THE SUNKEN CITY.
“A city under the sea!” cried Prof. Von Bulow. “Wonderful thing!”
All gazed upon what certainly seemed to be a mighty city, built upon a
plain.
Mighty buildings lined wide streets, which traversed the plain in every
direction.
There were minarets and spires, domes and obelisks and huge public
squares with giant statuary.
The city, buildings, streets, and all, were as white as driven snow. It
was a most bewildering sight.
But all was as quiet and deserted as the tomb.
It was a city without people.
Frank brought the Dart to a stop, and all gazed upon the scene for a
time with deep interest.
“The lost Atlantis!” declared Prof. Von Bulow. “It is not a myth, after
all.”
“Do you suppose there is any treasure in the place?” asked Captain Bell,
with sudden inspiration.
All laughed at this, and Frank said:
“Bell, you will yet gain the reputation of treasure hunter.”
“That is what I am,” acknowledged the captain. “I have been hunting for
a fortune all my life, and I mean to have it before I die, if I have
luck.”
“Which I hope you will.”
“I shall not give up trying.”
“Well,” said Von Bulow, wistfully, “are we to pay a visit of exploration
to that city or not?”
“I think we will,” replied Frank. “I shall sail the Dart down into that
large square in the center. It looks like a central point.”
“So it is,” cried the scientist, joyfully. “Oh, what a splendid
opportunity to advance exploration now!”
No time was lost.
The Dart was allowed to sail down into the large square in the heart of
the sunken city.
Here it was securely anchored, and all the explorers were now brought in
close proximity to the buildings.
And these were of a wonderful style of architecture, and their white
color did not arise from the nature of the stone employed, but, as was
now seen, owing to a thick formation of coral which encrusted all.
It was a scene of great beauty, and all gazed upon it spellbound.
But Von Bulow was anxious to begin work at once.
So after arrangements had been hastily concluded the party donned diving
suits and set out for a “walk about town.”
Only one was left aboard the Dart, and this was Pomp.
Truly it was a novel experience to walk the streets of a submarine city,
but such it was.
The city was evidently constructed long before the days of Moses and the
patriarchs, and was an excellent bit of proof of the existence of quite
an advanced stage of civilization in that part of the world at that
time.
The explorers could almost fancy the shops still filled with rich goods
and stuffs in vogue then.
They could imagine the appearance the city must have borne when its
streets were thronged with busy people, and all was life and activity.
Truly it was a wonderful thing to think of.
But that such a state of affairs did once exist there was no doubt.
Across the great paved square the explorers walked.
Before them swam beautiful vari-colored fish.
At their feet crept crabs and shell fish of a strange and beautiful
variety.
Before them was a mighty building which seemed to have once been a
palace or temple.
“Let us explore that,” said Von Bulow, in signs.
The others nodded an acquiescence.
Frank and Barney, armed with axes, led the way into the temple. They
passed through a high arched door.
It was a mammoth hall with high pillars of stone which they now stood
in.
There was a grandeur about the mammoth structure which reminded one of
the Roman temples in Italy.
The hall had evidently been some sort of a public auditorium or council
chamber.
At the lower end was a dais of stone, and upon it was a high chair or
throne of the same material.
But all articles of furniture or decoration which had been made of wood
or the metals were gone.
Undoubtedly the worm of decay had long since eaten them up.
Neither were there any skeletons or like remains of human beings to be
found.
When it was remembered that this city was perhaps twenty centuries old,
this was not to be wondered at.
Passing through the temple, the explorers came to a spacious court,
beyond which was a peristyle.
Whoever the inhabitants of the ancient city had been, they were
certainly a people of gifts and much genius.
This was evident in the construction and architecture of the city.
It was a magnificent monument to their great talents, and though buried
under the sea many leagues would yet exist through all time.
Beyond the peristyle court the explorers came to a mighty marble paved
basin, which had evidently been a bath or large lake.
From one part of the sunken city to another the explorers wandered.
