| Show GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS rebuilding of the faai now in A correspondent of the london times gives some interesting facts in relation to the recent burning of the great mosque of damascus once the ancient cathedral of st john the baptist the turkish government has exerted every effort since the calamity to prevent any report of it from being published lie says the christians were accused by some at the time of setting the building on fire but as the fire broke out in the high roof of the building a little before noon the accusation was so manifestly absurd that it had little influence on the moslem mind had it occurred at night when the facts might been so manifest the report would have met with readier acceptance and it is impossible to say what in that case might have been the consequences to the christians moreover as there was a high wind blowing toward the christian quarter if it had been at night when people were asleep the destruction must have been much more extensive the work of rebuilding seems to have been taken in hand with vigor A gentleman in the city recently taking a ride with his wife and son outside the gates met hundreds of men bringing in the large poplar beams for the work which they were drawing in carts by ropes with loud singing and clapping of hands the riders at once turned away by another road giving them as wide a berth as possible for it is hardly safe for a christian to get among them in their present mood the library containing books and manuscripts of priceless value was saved from the flames and nothing of value was lost excepting the most precious gem of all namely rothmans Oth mans rot until toolate too late this is said to have been and probably really was one of the very four exemplars deposited by the caliph othman A H 30 in the four great mosques of mecca medina kufa and damascus the only surviving copy these were to be kept there as the sole authoritative copies after all others had been called in from every quarter of the moslem empire and committed to the flames it is a matter of congratulation that the ancient inscription in greek on the cathedral wall over the silversmiths and sandal makers bazar has not been injured it is the thirteenth verse ot psalm colv the name of christ beang thy kingdom 0 christ is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion is from generation to generation |
