Rambles on Railways

by Sir Cusack P. Roney

“I have made what I consider to be a very important discovery, viz., an ancient aqueduct, south-east of the south-east corner of the Cœnaculum, and fifty feet above the present aqueduct—I have no doubt the original aqueduct from Solomon’s Pools to the Haram Area. We dug out the earth from a cut stone shaft two feet square, and at sixteen feet was a channel running from the west to the north-east, precisely similar in construction to the passages under the Triple Gate. It varies very much in size. Sometimes we could crawl on hands and knees; then we had to creep sideways; again we lay on our backs and wriggled along; but still it was always large enough for a man of ordinary dimensions. In parts built of masonry, in parts cut out of solid rock, it is generally of a semi-cylindrical shape; but in many parts it has the peculiar shoulders which I have only seen under the Triple Gateway, but which I told you in my last letter had been noticed by Mr. Eaton in the channel leading towards Tekoah. To north-east we traced the channel for 250 feet, until we were stopped by a shaft which was filled with earth; to the west we traced it for 200 feet, till it was stopped in the same manner. In part of this passage we could stand upright, it being ten or twelve feet high, with the remains of two sets of stones for covering, as shown in M. Piazzi Smyth’s work on the Great Pyramid; the stones at the sides being of great size—12 feet by 6. This channel cannot be so late as the Romans. It is evidently of most ancient construction. It is built in little spaces, as if the work had been commenced at two or three points, and had not been directed properly. The plaster is still in good preservation. I shall have the passage cleared out, if possible, as far as the city walls. I presume it goes into the Haram, at a slightly higher level than the present aqueduct. If so, by following it we may arrive at some very interesting conclusions as to the original method of supplying the Temple with water.

“This channel must have been of great consequence in olden times, both from the distance it is driven under ground, and from the well-cut shafts which lead to it. I think the question is to be hazarded whether the supply of Jerusalem was not obtained by this aqueduct, which is quite concealed from an enemy.”

At the date of the last report the tunnel had been traced about 300 feet to the north-east, where it appears to fall into the present aqueduct.

Our second and concluding extract will show the difficulties and dangers attending upon the labours of Lieutenant Warren and his party, as well as the necessity which exists for funds coming in liberally to meet the very heavy expenses of these marvellous explorations.

“Progress of Works to 11th October, 1867.—Shaft near S.W. angle South Wall of Haram Area.—Depth excavated, to Thursday, the 10th October, 76 feet.

“On Friday, having arrived at a depth of 79 feet, the men were breaking up a stone at the bottom of the shaft. Suddenly the ground gave way, down went the stone and the hammer, the men barely saving themselves. They at once rushed up and told the sergeant they had found the bottomless pit. I went down to the spot and examined it, and, in order that you may have an idea of the extent of our work, I will give you a description of our descent.

“The shaft mouth is on the south side of the Haram Wall, near the south-west angle, among the prickly pears; beside it, to the east, lying against the Haram Wall, is a large mass of rubbish that has been brought up; while over the mouth itself is a triangular gin with iron wheel attached, with guy for running up the excavated soil. Looking down the shaft, one sees that it is lined for the first 20 feet with frames 4 feet 6 inches in the clear; farther down, the Haram Wall and soil cut through is seen, and a man standing at what appears to be the bottom. An order is given to this man, who repeats it, and then, faintly, is heard a sepulchral voice answering as it were from another world. Reaching down to the man who is visible is a 34 feet rope ladder, and, on descending by it, one finds he is standing on a ledge which the ladder does not touch by 4 feet. This ledge is the top of a wall running north and south and abutting on the Haram Wall; its east face just cuts the centre of the shaft, which has to be canted off about 2 feet towards the east, just where some large, loose stones jut out in the most disagreeable manner. Here five more frames have been fixed to keep these stones steady. On peering down from this ledge, one sees the Haram Wall with its projecting courses until they are lost in the darkness below, observing, also, at the same time, that two sides of the shaft are cut through the soil and are self-supporting. Now to descend this second drop the ladder is again required; accordingly, having told the man at bottom to get under cover, it is lowered to the ledge, from whence it is found that it does not reach to the bottom by several feet. It is, therefore, lowered the required distance, and one has to reach it by climbing down hand over hand for about 12 feet. On passing along, one notes the marvellous joints of the Haram Wall stones, and also, probably, gets a few blows on skull and knuckles from falling pebbles. Just on reaching the bottom, one recollects there is still a pit of unknown depth to be explored, and cautiously straddles across it. Then can be seen that one course in the Haram Wall, near the bottom, is quite smooth all over, the stone being finely dressed, all other courses being only well dressed round the drafts; one also sees two stout boards lying against the Haram Wall, under which the men retire whenever an accidental shower of stones renders their position dangerous. One is now at a depth of 79 feet from the surface, and from here we commence the exploring of the “bottomless pit.” After dropping a rope down, we found that it was only six feet deep, though it looked black enough for anything. Climbing down, we found ourselves in a passage running south from the Haram Area, 4 feet high by 2 feet wide, and we explored this passage. It is of rough rubble masonry, with flat stones at top similar to the aqueduct from Triple Gate, but not so carefully constructed. The floor and sides are very muddy, as if water gathers there during the rainy season.

