San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-18
CONSTANTMOPLE. April 10.

CONSTANTN0PLE, April 10.
CCIENTISTS excavating among the
ruins of ancient Sidon of the Phoeni-
clans are searching for the body Of
Hiram, King of Tyre who helped solomon
build the great temple at Jerusalem. They
expect to find the old king floating around
in a big stone coffin which is filled with
mysterious liquid that has preserved him
fresh and lifeike. He will be no mummy,
like Pharaoh Tut-ankh-Amen. but exactly
as he was when he was laid away three
thousand years ago.
In the same secret crypt will probably
be some of his wives and daughters, each
of them just as fresh and unspoiled as
himself. Then the world will be able to
look at photographs of them and see
whether they deserved the reputation,
passed down through the ages, Of having
been the most beautiful women of their
time.
The news Of this remarkable search
leaked out when the Turkish government
stopped the distinguished archcolOgist.
Professor Breasted, Of the University
Of Chicago, from shipping over to
America thITty-twO magHticently carved
sarcopnagi Ineartned IN the network Of
sUbterranean passages under SidOn. Some
Of the huge stone collins date back 10
1900 B. C., that is, three hundred years
before King Hiram was born.
The secret Of the mysterious liquid
filled sarcophagl has been jealousy guard
ed by a handful Of psychologists ever
since the first Of the carven caskets were
discovered forty years ago. At that time
the chief of the expedition on the spot
was approached by d native no described
the objects and offered them foT -uir'pt.-
tious sale. The scientist was increduious
it was not even dreamed that such
things existed. But the native was per
sstent. lie said that he and some others
mad found an entrance - what mad seemed
to he an ancient tunnel under the city.
They had explored il. had found many
other passages running into il and at last
hey had come t. a vault in which were
sixteen Of the sarcophagi. With great
labor they had moved the massive r"ffins
to a safe hiding place. The director could
come and see that il was the truth.
And It was the truth. The astOniShcG
eyes Of the scientists looked upon sixteen
works of ancient art The like Of which had
never been beheld. They were all elab"l
ately carved and the sculpture on one Of
them at least was equal TO the finest Of
the Greek marbles. Certainly they had
been designed 10 hold the bodies Of most
important personagcs. But 10 the In-
creased amaZemcnt Of the archculogisl-
and their disappointment. they were one
and all empty. There Na, nD, a lr;,r, of
the bodies they must have held, no dust
Of them. not even bone.
The natives said that they had been
empty when they found ,h.m. but eAaui-
nation showed that their Theoretically
sealed tops had been prird open but O.
short time before and d few of them haa
fragments broken out Of their sides a.
though by blows Of heavy hammer. The
fractures were fresh. The evidence clearly
was that the finders Of the sarcophagI mad
broken into them 10 see what treasures
they might contain: Il seemed incredible
that they should have been empty. But
what had become Of the bodies?
Among those tremendously interested
in the work al SidOn was the late Rev. J.
&. Mes, Of New York City. Dr.. Mes died
recently, leaving large endowmcnts 10 the
School of Archaeology al Jerusalem. DR..
Mes, who certainly should have known
the facts told under seal of secrecy re-