Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-21
Authenticity of Noted Places Is
Questioned - Mr.. Schnack
Writes of Travels

WHITES VI III YCtS
RI. a. sehnack, well-kncwn Homo
luIan. Is on the course Of worid-trzvels
curinc which he has made long Wis
IL 70 the Holy Land. He has written
for the Star.1uiletin an extremely in
terestinn account of what he has seen.
His letters will be published in iva
parts, Of which Part is printed be-
levi
Jerusalem, Palestine, jan 3, 1914.
Editor Honolulu Star Bulletin,
Sir:-To I'LL some spare time have.
write YOU these few lines from Jeru-
salem; and | hope they will prove
OF interest to your subscribers
BY far the most important place in
the Holy Lands, where have the
pleasure to travel at the present time,
Is without any contradiction the city
of Jerusalem, less on account its great
antiquity and remarkable history
than because of its association with
Christianity.
But If anyone imagines Jerusalem
TO be an up to date modern city, he
will be surprised 10 learn, that it has
no tramways. no electric light or gas
plant, nor even telephone system,
and what is worse than all, no water
works Outside a few ancient wells,
worked by hand in the old-fashioned
way, the people here have absolutely
no water but what they catch in els
terms from the roofs of their houses
during the short rainy season of three
to 4 months. A 4 inch main, however,
laying bare outside of the city walls
near Juffa gate, carries water from
the pools Of Solomon between Bethle-
hem and Hebron, a distance of about
8 miles, for the exclusive use and sup
ply Of the Turkish government and
garrison stationed here.
The once well known brook of Kid
ron, spoken of In the Scriptures has
ceased to exist. its bed is dry and is
nsed as a vegetable garden. 1t is
therefore no wonder that the people
always were and are dirty here, and
seldom, IL ever, bath.
Jerusalem is estimated to have a
population Of about 10000, and is ii.
vided into 6 districts, each one nam
ed after the class of people inhabit-
ing it. The streets of the holy city
have with the exception of David,
.Juffa, Christian street and Vim Oolo-
rosa, no names, and all Of them are,
excepting David and Juffa streets,
crooked, narrow and badly paved, If
so at all, and like all thoroughfares in
Turkish cities have seen. exceed
ingly dirty, ill-smelling, and in the
rainy season almost impassable How
ever, being built on high grounds.
about 1900 feet above sealevel, the
climate here is fairly healthy, and in
summer delightful, but cold enough
during the rainy season in winter to
warrant warm underwear and a good
0verc0at and evensfur.
Outside OF the walled city there
are some fine buildings and houses,
occupied mostly by foreigners doing
business in the city.
The first attention Of the travellers
coming here is generally given to eli
ther MOrish hill or the Church Of the
Holy Sepulchre. Both places would
be of equal interest and Importance,
provided there were positive proofs as
to their identity and that they really
are what they are claimed to be.
One is almost certain that Morish
hin is the location of the former great
Jewish temple, because the topOgra-
ply of a mountainous country is not
easily changed. But no such proofs
can be furnished in favor of the
present site OF the Holy Tomb and
Golgathel, accepted (but not by every
body as the true spot on which Christ
suffered death, and was laid to rest,
and this circumstance diminishes the
interest the place would otherwise
have.
The same uncertainty exists in re-
gard to many other places, which are
shown and accepted as sites of events
and occurrences in connection with
life of Jesus and other matters, not
alone in Jerusalem but all over Pales-
tine. However, not being scientist
or an anthologist. it would be waste
of spare and time to express my OPP
inions regarding them. Therefore not
intending to fill an issue of your pa
per, / shall eonfine my remarks to
just a few of the most important and
interesting places / have visited.
Morish hill is undoubtedly the CEN
ter of interest in Jerusalem. 1t is an
elevated walled plateau of SO acres in
area, made accessible by gates. The
principal one, mostly used is the "cot.
ton gate" reached through very
long, ugly looking, yaulted passage
about II feet wide, lined on both
sides with narrow stalls, used in earl
Ter days, before they were abandon
ed and became the dumping grounds
of rubbish and dirt by cotton goods
merchants, and hence the name. But
at the time of Emperor Williams Wis
| it, a few years ago. the Turkish au
thorities, ashamed of existing condS
tions, ordered them all closed. as the
best and cheapest way to hide from his
1.-THE emperor's) view the accumulated
firth and dirt contained in them, and
they have remained so ever since.
Outside of the Mosque eel Askar,
situated at the southwest corner, and
the large Mosque OF Omar, built or
what was formerly the site of the
great Jewish temple, it is entirely
| bare.
The Mosque of Omar is large octo
gonal-shaped stone building, the in
II IN, .,fi