The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-22
THE GIANT STATUE.
Farther Particular Respecting tho "Wonderss
Discovered at Lafayette. n. Y.-Isetscr from
Dr. D.yutou, the GeOIOslst-He Pr0pounces

From the Syracuse Journal Oct 20.l
THE APPEARANCE OF ThE WONDER sikoE II WAS
| UNEARrHED.
The measurements OF the colossal ngure, showing
the perfection and syulne.ry OF Its proportions have
as faithfully stated 81 !. rs possible 20 OBTAIN
We can however, give no description tnat VIII con-
vey the mlnd OF the reader anything IKE correct
idea OF the OBJECT as 1t appears 10 the Deholder rho
trench in which It lies IL about four feet deep and Is
cut down couple Of feet on either side, making Il
some SIX by fifteen feet IN extent. The earth Ia
| removed 10 the clay upon winch the BODY rests.
Above this clay IL deposit OF four or yo inches
Ihu re claw ,DS bottom A 81 s .na
swale, and ID Ike that composing the ped OF the
| creek. me soil above and around the stone body
I IN bottom land made by the deposits OF water
courses. There some decay eu sticks and roots
IN tAls earth, but nothing indicating the mass OF
sticks and brush winch nas been reported as cover
| ing the body. fhis low piece OF ground
est Inhabitants Vi me LOCALITY, and II ID sup
posed that formerly Is was submerged, and pos
aiby was the bed Of the creek, whlcn is known
| 10 nave changed 10 tho eastward within . few
years. About eight years ago thus swale was
Tor the first time ditcned, and the next year
with much diuicuty IL was plougned. /. has since
tneu been kept under psrtia cultivation aud
TINS season IL was covered witn rank grass and
clover. A ditch has for several years been open
WITHIN three feet OF the buried Colossus and lormer
occupant OF the premises states that he has twice
dug bitches eighteen incnes deep across where the
body lay 1t IS also stated that this particular spot
has been within few years raised, by niIing, at
least Ioot.
The eAhuned OBJECT ~ the complete aemhance or
giant. IL rests III very natural reclining posture
and appears as though IL was person VINO haa
tallen there ana died. Tne right nand rests upon
the lower abdomen, and the lett hand j. pressed
against the back, directly oppose. Zoe left foot il
thrown partially over the right one the leg resting
partly upon It's fellow, but not crossing 1t. ihe
muscles of the lower limos are fully developed ana
seem greatly contracted. me Whole body
REGIMES slightly 20 the ngat, and the left
side Is consequently somewhat raised above
ciined TO the right. The position OF the
nft
the attitude oi the body Indicated. 10 view, the
agony OF Intense physical pain But the lace Is per.
Inc head and face are remarkable Developments
anu impress the beh0lder with . feeling Of admra-
uon akin to awe. The external appearance OF the
object is like the most perfect Onoudaga waterlme
stone. Its color at rst WAS quite DARK and Is SIM
30 when Wet but as the water dries away 1t becomes
lighter ana whtIsn deposit ike that caused by
washing slate sutinses the surface When moist
the nnger nails aud veins are clearly distinguished
as wen as the contour Of the muscles and all The
prominent physical developments. BY rapping
any part the OBJECT the sound Is like that from
block OF stone. The surface shows many abraslons,
seem to be the strata OF the stone, by some
taken for such, and by others Tor the marks OF
slde nom the head to the foot shows the effects OF
dIsinegraton, having crumoled or been broken
away more or less along this whole outline. BY
digging underneath the cody 1t is said thai the per-
eclion Oh the back and limbs has been ascertalned.
Nothing ike a block or tablet, upon which statue
Of this magnitude would naturally have been placed,
Is found TO exist. These are the marked peculiari.
ties as we have seen them. While the mass Itself Is
very hard stone, We were informed that the broken
pieces were reduced to powder without grit between
the fingers.
is IT PErRIFAcrIoN OR WORK OF ARrf
The great question, Is THIS object the work OF
sculptor or tine petrehed remains OF human
| Deingf remains unsolved There Is widespread
interest ne tas determination ,2 Of the inquiry
| able one and the object itseif possesses very
] great interest The conclusions reached by
DR., j. f. Boynt0n, the well known lecturer on geo.
ogy, given In favor OF its Deng Work OF arr.
