Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-09
TWO THOUSAND YEARS
OF HISTORY REVEALED
Salvo of German Bombs Falling Some Old Build
Ings in the Heart of Amiens Brings TO
Light Treasures.
Uy samuel DashIeiI,
lbIIc Ledger Foreign Service.

ny samuel DashIen,
inbiic Ledger Foreign Service.
rARlS. July lin the spring Of
1913. when the German army was
again desperately fighting for the
sahehts about Amiens In Northern
france salvo OF German bombs,
railing on some old buildings in tho
heart OF tn" city. plunged through
10 tho cellars. and amid the debris
or these shell holes vas revealed
tho foundations of Roman temple
dating probably from tho FIRST CEN
tury OF the Christion era
Two thousand years OF history. of
war and conquest and civilization
lay buried In this rubbish heap. with
only two or three fragments Of stone
wall rising into the daylight above
Tho medieval and modern wreckage
OF tho houses. Thes. bits OF Roman
wal! spattered by hiph explosive
stood intact through the rest Of tn.
"ar They and their fragments In
inc aust remain. only to invoke scorn
ana hisdain az the encroachments
OF an invading army that failed oven
In us conquest OF modern Gaul
Although the Museum Of PIcardy In
Amiens is fun Of Roman and Gallo
Roman antiquities. most OF which
wcTo found in tho region. there Is
virtually no Roman construction left
Tor archaeological study In Northern
FRANCE such as eKists throughout the
southern provinces. The existence OF
ehis ruin offered striking Indication
or tho advance Of Roman civilization
In the northern provinces. for the
temple ruins are OF vast dimensions.
going under the street fragments or
wal! reappear again under de-
moiish"d house half block away
Cause. yurh Excitement.
Tho discovery caused profound
emotion among tn. srcheoloKists 81.
tho institute. who made a special Pill
grimags 10 the ruin. and after e1-
animation Of some bas-relie. the
capital and section Ot column Ro-
man jcwelry. pottery and fragments
NJ painted s,ucco declared that IL
Undoubtedly had been an important
Roman temple.
Discovery OF tho ruin caused like
wiae some lively emotion on the part
OF tho owner OF tho property, who.
being nm cnterpris!ng citizen OF
Amiens. Is pushing ahead the work
or reconstructed apartment house
over the walls OF the temple This
gentleman appreciates art and re-
spects antiquity, hut. nevertheless
looks with the greatest disfavor n,
those visits OF the archeologIsts
There Is movement on foot TO re-
strain the owner from building over
such valuable antiquity. but i,
would No necessary 10 find 1000. 600
francs TO purchase the land In the
city OF Amiens. where so many build
!rSH arc bar" To the cellar, an in
Junction against reconstruction would
not be Understood. consequently the
old temple VIII ono" more return to
the shadows 20 support tho un-
worthy superstructurc OF a modern
French building
And in the words 81 the blblio-
phllrs. the archeologists the anti
Guarians. tho lapinRrIans and tho h!s-
handed sacri!es. now going on in
the city Of Amiens
nraidcnts Think Differently.
Bat the peopla OF Amiens think
differently. Tho local newspaper. the
Frorrcs de la Somme, devoted two
inches OF space 10 the tempt. dis
coverE F.a-ly In the war they saw
the Germans march through the city.
smoking big cigars. laughing ban
t"r'uE. drinking. making dinner en-
EaccmenIs for the following night in
Paris. Eight days later the Ger
mans evacuated. The years OF war
'hhN lb'1I"tH wrought havoc ABOUT
the city. The magnificent cathedral
with nave lofty as followed
ou' mountain. was banked up with
sRndbaEs. Buildings were crushed in
within nifty feet OF its famous portal
OF tho Golden Virgin. The Industries
and the railroad station were dis
ahled. the roads We're broken up and
N" noncombatants left for Paris
Now, with city rebuilding. there Is
9hftie sympathy for maintaining 2
section Of the town in state Of
6eso!ation. II the workmen around
the old temple find ANYTHING inter
cstinR the psychologists can have IL.
pul their chances OF unearthing
another Pompeii are remote
But in this city of. busy. hard
woTking Frenchmen the old temple
has one champion whom the irate
owner canno: terrorize of drize on.
This Is young Frenchman. Pierre
Marie SaGuez. membre titulaire de
la Societe Franchise dc NuInismatioue
Sorbonne. Despite the imposing
ute. Monsieur Saguez has not We,
attained the ripe age of the average
American freshman. He is n youth
in the Athenian sense. having no.
man emperors. Egyptian kings AS
syrian tyrants AT his fngertips. and