Upon every hand new sights were seen and new wonders unfolded.
Upon one building was a marine growth greatly resembling English ivy. It
had a most beautiful effect.
Every building had its colony of submarine creatures.
There were all manner of rainbow-hued fish, and monster eels like huge
serpents wriggling in the sand. But thus far nothing had been
encountered of a dangerous size and character.
For miles the explorers walked in the glare of the searchlight, which
quite illumined the whole city.
At length, however, it was decided to return.
Von Bulow was highly delighted with the result of the expedition.
He had recovered many valuable specimens and was in high feather.
But Captain Bell was disappointed.
There had been no sign of a treasure about the sunken city.
If gold had ever existed there, time and the water had consumed it,
beyond a doubt.
Without mishap the party reached the Dart in safety.
Pomp had a rousing, hearty meal ready for them, of which all partook
with avidity.
Then they fell to discussing the situation.
“It is established beyond all doubt,” said Von Bulow, “that this part of
the Atlantic was once a continent above the sea.”
“That seems certain,” agreed Frank; “and it was undoubtedly inhabited by
a most powerful nation.”
“But though we may see this evidence of their handiwork, we do not know
how they may have looked.”
“I imagine that they resembled the ancient Greeks,” said Captain Bell;
“though I have no particular reason for that idea.”
“There was an old tradition among the Mediterranean sailors that to the
west of the coast of Spain was a great continent known as Atlantis, and
inhabited by a powerful and intelligent race of people.”
“Then it was no myth, but the truth,” cried Von Bulow. “We have indeed
found the lost Atlantis.”
“Be not so sure,” said Frank.
“Why?”
“The continent may have been only an island, and this is possibly the
only city upon it.”
All reflected that this might be true.
Thus the discussion progressed for some time, no definite conclusion
being reached.
At length it was decided to leave the sunken city and proceed on the way
to the end of the valley.
Accordingly Frank went into the pilot-house and started the Dart.
The submarine boat floated away over the housetops and soon left the
sunken city behind.
As the Dart went on now many traces of a once powerful civilization were
to be seen.
There were many buildings which might have been country houses or farms
once.
Also there were actually seen traces of roads and paths and many other
things to prove that this had been a nation above the surface.
For many miles this sort of thing continued.
Then the Dart came once more to a wild and desolate expanse of sand.
It extended many miles.
Frank held the Dart down for a close run over this.
He hoped then to reach a point in the Atlantic Valley which was merely
an island in the midst of the vast water.
On the chart the island was known under the name of Gull Island. Here
Frank had thought of going to the surface for a brief time.
For hours the submarine boat ran on at full speed.
The bed of the sea here afforded no new features for study, and Von
Bulow had no desire to stop.
So the Dart kept on until at length the end of the plain was reached.
Then there came a rocky and rough region entirely different from that
which Frank had expected.
“How is this?” he exclaimed, in surprise. “Where is Gull Island?”
Once more he examined the chart.
As near as Frank could reckon, he ought to be just at the spot where
Gull Island should be.
But instead, the water seemed deeper here than anywhere else. There
surely was no sign of an island.
Of course it was not possible to take bearings in the usual way, being
so far under the sea.
“Bejabers, it’s off our course we are, Misther Frank!” said Barney.
“I’m afraid you are right, Barney,” agreed the young inventor. “What
shall we do about it?”
“Go to the surface and make sure where we are,” said Von Bulow. “It
won’t do any of us harm to take another look at the sky and the outer
air.”
“You are right,” said Frank, with sudden decision. “We will do it.”
With which the young inventor went into the pilot-house and opened wide
the pneumatic valve, which expelled the water from the tank.
This should cause the Dart to at once rise to the surface. But it did
not.
It arose twenty feet or more, and then stopped with a jar. Frank was
dumbfounded. What did it mean?
Again he opened the valve.
But it was of no use. The boat would not go up a single peg further.
Here was a dilemma.