, who
arc planting, uncover stones from the
temple at almost every stroke of their
hoes.
AS we look we see no sign Of activ-
lty which prevailed here 1000 years
ago. Birds fly across he lake and
sing in the trees which bend over it
a stork slecpils' sits on a marble rock
in its midst and frog croaks out a
welcome red COW is grazing there
on the edge of the water. and at my
right hog is roofing in the debris
= Theatre Nhlch Seated 10000.
Now let US take horses and ride on
down the valley to visit the theatre
This has been so uncovered by the
Austrians that we can sit OH the ma rble
benches and look at the stage which
once held the actors of tho chief play
house Of Asia. Think of theatre
which would seat 10000. VIC have no TIL
ing like that III the United states, and
there is none that ] know OF in any
part of the world. The wigwams Of
our national conventions, thrown up
for tho time, have accommodated that
many, but this great open-nir struc-
turc was built largely OF marble and
altogether Of stone. Tho entrance to
the stage was by tunnels, and the stage
: was upheld by marble columns. The
! seats were built OF common stone,
| covered with marble, and they ran
around the stage, or rather the pit, in
| the shape Of n half-moon, rising high
| up tho hills at the back. should say
| there were 200 feet of such seats. They
| we're In three stories and contained
| siXty-six rows.
! measured the outline of the stage.
It was about eighteen feet wide and six
or seven feet high There are long
underground passages leading TO It, and
1t had eight two-storied rooms, which
were probably used as dressing rooms
BY the actors. walked through the
pit, which is now filed with marble
columns and blocks Of marble, beauti-
fully carved, and then climbed up the
seats from tier to tier. sitting down
| now and then and trying to ina ginc
the audience and the acting as going
on upon the marble stage far below.
| In Ancient Epbesus. h
Leaving the theatre, having tied my
| horse to IL bush, I stroilcd about
| through the wide streets of marble,
which have boon partially uncovered.
and made photographs OF bits of the
ruins. There Is enough marble here to
build structure equal to our national
Capifol at Washington, and this is
! mixed with mosaic and the broken
i'statucs OF the palaces or the past.
There are pieces OF friezes. columns
and capitals lying out in the open:
there arc torsos of statues, the heads
and feet OF which have been broken OF
! aud carried away, and also exquisite