“It at once struck me that it was one of the overflow aqueducts from the Temple of Solomon, and that there might be a water conduit underneath. We scrambled along for a long way on our feet, our skulls and spines coming in unhappy contact with the passage roof. After about 200 feet we found that the mud reached higher up, and we had to crawl by means of elbows and toes. Gradually the passage got more and more filled up, and our bodies could barely squeeze through, and there did not appear sufficient air to support us for any length of time; so that, having advanced 400 feet, we commenced a difficult retrograde movement, having to get back half way before we could turn our heads round. On arriving at the mouth of the passage underneath the shaft, we spent some time in examining the sides, but there is no appearance of its having come under the Haram Wall. It seems to start suddenly, and I can only suppose it to have been the examining passage over an aqueduct coming from the Temple, and I am having the floor taken up to settle the question. This passage is on a level with the foundations of the Haram Wall, which are rough-hewn stones—perhaps rock; I cannot tell yet. The bottom is the enormous distance of 85 feet below the surface of the ground, and, as far as I can see as yet, the wall at the south-west angle must be buried for 95 feet under ground, so that it must at one time have risen to the height of 180 feet above the Tyropœon Gully. I consider it very unsafe sinking these shafts without sheathing them; but I have been obliged to do so for want of wood. In this shaft in particular there is about 60 feet unsheathed, and a loose stone from any part might stave a man’s head in before he is aware of it. I think it running needlessly into danger; and I hope that, with what you are sending from England, and what I am getting from Malta and Alexandria, I shall soon have enough to go on with in a business-like manner. The amount of wood wanted is very great. This shaft, when sheeted, would require 100 boards 18 feet long, and 9 inches by 1 inch. We are also very much in want of English dockyard rope and rope ladders; all the work here consisting of driving shafts of great depths, it is necessary to have many ladders. We have only two, and are often in great difficulties about it. It is all very well climbing hand over hand thirty-five feet up a rope, when hanging in the air; but when it is in an unsheathed shaft, with the dangling bringing down the loose stones on the head, it is unsafe. The anxiety of mind caused lately, by having to keep the workmen going without adequate means for their protection, is more than I can put up willingly with any longer. We must have plenty of money for the excavations, or stop them altogether.”

The oldest tunnel, of which we can find any record or mention in Europe, is that constructed in connection with a great aqueduct built about 540 years B.C. in Boetia, to draw off the waters of the lake Copais, now called lake Topolias, to the sea then called the gulf of Opuntius, and now the Channel of Talanti. The tunnel, nearly a mile in length, became impeded and choked up, and, about 220 years afterwards, was ordered to be restored by Alexander the Great, who had previously “fleshed his maiden sword” in its neighbourhood at one of the few great and decisive battles of the world—that of Chœroncia. It was fought and won by Philip of Macedon, 338 years before the birth of Christ.

As to how the rock was penetrated in the absence of the modern appliance of gunpowder, we are now as ignorant as we are of the mechanical means by which the great pyramids of Egypt and other gigantic works there, were constructed; and we are in the like state as regards a tunnel in the Island of Samos, which we learn on the authority of Strabo was 4,200 Greek feet long—equal to 4,230 modern English feet—that is more than three-quarters of a mile. The height of the mountain through which it was driven was 900 Greek (907 English feet), and its purpose was to supply with water the principal city of the island, the inhabitants of which, 2,600 years ago, were among the most active and enterprising merchants and shipowners of the world. Ancient Samos, now called by the Turks Susam Adasi, is the nearest to the coast of Turkey in Asia of the numerous islands which dot the Eastern Archipelago.