The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1858-12-16
Che 2alladia .
Thursday Morning. Dee. I6, 1853.

The OPENING OF A MOUND Mr.. Robert
Stafford, Jr., has had in contemplation for
forty years the opening Of mound that is
on his farm, about two miles from this town,
and last week he carried out his original in
tention. The mound is situated 10 the woods,
about quarter Of mile from his dwelling
in a southeast direction, aud The elevation i
something ike six feet above the surround
ing level, and about thirty feet in diameter
Mt the base.
Mr.. 5. commenced digging from the west
side towards the center OF the mound, but en-
eountering some heavy and rough stone hich
seemed to have been imbedded there for ages,
and difficult to remove, he abandoned that
and dug from tie east side in direct line
with bis first cut lie had not far progressed
before he encountered the same difficulty,
which led 10 more careful examination, when
he discovered that lie had struck upon
stone vault.
Having removed the key stone, which is
abou. twelve inches square on tile top, ard
tapeIiue like wedge 10 about three inches
at tie bottom, lie had little difficulty IN re-
moving the balance Of tie arch. Tie saul.
for tie first four or five feet from the top was
filled with yellowish clay, intermixed oc-
casionally with charcoal. About six feet down
layer Of ashes discovered in good
state Of preservation, ard beneath these was
a layer Of substance about three inches in
thickness, resembling white clay. perfectly
dry and easily broken with the fingers. In
tic center Of a vault, and embedded In this
clay was found a stone. about quarter Of
al inch III thickness, and as large around as
q TN cup, trimmed perfectly round and
smooth his stone was lay ing with the
flat side down as though to protect four strips
q rolled copper. which were found just be-
neath II, i'm beded In a substance resembling
cement.
These strips OF copper are from three TO
SIX inches long by one and a-half to two
inches wide, and we found sticking endwise
in the cement and pointing North and South
Two Of these pieces are connected at one side
like the binding of hook, and between them
II an inset OF delieately rolled copper, about
three inches long and one wide, very much
corroded. We examined these strips of cop
Per with microscope, but could discover no
htefeglyphics. except on one OF them per
iectly formed branch of tree, but whether
accidently formed by the process Of decay
and surrounding objects or human hands we
aTe unable to determine. Tie copperis much
corroded, and after the verdgris is removed
by acids there is possibility that those plates
may throw some light on the heretofore hid
den mystery; al what period and by whom .
were the mounds built?
The cement in which these plates were
found extends below the surrounding level. !
and has been dug into the depth Of two feet (
The vault is built Of sandstone. and bears
the appearance Of having been subjected to a
powerful heat, as the stones on the inside .
were burnt red. The stump OF large tree
near the center OF the mound. which was cut
a year or two since, indicates tie aye as near
y four hundred years. 1t is the determine
ton Of 1lr. Stafford to resume the examin-
ton OF this mound from time to time as he
may find leisure. after which he intends cut
ting into a smaller one on his lands, but with =
the understanding that if it contains stone
vault, a contribution will be raised for the ex-
press purpose of defraying the expenses of a
systematic examination OF it Gallipolis
lOLinl InrrrnI