Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-02-15
BR!DCED AN OCEAN
The Lost Atlantis That Was
Swallowed by The Sea.
A NATION OF MANY LEGENDS.

and Its Ruin From, Scion. the Old
Lawgiver--The Theories That Wcrs
Built by isnatius DonneIly.
Far out beyond the Pillars Of Her.
cules. where the Atlantic ocean
stretches broad and deep today. men OF
Imagination like 10 believe there lies n
buried kingdom The sen washes over
its once fertile plains. and creatures OF
the deep float IN aud ont among its top
less towers Seaweed and silt have
buried IT'S temples for 10000 years
Here. SCIENTISTS OF n romantic turn will
tell YOU. lies the lost island OF Allan.
It's. where once there ruled the richest
and most powerful of the earth. n
world power while wolves stlll howled
upon the seven hills OF Rome and the
glory that was Greece lay yet un.
dreamed
But today all that remains OF the lost
kingdom Is little group Of islands.
the Azores mountain tops these that
were not wholly overwhelmed when
the proud island sank into the sea.
Many years ago an freshman. lgnatius
Donuclly. who possessed IN active i'm
agination and n mind which worked
along interesting and unusual Tines.
wrote n book about Atlantis. In which
he proved. TO his own satisfaction nj
least that the lost kingdom really ex-
listed and was not fable.
The earliest authentic information
about this mystery land we find In
Plato. who averrcd he had II from his
grandfather. Scion. the famous law
giver. who had spent some years
among the Egyptians. Plato told Of n
great continent which had existed 5000
years before lying 10 the west OF the
Pillars OF Hercules and making war
upon the nations 10 the east Only
Athens and Egypt were able to with
stand the onslaughts OF the Atlantans.
and then suddenly. I'm day and n
night" the island was overwhelmed
and sank into the sea This was the
story Scion had from the Egyptians
and which his grandson wrote down.
and the legend has persisted ever since
Dlodorus Siculus. Roman writer.
tells how the phoenicians discovered
IN large island In the Atlantic ocean
between the Pillars OF Hercules. sev
eral days sail from the coast Of Africa
This island abounded IN all manner Of
riches The soil was exceedingly fer
tile The scenery was diversified by
rivers. mountains and forests, II was
the custom Of the inhabitants TO retire
during the summer 10 magnificent
country houses. which stood In the
midst Of beautiful gardens Fish and
game were found in great abundance:
the climate WAS delicious and the trees
bore great crops OF fruit at all seasons
II the year
Soundings made by British and
American vessels have shown conclu
sivcly that surrounding the Azores
there is submerged plateau. which II
does not require much imagination 10
identify with the rich plain" mention
ed by Plato From this lost continent
Donnelly believed that ridges ~ land
ran 10 the present coasts OF South
America and Africa. originally. so that
before the time of which Plato wrote
III. eastern aud western hcmispheres
were connected by land Thus he nc
counted for many similarities In the
plants aud animals Of the two hemiS
nheres which otherwise are very diff
ficult TO explain
The continent as described by Plato
was mountainous. but was surrounded
~ vast fertile plains II was rich In
precious metals and had numerous TEN.
pls-s aud statues Of gold and silver and
ivory
In the sudden and violent destruction
OF Atlantis. "in one dreadful day and
night" Donnclly believed he saw the
origin Of the legend Of the delugc. So
universal among the followers Of all
religions The Biblical delugc. the
Hood in which the Greeks believed
from which only Deukalion aud I'yrra
escaped the overflow which chadean
legends tell of all these. Donnelly te
lleved. had their foundation IN the de-
struciion of Atlantis.
Plato tells us that the race Of tln,
Atlnntans had fallen from their high
estate and committed sins. aud the
Zeus determined TO overwhelm them
An earthquake preceded the sinking
OF the land. and there came n great
storm which brought the sen rushing
In over the once fruitful land.
Before this dcluge Atlantis was the
greatest power In the world. Donncily
said. Not only had II made war against
the infant nations OF Europe. conquer
Ing France and Spain and Africa ms
far rs the Nile. but colonies were es'
tabllshcd IN Mexico. In Central Amer
lea and along the valley of the Missis
slppi The mound builders were colo
nists from Atlantis After the destrnc
ton of the parent continent the east
ern and tho western hrmispheres lost
all remembrance Of each other. ms both
of them Mt hast forgot the great Attain