Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-26

Many years ago an Irishman, Ignatius
Donnelly, who possessed an active i'm
agination and a mind which worked
along interesting and unusual lines,
wrote a book about Atlantis, IN which
he proved, to his own satisfaction at
least, that the lost kingdom really ex-
listed and was not fable
The earliest authentic information
about this mystery land we and in
Plato, who averred he had it from his
grandfather, Scion, the famous law
giver, who had spent some years
among the Egyptians. Plato told OF
great continent which had existed e,00O
years before lying to the west Of the
Pillars OF Hercules and making war
upon the nations to the east Only
Athens and Egypt were able to with
stand the enslaughts OF the Atlantans,
and then suddenly, In a day and a
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.
Diodorus Siculus, a Roman writer,
tells how the Phoenicians discovered
"a large island IN the Atlantic ocean
between the Pillars Of Hercules, sew
eral days sail from the coast of Africa.
This island abounded IN all manner OF
riches The soil was exceedingly fer
tile. The scenery WIS diversified by
rivers, mountains and forests II was
the custom Of the inhabitants 70 rstire
during the summer TO 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
Nf the pear.
Soundings made by British and
American vessels have shown conclu-
stveIy that surrounding the AZORES
there is a submerged plateau, which Il
does not require much imagination to
identity with the rich plain mention
ed by Plato. From this lost continent
Donnelly believed that ridges of land
ran to the present coasts OF South
America and Africa, originally, 30 that
before the time of which Plato wrote
were connected by land Thus he ae-
counted for many simila1ues in the
plants and aniQals of the two hemis-
pheres which otherwise are very diff
fcult to explain.
The continent as described by Plato
was mountainous, but was surrounded
by vast fertile plains. It was rich In
precious metals and had numerous tenn
pies and statues of gold and silver and
ivory.
In the sudden and violent destruction
of Atlantis, an one dreadful day and
night" Donnelly believed he saw the
origin OF the legend of the deluge, 50
universal among the followers Of all
religions. The Biblical deluge, the
food in which the Greeks believed,
from which only Deukalion and Pyrrha
escaped, the overflow which Chaldean
legends tell OF all these, Donnelly be-
lieved, had their foundation in the de-
struction of Atlaptis.
Plato tells us that the race of the
Atlantsns had fallen from their high
estate and committed sins, and the
Zeus determined to overwhelm them.
An earthquake preceded the sinking
Of the land, and there came a great
storm which brought the sea rushing
in over the once fruitful land.
Before this deluge Atlantis was the
greatest power In the world, Donnelly
said Not only had it made war against
the infant nations OF Europe. conquer
ing France and Spain and Africa as
far as the Nile. but colonies were es-
tablshed In Mexico, IN Central Amer
lea and along the valley Of the Missis-
sippi The mound builders were colo
nists from Atluutls After the Gestruc-
ton Of the parent continent the east
ern and the western hemisphercs lost
oil remembrance Of euch other. as both
Of them at last forgot the great Allan
It's. or 81 they remembered at all re-
mcmbered It only MS a legend, faint
and shadOwy tradition.
Only a few Of the thousands of In
habitants OF Atlantis escaped but these
few carried 10 Europe the seeds of the
white mans civilization. They settled
IN Egypt and IN eastern EHrope and
were the fOrhears of the Aryan race
I Kansas City Star.