The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-28

that at that time of undeveloped engineer ing skill they would have chosen the straightest line for this underground work The reverse is the case, however. there being several curves and one great sweep. This latter MT. Ganneau sug- gests, must have been made to avoid contact with the rock hewn system of tombs for the kings, similar to those in Egypt This theory has never been chal- lenged or followed up.
 "After working for about three months the rains came and compelled the Eng the rains came and compelled the Eng mas, 1909 they returned to England
 "The rumors about the Englishmen had started up the Jews, and presently all the land lying between their plot and the Pool of Siloam was acquired and walled up by the latter. Then the excavators be- gan to experience some difficulties. and obstacles were placed in their path It appeared that Baron Rothschild had fur nished the money for the Jews purchase, and that he was trying to get conces- sion for them to ascertain whether 1t was possible to locate the royal tombs, under the direction of one who had made the suggestion. The government, therefore, notified the Englishmen that they must bring their work to an end in three years, so that overlapping privileges might not be granted to competing parties. So 1t was that when they returned in the fall of 1910 they worked through last winter, although we had an unusual amount of rain, and until their reckless course brought on the panic which has just caused them to flee and almost bringing about massacre.
 Ut appears that they have secret ar- rangement to which all who have part in
 it agreed to give 50 per cent of what ever they find to the government, and 1t is now whispered about that they expected to find 900. When the two members of parliament were obliged to return to Constantinople to attend the sessions, who but the pasha Cat zoo per month) and the commandant of gendarmes should become their successors as, inspectors and daily attend their excavations.
 Just as the Mohammedan pilgrims were arriving by the thousands for the Neby Mousa Prophet Moses) procession. which was instituted by them hundreds of years ago for a political purpose, and a counterpoise to match the large num- Der of Christian pilgrims who assemble here for the Easter festivities, report got abroad and spread like wildfire that English explorers had, clandestinely, been excavating at night in the noble sanctuary of the Mosque of Omar It was alleged that they had penetrated even into the sacred rock and The Well of the Siprits,' through the connivance of the sheikhs, who act asr guards, and the mosque attendants, and the police who were in their employ. Then a re- port got abroad that they had carried of the crown of David, the genii- attended ring of Solomon, the two tables of stone containing the law and the sword of Mo- hammed. The people forced the hands of the authorities, the sheikrs were cast into prison, the military attendants of the Englishmen were arrested. and they were hurried off to their yacht at Jaffa. After Illuminating their vessel and an- nouncing that they were going to hold a reception on board in honor of the off, cials, they slipped away at night. Their Turkish lawyer. who was brought from Constantnople in their service at their arrival was detained and Is now under surveillance in Jerusalem. Every bit of their baggage was opened and searched before they were allowed to go out.
 "A commission was appointed, consist Ing of nine members, who were to in- yestigate and report The people sus- pected that the, governor was implicated, as he had been in the pay of the English men.
 "It became known that on two different occasions Englshmen had applied to Constantinople for permission to exca- vate the mosque precincts. which have always been jealously guarded. and 1t had been denied them.
 "A confession was extorted from the