Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1840-03-20

work
Dungeons Of The Inqaisition in " Orleans
The late New-Orieans papers meniiona "a
cent disroveryin tina, city, which has given
rise to a variety Of conjrc,nres and excited
much curiosity. most important fact.
of,he case maybe gathered i,om the follow.
ing exiracts:-
A eurous discovery has been made by
some workmrn employed nerecting housrs
on the site OF the old CaIaboosr That ain.
lent building, which dates Car back into the
spanish times. was reernily pulled down.
md the ground on which it stood sold out 10
private individuals The pure hasrrs imlne.
diairly commenced Improvements upon the
property. being valuable, from IT'S location
in The centre oithe city In the course OF OPP
-ratons TO ihis effect, il was found necessary
10 dig several f-et below the surface, to luy
a siib,ratnm for the walls of The house about
10 be built The. laborers, in excavating at d
particular srot, discovered that their progress
as ietaI ded by some hard Substance. which
resisted any impression from the working
tools. s. :
vi tA"WaunsfShs thc tTciciiuk SuoStbutt
was found TO be bar Of iron. Curiosity
was excited. The excavation was extended
--nnother and another baror hoop OF iron
was discovered, and at length a space in the
bottom of the hole that had been dug gave
way, OF rather sunk. and disclosed between
the hoops ofiron the interior Of Dungeon -
When first opened, The inside was dry. the
ooze from the river being excluded by water
cement. and contained nothing but few hn-
man bones. the remains of some victim OF ".
ranny or superstition.
Alter the walls were broken by the tools
Of the workmen the wafer flowed in through
the fractures and soon filled up the cavity
In consequence Of the interior being over.
flowed, il was found impossible to explore
The sublerranean passage 10 any grea; DIS
lance. The supposiiion is. that the cavern is
extensive. and mas branches undermining
the ground in several directions When we
visited the spot ytsterday,a crowd was as.
sembled around the exca walton. and fire en-
CINE was al work pumping out the water
Various conjectuIes are INDUCED as to who
were the builders OF the diaboical coniri-
vance. II was doubtless constructed stimuli
aneously with the prison, and The best clueio
The discovery will brto uace the history OF
the old Calaboose, & ascertain its founders.
bulletin. Feb 1871
variety OF opinions expressed respecting
the vaults discovered a few days ago. under
the site OF the old Calaboose. induced US to
visit the spot again yesterday. for the purpose
of instituling careful examination. We
found that considerable progress had been
made IN the excavation since our visit two
days previous The water and mud were
drained out, so as 10 expose the upper section
ofthe cell. the bottom being still covered
with mire and rubbish three ieet deep. On
a temporary bridge OF seantlng we descended
under the arch, so as TO have a fair prospect
oil all that could be srrn The vault may be
described rs o cell arched over with brick
walls and ribs of iron. about seven feet in al.
iIlude. and as many broad. On three sides
], is entirely shut in by solid masonry and
iron bars oh
The only outlet is on the side faring the
South. Here y narrow arched passage open
into The vault. The floor OF the passage is on
the same level with that OF the main apart.
lnrni The height is not so great being a.
bouts feet, and the breadth about two feet
and half The Dimensions were large ':
pough 10 permit the transit ola man ofordi
nary size, without difficulty The extent Of
the ,archei recess or passage leading from
the vault has mol been ascerlanrd. Il runs
horizontally IN southern direction, and can
be traced distance of ten feet OF more un-
der the ground The excavation will have
10 be carried on still farther before the subier,
Ianean apartments can BE- fully explored, III
is desirable thai he work should be accom-.
pishedl i for 20 other purpose, than TO crafty
public curiosity, and pm an end to perpTex-
ing coMes,urvst [BuIletin, Feb 90
IL one Of the vaults we learn there was
found = gold crpci6x weighing ,weniy-right
pounds, as also p quantity of, hnmnn bones, -
Az The bottom Of this vault a door was dis
covered !. apparently leading to a Fault sill
deeper. " ...,.,.
'ihs buildings which formerly occuI'ppissd|
The square were tbe pFoperly Of the Jestiits.
moie Than one hundred years ago.
!, :, n, ~ s.,.ln 40 yIPicayunel !
The gold eGuci6x we mentioned the other
DAY, as having been found in the old Gala
booss "diegingssn turns QUITO be brassG rs|
log, II weighed 26 pounds. as we said at
first We arewiIling 10 acknowledge il was
10 cruci6x, but we do9'i all pound in The
weight Of the article found, Ibid