The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1853-09-14

A North American Pyramid
San BGrnardinO Valley, Cal, June %, 1883.
There has beenno Ii,le excitement here
Of late among The sn~liluarians and curious,
arising from the discovery OF an ancient
pyramid' on The great Colorado desert, and
which Fixes The probability beyond all dis
pute IF The possession and occupancy, al
some greatly remote period Of lime, Of the
American continent by a race Of people OF
whom all existing history is silent.
A party of men, five in number had as
rended The Colorado for nearly two hundred
miIes shove The mouth Of The Glia, their
object being 10 discover, if possible, soine
large tributary from the west, by which
they might muke The passage Of the desert.
aud enter California, by a new, more di
rect, aud easier route, lnasmUch as there
are known to exist numerous small streams
upon The eastern slope Of he mountains.
hat are either lost in tie slnds Of The des
pri or unite with the Colorado through
ri)utarit heretofore tuknnwn. They re-
present the country on silher side Of tie
Colorado as almost totally barren Of every.
reg,t be pr;id ct, and 50 ltyel aud mont
tonous that any object sufficient to arrest
attention possessed more OF less of %curlosi-
~ and interest; and ii was this that led 10
The disco cry and examination OF lhis hith,
erto Ut K IOwn relic Of a iU:g jtien age.
An object appeared upon The plain 10 the
west, Ia ing 50 much the appearance Of a
wuFk Of ar, from the regularity If its out
line and It's isolated position, ihatihe party
deiermined'upon wishing it. Passing over
an almost barren sand plain a distance Of
nearly five miles, they reached the base oil
one oflhe most wonderful objects, consider.
ing lis location, III being the very home ol
desOlali' n ythd, the mind can possibly con
coiye Of; nothing less than an immense
stone pyramid, cempostd Of layers Or
courses of from eighteen inches to nearly
three feet 10 thickness, and from five 10
eight feet in length. II has a level top Of
mu e than fifty feet square, though 1t is
evident hat 1t was once completed, but
that some great CONFUSION Of nature has
di p ed It's entire top, as ite'iienlIy now
lies a huge and broken mass upon one Of
its sides though nearly covered with the
sands.
This pyramid differs in some respect,
from The Egyptian pyramid. 1t is, or
was, more slender or pointed; and while
hose of Egypt are composed of slcps or
layers. roccdiug as they rise, the American
pyramid was, undoubtedly, a more finish.
ed structure. The ou!er surface Of the
blocks was evidently cut to an angl', that
gave the structure, when new and com
plps asn, 9th OF regular surl-ce irJm top
10 bottom.
From the %presentlevel Of theSands that
surround it, there are fity.lwO distinct
layers Of stone, hat will average at least
two feet; this gives its present height one
hundred and four feet, 80 that before the
top was displaced, it mus, have been. judg.
ing from an angle Of its sides, al least
twenty feet higher Than at present. How
FIR it extends beneath The surfice Of the
sands, tits impossible to determine without
great labur.
Such is tue sge Of this immense slruc.
lure, that the perpendicular joints between
the blocks are worn away to tie width oI
from five 10 ten inches at. the bottom of
each joint, and the entire Of the pyramid
so much worn by the storms, the %,ieissi.
ludes and the c~orrndings Of centuries, as
to mike it easy nj ascent, particular On
one Of its sides. We say one Of is sides,
bccns Sc \ singular fact Connected vi h this
remarkable structure is. llal it inclincs
nearly ten degress TO one side Of the verii
cal or perpendicular.
There is not The slightest probability that
il was thus erected, but the cluSe Of its in.
rlinatiou is moi easily accounted for. By
when, al what age Of the world, aud i0I
what purpose, this pyramid was erected
will probably forever remain a hidden
mystery. The party, in their unsuccrrs.
full attempt 10 cross the desert at his poin
in their wandednes discovered other evi
1ences Of a nature HAT would seem I,
make il certain that that portion Of the
country upon the Colorado, now the mus
birrpn. was once the garden and grlnary
of ibse~ continent, and the abUde Of miliOni