Evening star., 1911-05-26

| threatened. Such an act of sacrilege
| might have provoked a holy war through
| out the world and the massacre of the
Christian population of Mohammedan
| countries. Recent dispatches from Con-
| stantinOple intimate that 1t came very
| near causing the overthrow of the pres
| ent government and the last Of it has not
yet been heard
First Intelligent Narrative.
| I have just received a very interesting
and detailed account Of the occurrence
from friend who was in Jerusalem at
the time. 1t is the first connected and
| intelligent narrative that I have seen. 1t
was written on April Is and reads as fol-
| lows:
There appeared here in 1909 pioneer.
| acting mysteriously for some notable
| Englishmen for the acquisition Of proper
ty. so as to build schools or hospitals
| for the people in behalf of the Turkish
government and enjoying. according to
his accounts, the patronage Of the grand
vizier. the minister of the interior. etc.
Soon it evolved that the property sought
for was situated to the south Of the city.
above the Virgins fount, on the hill
called Aphel. The answer made to the
objection raised that the site. being un-
healthy. was not suitable for either school
or hospital was that other sites would
be sought. Meanwhile the local authori-
make plans of the entire hill for the
Englishmen. and in due time, the rapacity
of the Sloan people having been awaken
ed, the authorities appraised, advertised
and purchased at a nominal sum the tract
desired and handed the property over to
the Englishman at the same price.
soon Capt. Parker of the Royal Life
Guards, brother of Lord Morley; Mai.
ed them: Mr.. Duff. said to be connected
by marriage to the Duke of Fife, who
married the Princess Louise. Queen Vic
toria's daughter. and Mr.. Foley. said to
be about to marry the daughter of the
| Duke of Connaught, arrived with an en-
gineer certain overseers and many cases
of implements for excavation. AT once
| they set to excavating the tunnels dis
covered and followed for a short way
| by Capt. Warren for the Palestine explora-
| ton fund in 1870 and the following years.
They were also working at the tunnel
that conveys the water from the Virgins s
fount. in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to
| the pool of Sloan, on the west side OF
as the oldest Hebrew inscription, dis
| covered there some years ago. records.
| There they discovered some hitherto un-
known and choked-up dummy tunnels
| running off southwark from the main
tunnel, which yielded nothing.
Rumors of Treasure Seeking.
/
people are that not one Of the party is
an archeologist they are not familiar
with the history of what has been done
by previous excavators. and they were
so mysterious In what they were doing.
imparting to none what they were after
and permitting absolutely one to visit
| the excavations. This naturally led to
| the conclusion that they were after
| treasure, and soon all kinds of stories
| ad QTa
| 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
bers of parliament from Constantinople
| prominent ones) attending them i'm
perial commissioners. who were paid ESQ
a month each: also policemen, gendarmes
privilege and immunity. but let scarcely
| any European pass that way
Site Of David's Home.
1T should be said that in 1874. when
| the exploration fund conducted excava-
tons here. this was only regarded as the
hill Aphel, at one time within the city
| walls. but since that time research has
convinced almost every competent arch
eologist that here stood the oldest. the
| Jebuzite city, which David conquered by
| the mana OF JodD, MS sister son, VINO
| 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 Solomon.
| his SON Hence 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 influ-
enced them should be borne in mind, and
that is the suggestion made by the emf
nent archeologist. Clermont Ganneau,
that here by the great sweep in the tun-
mel of Hezekiah that conveys the water
| to the Pool of Sloan. must be sought the
tomb of David. When Hezekiah was
threatened by the King Of Assyra 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. 1t reads thus: The Cut
| ting. Now this is the method of the cut
| ting; while the workers lifted (2) the ak
| each to his fellow, and three cubits were
left, each heard the voice OF the other
| calling CD to his fellow: for there was
| an excess of rock to the right and 4) the
cutting: the workers hewed each to meet
| his fellow. ak to AK and there flowed 90
the waters from the spring to the pool, a
thousand. two hundred cubits, and - (6)
cubit was the height of the rock
| The tunnel. as measured. Is 1900 GU
| bits of sixteen inches in length. 1t must
be obvious that at that time of undevel-
| oped engineering skill they would have
| chosen the straightest line for this un-
| derground work. The reverse Is the case,
however, there being several curves and
one great sweep. This latter. Mr.. Gan
| neau suggests. must have been made to
| avoid contact wit hthe rock-hewn system
| of tombs for the kings. similar to those
in Egypt. This theory has nevers been
| challenged followed up.
| After working for about three months
| the rains came and compelled the En-
glishmen to stop work: so before Christ
| mas. 1909. they returned to England.
| The rumors about the Epglishmen had
| started up the Jews and presently all
| the land lying between their plot and the
| Pool of Sloan was acquired and walled
up by the latter. Then the excavators
began to experience some difficulties and
| obstacles We're placed in their path. 1t
| appeared that Baron Rothschild had fur
nished the money for the Jews purchases.