The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-10-06
Alleged Astounding Discoveries
in the Mont Gems Tunnel,
A Mine Of God and Jewels
Struck by the Workmen.
The Discovery flushed Up by the
French and Italian Gov
ernmentS.
Work in the Tunnel Suspended,
An Almost Incredible Story.

The New York World, of the 22d inst, con-
tains lengthy letter from ARTHUR NJ. LEARY,
an engineer. of New York, lnclosing the sworn
statement of PIERRo TAGLIARE, in reference to
the alleged discovery of a mine of jewels while
boring the Mont Gents tunnel through the
Alps, between France and Italy. TAGLIARE
has been arrested by the Italian authorities,
and is confined in the Jail at Susa, and it is al
legged that there are strong corroborating cir
cumstances to the truth of this statement. We
print that portion giving his account of the in
cidents of the discovery, emitting the history
of the operations in the tunnel, and of the
manner in which this affidavit found its wav
to New York. 1t was given to Paris journal,
but its publication was forbidden by a positive
order from the government
Suddenly BaccO stopped the engines. Scar
pc di Dio." he said; three of the drills are
quite crushed; We must have been pounding
upon adamant."
Directly the frame and engines were with
drawn; we charged the perfOrations and ap-
Piled our slow match, and fed behind the
pivot doors for protection.
In moment the deep concave trembled with
the explosion. and the place became clOgged
with sutfocating smoke.
Straightway jet Of compressed air was
spirited into the recess, and the tunnel became
fresh as an ice-house. We lighted the lamps
Immediately, and stole forward to mark the
result
A space thrice as great as a single explosion
usually makes had been excavated: a great
foundation rib of primitive rock formed the
bottom, and this was full q small ylinmerinp
objects, unshattered and crystalzed. which
dimly twinkled through the dust and debris. l
lifted from The rubbish o smoothly-angled lump
of shining something and brought 1t toward q
lamp.
l am swearing to what speak upon the
Evangels. The crystal was a clear topaz.
golden yellow in color, and as big as pul1ets
egg.
One of the workmen here came to me, hold.
ing something in his horny palm. as big as my
own great possession. l dropped the topaz
with cry. The dolt was carrying an mar
velous iemerald.
We all looked into each others faces for
moment and then the whole four rushed to the
assure; the usually dark and gray debris shone
keenly here and there and saw in an instant
that there had been some strange CONFUSION at
thls part OF the mountain all the strata lay in
this small space, crushed or bitten through with
great granite upheaval, and the various or
ders had been lifted almost vertically; q coarse
micaceous sandstone, traversed by what SEEM
co accidental veins or quartz, lay on the left,
running at its edges into hard conglomerate
which barely yielded to blow of q pick, and
oy gradanons of hard argillaceous slate, the re.
verse SIDE OF the assure, wonderful to say,
closed with solid basalt. A distribution 80
much at variance with my experience was not
yet without precedents. but in the intensity of
the moment had no time to think: a pros
trate column of basalt, half concealed in the
Gust, sparkled at my feet and a. I tumbled IL
towards the clear light, it broke across it's
breadth and disclosed the most beautiful SAP.
phire have ever seen, considering with re-
gard either to its purity or its exceeding regu.
hrity.
At this instant one of the men who was ex.
ploring another side of the cavern uttered
shout: