Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-22

University of Berlin, contributes an
article on the early inhabitants OF
western Asia which covers the divers
races found in that part of the world
ana gives much chronological data there-
On. standing on the New Bridge" in
Sonstantinople. the author states that
ne mas heard over twenty different lam
sees spoken. and seen as many diff
Iereht types. He describes some OF the
apparent foreign elements. and ther
taxes UP the remaining tribes and
sFouPs encountered in an anthropoloRi-
ca study OF Western Asia. a study pur-
sued by the writer for thirty years.
Recent excavations at the ancient
Egyptian city about" called by tho
Greeks Abydos. arc described by Edou.
ara NaVille. Abydos was primarily n
place for the worship of Osiris. thu
most human god Of the Egyptian nan
theon, who was cut into pieces by his
rival. set, or Typhon. hut brought back
10 life by his son Horus, VINO recon.
structed his body. Here was located
his tomb, although We do not know
whether II contained the gods BODY or
just his head, as tho Greek writer's saw.
~ was noted hurying ground from the
Heoiitnic age TO the Roman Empire
ana all about are cemeteries filled with
dead from the Intervening epochs Re-
mains OF temples are near by, that OF
Seti J.. father Of Rameses H., being al
most In Its entirety. Between a door
way with enormous lintels and the tenn
pie or Sell ]. the eacavators unearthed
large edihce evidently built at the
time Of the pyramids: that is. belonging
to the first dynasties. 1t Is u UNIQUE
structure, built Of massive materials.
rectangular in shape, and Enclosed by
two-layer walls six meters thick. bound
together by dovetails. The area in
closed measured so by 20 meters. and
was separated into three parallel naves
by enormous monolithic pillars OF gran
lite The two side naves had a ceiling
OF granite monoliths about hvc meters
long and more than two meters thick
The central section pompoaes great
reservoir. or pool. surrounding which
are seventeen cells. connected BIZ mar
row footpath Through the rear of ono
OF the cells located In the center of the
back wall, the entrance to the tomb OF
Osiris was found. 1t seems curious that
THIS ancient Egyptian structure. which
may be one OF the oldest, should be
neither temple nor tomb, but a res
erVoir. fed by subterranean waters 1t
was probably connected I'm some way
with the worship OF Osiris. The cells
are possibly those mentioned in the
famous Book of the Dead and 1t may be
that the water had curative properties
Other subjects Of general interest in
clude radiation OF the sun. with some
astonishing facts concerning the same
90 " eil an iuCN relatlSc TO
the physical properties of the sun, writ
ten by DR.. Charles G. Abbot, director Of
the Smit hsonian Astrophysical Observa-
tory: gyrostats and gyrostatic action,
from the spinning top to the later de-
velopments for steadying trains and
ships. are ably set forth by Professor
Andrew Gray; under botany some prob
lens OF plant pathology are discussed
by Professor j.. r. Jones: r. NJ. Strong
reports on the habits of the herring
gull as observed near Green Bay and
Lake Michigan. Wis: the regeneration
OF the horns or fcelers and legs. after
amputation. Of the curious insect
known as the walking stick is strik-
ingly related by II. o. Schmit-Jensen.
OF Copenhagen; ancient Chinese bronEes
dating from o205 r. c., are described
and identified in an interesting and
well-illustrated article by John G. Fer,
guson. who also offers advice for the
detection of counterfeits: recent de-
velopments in the art of electrical IL
Elimination are explained by Preston S.
Millar of New York, and many other
instructing and entertaining articles,
some of which have been reviewed sep
arately by the press.