The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-18
THE ONONDAcA GIANT.
What He Is and What Appears
Of His History.

In October two men were employed by a farmer In
the Onondaga valley to dig we'll They were IN
the first hours the labor working back to back In
an excavation already three or four feet IN depth
when one struck what he at first supposed to be an
Old drain pipe. but what moment later he saw was
foot and leg. lie said to his comrade I've struck
some old Indians footn The other, without turn
ing round, said .Has he got any corns" Such Is the
simple story Of the first uncovcrng OF what IL called
the Onondaga Giant, a wonder that VIII perhaps long
remain mystery as we for the aniqnarian ready
70 entertain and welcome anything that promises
clue to the ancient world, as for the man OF exact
science, too eager sometimes perhaps 10 annihliate
wonders and reduce all evidences TO the level OF
the positive knowledge OF his day. II il NJ least GER
tain thai the mystery VIII never be solved Whiie the
cause OF 1t remains In the hands or showmen who
make market OF the curiosity II excltes. for II
~ the especial business " these people 10 prevent
and defeat an inquiry that may solve the problem Of
tho origin oil Their prize II seems for the presen.
evident that the socaled giant ia an nnmistakaole
antiquity, oil the real history ana or.ia II which The
men in whose hands il now u know AZ least as ttc
As other men.
DESCRIPTION ~ TlE STATUE.
In It's extreme length this won,le Is ten feet
four inches. and represents figure tha. supposed
standing erect would be nearly Twelve feet high
The proportions Of the figure Az ggantie and ia
its expression IL conveys the Peanic aAd not merely
the colossal charactar-that Is 10 Pay. there - not
general ami proporuoaate enlargeDcnt OF that
elegance Of limb ami form that associate our
thought OF The perfectly made man. We are reminded
rather or .'arge-limbcd Ug' laan OF speadll Apollo
rho heavy head, the great roundod shoulders the
ample chest, the ponderous nand, tie t0wcrke
thigh and, leg and lAe broad, e'fong foot: ali these
# wanting IN grace, are not without an Impressive
fidelity IN tone that suggests i2aa5c mo iaa rather
than the en,areenent VI " .,es wish which we aIc
more amiaf Tie figure hes on its back N an att
luie intended 10 represent sleep death, and we
Bee no point In II that can determine which. III
eyes are closed, The shoulders touch The earth
evenly, but the weight OF the lower part OF the body
Is thrown 10 the right hp the left hip beng raised by
the mterposion OF the left han between IL ana the
ea TIL. The left arm ana hand fat to tins place
with the natural ease OF steep. The relation OF
the legs to each other IL most remarkable
point. The outer surface Of tue right leg hes against
the earth, that the whole Side OF righ,
foot from the nee to the little toe touches the earth.
The knee OF that leg is slightly bent and the foot
slightly extended from the IN Nia JOINT. This leg
also is nearly in line with the right side OF the
body. The left leg the contrary inclines IRON its
elevation toward the right side. The line from the
trochanter OF this thigh to the corresponding knee
Is not the general line OF The body. The left knee
fncliues TO fall INTO the hollow under the right knee,
and the lett foot rests on the inner aspect OF the
right foot just behind the great too joint, while til :
LETT heel Is at least six inches beyond the right heel
While therefore. the LETT hip IL higher up than The
right and the left heel lower down, the left leg
has greater bend than the right and. therefore,
describes longer ine This is position more fire.
Iuently seen 10 hospitals than art galleries. In
man II Is scarcely possible, when The head OF
the thigh bone is out OF its socket aud res.s the
surface OF the hip bone two or three inches below
It's proper place.
the employment OF the hands might he supposed
10 have relation TO TINS nip. Toe lett hand IS behind
and under tie body, SO that that side aud hip rest
upon and are supported and lifted up by the hand
and aru,. the palm Is 60 the ealtn. lie rI9ht hand
IS thrown across the abdomen so that the fingers
press into the hollow between the groin and the
thigh. The ease IN the expression OF tns hand IL
hingularly inconsistent VITA the rou%hness OF ITS
execution. The forearm and The fall OF the hand
from the wrist present startling piece oil crude art.
The face may be called Caucasian for want OF
better naine The nose Is moderately aQulllne--
starting from a decided depression at the eyebrows
the lips large ana firm; there Is an ample lower
jaw aud rounded, prominent chm. The check
bones rise softly from the OF the orolt
ana not prominent With features thus far Ro-
man there not the wide, depressed Roman fore
head. On the contrary, the forehead is narrow and
rather high II lt answers 70 any known type
rounded, rather square and perpendicular, with
sllenty protruding supraoroIta arcn. THIS face we
might CAL Italian. for 1t IS neither Roman nor Gre
elan. though It possesses points oil relation co each
Of those types; but It is = lace not uncommon
are iittest to present the calm dignity OF an ee-
vated mind, and in the absence or obliteration Of
engraven some particular mood this general charac-
ter OF expression remains.
The ears arc well formed aud in proper proper
sion to tie head that OF the right side being nearly
perfect while that Of the lett SIDE IS in great part
gone. There is no hair, nor does the upper part OF
the head Indicate any action that would lead 10 the
superstition That TINS had 0een worn away. The
How it may have been with the sides and occipital
region 1t Il not possible to say. There is no beard
adams applej quite Strong. 1t either side Where
the neck and shoulders run into the same line there
Is an appearance OF some deposition OF mineral mat
Altogether The sharpness Of line that would ind.
cato hne points Is lost-perhaps by the disinlegra
ton CT u certain part Of the Whole surface.
The material Is much more dense than may be gen
orally thought from the statements hitherto made Of
lts character. u IS not inlisc coarse marble II
cryslallized sulphate Of lime. It's density may
lie judged by the fact that the statue weighs 1900
pounds. The color Is nearly that OF the smooth
outer surface OF q common boulder.
NOT A PErRlFACrioS.
In the argument that II Is not netrifacti0n there
are many points, any one OF winch " sufficient. For
the statement that The soft parts OF ANNUAL bodies
are never found In the pctri1ed state there l.
abundant support. To controyert this statement
some alleged Instances of pctriiacion OF bodies
given, with names OF the parties having cognizance
the facts II any one endeavored TO hunt up these
par,ics he would have troublesome time Of IT no
scientific museum, despite the vast number or dead
men tnat have been disturbed in their graves for
ages; yet we are asked to believe that at least five
human bodies nave been found completely petrined,
aud buried again III different parts Of THIS state.
was t. oaos ale euea a. e.
served from decomposition by the properties
OF the soi In which they are buried,
aad sometimes they are converted to Interchangeable
substances. In the museum OF the College ol rysi-
cans and surgeons In this city there IL body that
has undergone such change. THIS body was buried
IN PIT, with many others, In 1882, and IN 1905,
when taken up, was found TO be changed to n waxy,
fatty maeriai called adipocsre The general form
of lie body Is preserved, put abundant p0st-mortem
change Is evident. THIS is very different thing
from petri'action ana especially irom petrifaction
that preserves exactly the contour OF the limbs aud
ali the lines OF the body. Such change IS certainly
impossible. Petflactlon can only occur when Il
substance Is saturated with water holding In solu.
ton mineral substances tnat may be ca.careous,
IeTugnous or slllcious. In some cases OF volcano
action, and where there are springs OF boil.
ing temperature this change may occur sud
denly. but in all other circumstances 1t taxes