The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-02-21
BRIDCED AN OCEAN
The Lost Atlantis That Was
Swallowed by the Sea.
a NATION OF MANY LEGENDS,
Plato Got His Story OF the Continent
and It's Ruin From SoIon, the Old
Lawgiver-The Theories That Were
Built BY lgnatius Donnelly.


Far out beyond the Pillars OF Her
cules, where the Atlantic ocean
stretches broad and deep today. men OF
Imagination like TO believe there lies a
buried kingdom. The sea washes over
its once fertile plains. and creatures OF
the deep float I'm and out among its top
less towers. Seaweed and silt have
buried It's temples for 10000 years.
Here, scientists OF romantic turn will
tell you, Hes the lost island OF Allan
It's, where once there ruled the richest
and most powerful OF the earth, a
world power while wolves still bowled
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 n 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 Irishman, Ignatius
DOnnelly, who possessed an active i'm
aginatlon and n mind which worked
along interesting and unusual lines,
wrote n book about Atlantis. I'm 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 find In
Plato, who ayerred 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 1900
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 onslaughts OF the Atlantans,
and then suddenly, '1n a day and n
night" the island was overwhelmed
and sank into the sea. This was the
story Solon had from the Egyptians
and which his grandson wrote down,
and the legend has persisted ever since.
Diodorus Siculus, Roman writer,
tells how the Phoenicians discovered
IA large island I'm the Atlantic ocean
between the Pillars Of Hercules, sew
eral days sail from the coast OF africa.
This island abounded I'm all manner OF
riches. The soil was exceedingly fer
tile. The scenery was diversified by
rivers, mountains and forests. 1t was
the custom OF the inhabitants to retire
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
Of the year
Soundings made by British and
American vessels have shown conclu-
sively that surrounding the Azores
there il submerged plateau. which II
does not require much Imagination TO
identify 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. so that
before the time of which Plato wrote
the eastern and western hemispheres
were connected by land. Thus he &C.
counted for many similaTities In the
plants and animals of the two hemis
pheres which otherwise are very diff
ficult to explain.
The continent as described by Plate
was mountainous. bat was surrounded
4 oh
precious metals and had numerous tenn.
pies and statues OF gold and silver and
ivory.
In the sudden and violent destruction
OF Atlantis. "in one dreadful day and
night" Donnelly believed he saw the
origin OF the legend OF the deluge, so
universal among the followers OF all
religions The Biblical deluge. the
flood I'm which the Greeks believed,
from which only Deukalion and Pyrrha
escaped. the overflow which Chaldean
legends tell Of all these, Donnelly be
lievcd. had their foundation I'm the de
struCtion OF Atlantis,
Plato tells us that the race OF the
Atlnntans had fallen from their high
estate and committed sins, and the
Zeus determined 10 overwhelm them.
An earthquake preceded the sinking
OF the land, and there came n great
storm which brought the sea rushing
I'm over the once fruitful land.
Before this deluge Atlantis was the
greatest power I'm the world, Donnelly
said Not only had IL made war against
the infant nations OF Europe. conquer
Ing France and Spain and Africa ms
far MS the Nile. but colonies were cs
tabllshcd I'm Mexico. In Central Amer
lea and along the valley Of the Missis
sippi The mound builders were colo
nists from Atlantis After the dcstruc
tion OF the parent continent the east
ern and the western hcmiSpheres lost
all remembrance of each other as both
Of them M last forgot the great Attain
It's. or IL they remembered at all re
membered Il only as q legend. a faint
and shadowy tradition
Only few OF the thousands OF In
habltants Of Atlantis escaped. but thes,
/ few carried 90 Europe the seeds OF tn,