The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-11-12

our TROY CORRESPONDENCE.

TROY, Nov. IL, 1855
Tho scientific world s quito likely to be thoroughly
aroused by the recent discoveries in the domain OF
turl history at Cohocs the manufacturing village i'm
mediaely adjacent to this city During tho process of
an excavation weeks since the site Of mill to
BIO newly erected, a mammoth jaw bone found about
hundred feet from the banks OF the Mohawk river
embedded distance Of sixty Ave feet below the
face Of the earth and being taken up at once excited
the attention Of tho naturasts only Of this vicinity
but likewise far and WIDE Tho length OF the Jaw was
thr,ytwo inches twenty inches In width, and weighed
somewhat more than forty six pounds.
On Thursday last the remains Of complete skeleton
Of huge mastodon discovered eighteen
feet further down in tho same excavation
aud the attendant naturasts Of Yale and Union
Colleges and the Rensselaer, Polytechnic Institute
OF this city, fully confirmed In tho opinion tho
frame can BIO made quite perfect The. re-
mans have been carefully gathered together in
the mill OF the Harmony Company, cleaned and
Oiled and It is expected that they will BIO viewed
and pronounced upon during the coming week by Pro-
lessor Louis Agassz the learned naturalist and
Harvard University Tho jaw Of the mastod s four
feet nine inches In length from the mouth to the
num- TO which portion Of the back bone and jaw are
still connected Tho Uranium worry like that Of an
elephant. The two tusks each measure eight feet In
length, and their true position 10 well marked the
upper jaw The hip bone is Ave feet long and weighs
ten feet nches and weigh about afy pounds each
Tho under Jaw already alluded 70 having been found
some weeks since, precisely nts tho upper jaw now
half in length and before stated the fossss Of
the opinion that the completed frame will form
essential and grave contribution 70 the science OF
history.
The measurements show that the animal must have
stood at isas. fifteen feet in height, and have been
little upwards OF twenty feet length independent OF
the tusks already stated 10 be each eight length
Professor Marsh q The Yale College Scientific school,
discovered arc those Of great North American
Mastodon, comparing in all It's paris fully with
cripion OF thc animal given In the scientific works
follows"4he animal has the vaued and cellular skull
Of the elephant, with large tusks the upper jaw and
heavy form From tho character Of the nasal bones and
tho shoness Of the head and neck has boon concluded
II had trunk"
Whenever similar remains have been discovered on
this continent the fact has failed awaken the
deepest interest," not only In this country but In Europe
fragments were first discovered a. early the year
l7O3 and In 1901 the rBt comparatively complete skoc
ton Of msstodon found somewhere In orsng.
county, am told, and immediately transported 10 Lon
dom returned and kent on exhibition in P6sdeIphs for
years Dr.. Warren, OF Harvard College, Is said to
be In possession OF large part Of another Frame
ls4S Il stated that arse and valuable collection Of
mastodon bones found the banks OF the Miss-
sippl river and having been wired together
we're exhibited throughout the country and in
London the great Missosourum. Harvard
University II also possession OF q mastodou skeleton
independent Of that belonging TO Dr. Warren, and 10
found In several Of siAles, but in no instance
anything like as perfect the developed al
CohoeG Scientific investigations this controvered
subject have been widely extended and marked by great
industry, and this event shows. they have been
characterized by much success and uathfuness.
One author Says" The food Of the mastodon was
entirely vegetable proved by e remains OF twigs
Of conferous trees and other vegetable matter found
between the RIBS and he doubtless fond Of
sorting marshy Doggy plsoes IA search of succuent
plants, where u was often nredh tho very places whore
It's remains have been exrns,si during the nineteenth
century, Another wr!tor rsnArks.''The geological
position Of the remains OF this species taodonl has
long been sndStl is subjeet Of dispute among geclo
gsts ma fen instances they are said 20 have been found
b.loE Che drift, In the pocene, and even m the milo
csvs: but thcy navo generally been obtained from the
Ust plioosns auyai formations At depth OF i've TO
Zen lacustra dcpss boys and beds OF infasorai
earth Some have uhought that tho mastodons became
extinct since tho adsent OF tho earth Accord.
ing 20 Lye the period OF their destruction, though
geologioally modern, must hsve been many thousand
years ago The probably acted IN their
tinction a. IN OF the fossil elephant perhaps
partly climatic changes or more probably, some great
CONFUSION on the slT ace Of the globe o. an epoch
anterior 70 man A distinguished natural historian
says:-"ons Of the principal deposits Of mastodon
bones appears 10 have been the Big Bone Lick Ia tho
north par. Of Kennedy near the ohio xh.ncs the mas
OF The remAlps have tho appearance OF having been
rolled bdl 5sm TO have unmoved since the death
which were found sa the river Of the Ges, 0asge which
runs ipto the Missouri little above lie confluence with
The NIssz5bpl, were IN vertical position, as Il the
Animals hkd been begged or buried Ia the coll.
Parkinson In his Organic Remains adds -" The coun-
try IN which these fataans nusstndonb are found, 10
like sinSpse pals, hordered on eyoy side by noun
Is su6 s Sss following s ..s s.nsi met WITH
or two feet OF peat or two feet OF yellow mari
Win yesssbo remains a,s. wo si, q grey s9.v
The soil in which the discovery at Cohoes vas found
answers Parknsons description n the shove quotation
exactly.
II thus appears that grssi and permanent oontrbu-
on TO b. made TO scesce, And that 10 the bosom
Of the atate OF New York has been found Tho most I'M
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