Other gentlemen OF excellent scientific attainments
diner entirely rom his CONCLUSIONS. They maintain
that it is petrifaction beyond question One OF
our best KNOWN physicians and surgeons, a well
versed physloogist made visit yesterday and pro-
posed to apply tests, which would have thrown
light upon the subject but ne was denied near ap
proach to the object. Those IN charge Of the exit
bition are very cautious and, while expressing q
Willingness to suomi TO the examinations or scen-
tito gentlemen they have no definite plan OF how
to reach u satisfactory investigation It Is under
stood that parties in TINS city have sent invitations
to Professor Agassz, state Geologst Han aud DR..
b. Woolworth. secretary OF the Board OF Regents,
70 come and settle the disputed point and u
these and other experts VIII doubtless the
| scene OF The discovery.
AN INDIAN THEORY.
Members OF the Onondaga tribe OF Indians have
manifested much curiosity regarding the discovery.
and nave visited the locality Tney all declare that t
is something their have had nothing with.
mo Inun, is the first exclamation OF these visl-
tors. Several OF The Onondagas who were inter
viewed by our reporter expressed singular opinion.
Tney averred that the body that OF Abel, who
was Killed by his brother Can and were earnest in
that their tribe agrees TO.
LARGE HUMAN SKELETONS FOUND IN oNoSDAGA
COUNTY.
On consulting Carks History OF Onondagar we
find that locality IN the town Of Pompey called
Indian Hll is noted for Its antiquarian relics Ii
| Is situated about two miles south from Manllus
village, and formerly very rich IN Its
Indian treasures We Ind, however, nothing
analogous TO the Lafayette curiosity, except the
statement that the skeletons were usually
found two or three feet below the surace and from
appearances the bodies after being placed III their
graves, were covered with brush previous casting
| the earth upon them Trees Of 200 years. growth
once stood over some OF these graves "In grave
| on the late DR.. Westerns farm was found skuH
much larger tnan its fellows; the under Jaw would
fit completely outside OF common mans, ana IL ls
said that the other bones were Of corresponding
| gigantic dimensions" "On the hill about one mile
and half south Of Delphi are the ruins OF old
fort and burSing place, occupying about eight acres
OF land The skeletons taken IRON here have usually
been OF q size averaging lar above tnst OF common
men. several have exceeded seven feet.r on me
farm OF slr. James scovle was also an extensive
bGrying around, where human bones OF extraords-
nary dimensions have been exhumed
rHE 'oS' = .toN- GkhcJ'ED NJ pR. BoySToS.
Tie following the Letter II fun OF our townsn1an
Dr. }. +. 10, ntoh. ne Lecturer ON geology giving
his concn-'on- regarding tne Lafayette discovery
SYRACUSE, oc.. rs, 1852
hfser N"Er", Pro essof u The fennsyssna University
,ut rrtuSn Institute
M ..as IL Il, am .. s. 9. Newell near tue sliaas
1 taiah iou heeo mes south Of this city, discovered
ylu- sbaut .ftp ieet the sutaes OF tho what
rley suppose ptrlned bodyr Of human beng Of
coossi W easta Tea ees ADD three inches the
re-. q the e"dy piosotontsy Tho
locnltf tAe discovery unprece.
denied Thousands ysd he locality within the last
three days, and tho general seemed be the ds
i c0very the @petuued body M human being
spent most q sesiefaay ana toay al tho location
sOcasi toss man., aHu sde survey " the
Of tie place whore this oncerlui curiosity found ON
carefni examination convinced that 1t IL FOSSIL
but cot rom piece OF strafed suiphaa known
ssthe onondags gypsum II we're puveri<ed ground
farmer would cali plaster. 1T qusrried prob
where In this county from gypsum beds rhe layers OF
different cocfs dark and Hight The statue evidently
aligned to lie on its back, partially and
dead person IN position he would naturally
dying The body lies nearly the back, the right
Little lower the head leaning little The right The legs
ne nearly above the other; the feet partially cross
one another. The tos Of the right foot \ little lower
showing plainly that the statue never de.
| signed TO stand erect ia feet Jeff
Nrn lies down by the lett aide of the body, forearm
hand being partially covered by The body. The rahI
rests khoTt dist ance below ba unhlcus little anger
spreading from tbe Others reaching nearly 10 rubes The
whole statue evidently the position that body
| would naturally take at the departure Of lie.
There perfect harmony IN The proportions OF diaeten,
parts OF the statue. Tho features strictly
having not ths high cheek Indian tyne neither