The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-12-19
Engineering Feats of The Ancients:

The engineering feats Of the ancents the
subject of an address by Mr. George H. Pegram,
President of the American Society of Engineers from
which the following is quoted in the Scientific
American Supplement:
No works of modern times compare in magn
tude with those of the ancients Consider reser-
voir to impound the waters of the Nile covering
of $50 square miles, with a dam 30 feet high
and ID miles long. The pyramids of Gizeh
had granite blocks which were feet square and 30
feet long, and were transported 500 miles. One OF
the temples of Memphis built of stones which
13 feet square and IS feet long, and laid with
close joints. The Appian Way from Rome to Capua
was so we'll built that after thousand years it's
roadway in perfect condition, and now.
after two thousand years. with slight REPAIRS is in
use. The modern engineer would question the pos
slblity of such work. without these great examples.
If could imagine cessation of life on this contin-
ent and works subjected to the destructive forces
of time and nature for thousand years. what
evidences of civilization would remain?
we look in vain for the application of mechani-
cal power by the ancients, whose works seem al
most impossible without its assumption, but the
stone reefs showing the movement of large weights
by manual power indicate that probably the other
did not exist"
The subject is of frequent mention in Theosoph-
ical writing.
At the ruins of Baalbek in Syria lies stone II
feet long, and 10 by Ii feet in it's other dimensions
Other stones nearly large. found hoisted into
their places on the walls. The pre-1ncan ruins Of
Peru contain an incredible amount of masonry, vast
in size and perfectly hewn, including about 100000
miles of stone walls. But it ia necessary to take
comprehensive view of the whole field of ancient
masonry in order to do full justice to the subject
We are not satisfied with the lecturers argu-
ment that the feats impossible to manual labor,
but that the reefs show that nevertheless they
thus accomplished. But it suggests the idea that the
stones were lightened in some way not now known.
If the ancient builders able to cOunteract the
action of gravity, the puzzle would be explained.
And we ourselves might find out how to do this to-
morrow! Surely it is not impossible that this is
among the secrets of science that discoverabe,
and that it may have been known and lost. This is
merely suggestion. 1t may be that before the
knowledge was lost, the ability to it first
lost We do know that of mankind. once
chaste, have given way to sensuaty; this would
mean loss of power Also we know that loss of
disunion and strife have been characteristic of his
torical times; and this dsntegration. IT, pre-
vious to the intrusion of these descriptive and de-
Initiating influences. mankind could WELD powers
which it afterwards lost. there would be
for wonder.
Some will perhaps suggest that these engineer
ing feats were accomplished by supernatural means
but that is only hypothesis resorted to by mater
ialists who do not believe in any natural forces
cept those with which they are familiar. 1t is bet.
ter to think the feats were done by perfect natural
means, bat with which now acquainted.
BY Magster Arthur in The Theosophical Path