Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-14
Aninn aud 9ispatth.
CURIOUS DISCOVERIES In MIN
NESOTA.
Remarkable Discovery Near the Head
Waters OF the BIIssissippi-Traees of
American Pre-HistorIe Civilization,
From the New York Herald.

etc.
From the New York Herald.
ST. ANTHONY, MINI, Dec. 3, 1885,
The monotony Of our quiet little town has
been considerably disturbed Of late, by dis
coveries Of a most curious and remarkable
nature, which have been made within few
DAYS past in our midst. They are Of 50
singular a character as 10 be beyond the pale
Of credence in the minds Of almost every
one who hasnot been a witness 10 the facts IN
the case; but they are vouched for by citi-
zens Of such known responsibility and We
racity, that the genuineness Of the stale
ments in regard te them is placed beyond
doubt. sI
A Mr. Reuben Nesmith, who lives in a
small house near the German Catholic
Church, had occasion 20 90 down in the
cellar on the evening Of The lst inst, to ar
range place for his winter stock Of pota-
toes, which he had been hauling that day
from his farm, about two miles beyond Ma
nomin. While engaged in putting together
a temporary bin, and while digging TO make
room for the timber used in constructing 1t,
his shovel came in contact with a plate Of
iron, which after being cleared Of earth
proved 10 be a trap door, which was secured
by curiously wrought lock, with heavy
bolts running into a stone beneath. 1t was
70 much oorrOded by rust that a little pres
sure with a crowbar caused the plate 10
give way, and upon taking il up an
opening was discovered beneath which
a spiral stone staircase led down
into the earth. Before venturing down
this staircase, Mr.. Resmith commu-
nicated the fact of its discovery to his
brother-in-law, Mr.. Luther Chamberlain,
and having procured a lantern, the two
proceeded TO descend, and after going down
one hundred and twenty-three steps, they
found themselves in a narrow, horizontal
passage, dug in the white sand, which, as
every one familiar with the geological for
nation Of the banks Of The Upper Missis-
sippi knows, underlies a strata Of limestone.
Proceeding along the passage distance Of
about seyenty-6Ve feet, they emerged into
spacious artificial cave, also excavated in
this white sand. This cave was Of an OBJ
long form, and leading out Of il were sew
eral smaller ante-chambers, all Of which
gave signs Of having been at some former
day occupied as repositories Of some kind.
Iron and copper implements, OF rough
kind Of workmanship, we're found scattered
about, some Of them evidently having been
used for ezeaYatng purposes, others for
cooking utensils, the marks Of FIRE being
observable on the latter. On entering one
Of the small ante-chambers, a number Of
rude seats were found, and upon one side Of
the room an elevated platform, upon which
stood q roughly heWn stone, something like
the reading desk Of an Episcopal church.
On the wall behind the desk, on either side
A z -
very curious hieroglyphics were found
traced in the white sand, and an ornamental
tracery Of peculiar design covered the
other three sides Of the chamber. In the
next apartment a sort Of stone sarcophagus
was found, upon the top OF which vas laid
an immense rock, firmly cemented 70 the
burial case, and which required the
united exertiOns Of four men TO remove.
This being done, human skeleton was
found underneath, the bones of which
crumbled to powder Immediately upon ex-
posure 10 the sir. Several copper and
iron rings we're found in the scarcophagus,
az also a curious silver ornament, Ociagonal
in shape, and carved in unintelligible
characters, some Of which correspOnded
with those upon the wall of the apartment
above referred 10.
A third chamber much larger in extent
than the Others, and the ceiling was very
much like an inverted funnel in shape, di-
rectly under the apex Of which was a large
cube-shaped stone which was stained with
marks Of ere and some other dark sub
stance, and a deposit Of hardened ashes lay
around il upon the ground. II was evi-
IDENTIFY used as a sacrifcial altar, and thi
Al A. l.. ~ h e.,
that an aperture large enough to admit the
body Of a man opens from this apartment
to a smaller one, the floor Of which is be-
low that of the other rooms, and which il
covered with limy powder, apparently
the ashes Of bones; whether human or
otherwise, cannot be ascertained. On con-
tinuing their explorations, the party found
an iron plate door, which easily gave way
upon little pressure, and passage way
about three feet in hight, and large enough
for one person 10 pass in a STOPPING posture,
was discovered. Mr.. Nesnith and his
brother-in-law followed the passage way,
which led in a somewhat circuitous direc.
ton to the vicinity Of the river. This is
proved by the sound ofWater washing upon
the shore, which may be distinctly heard at
the end Of this passage way, the outer
opening of which has apparently been filled
up from the inside with broken rocks, and
through the isterstices of which fresher air
than that Of the cave can be felt blowing at
times.
The whole affair is a mystery the relics
found are not at all aboriginal in character,
and may have been the work Of a people
existing long before even these prairies
were the hunting grounds Of the Indian.
Copies Of the heiroglyphios have been care
fully transcribed and forwarded 10 some Of
the most learned archaolOgists Of the East
ern States, and il is hoped that they may be
able 10 obtain some clue as 10 the origin
and use Of these remarkable relies. We
understand that the State Historical Society
has made Mr. Nesmith a very liberal offer
for them. In the meantime, our little town
is all agog as 20 the discoveries and hun
dreds Of people have visited the house Of
Mr.. Nesmith 20 see these remarkable
antiquities We trust the Historical Society
may be able 10 secure them as a most in
teresting addition 10 their small but valu-
able collection.