, 1870-12-31
WONDERFUL DISCOVERY.
y EAxe of Skeletons Encnrthcd Senr
f:AsI&. Point.

Z
From The Dubuque Tio4tS, DE @.
On Saturday last discovery fttlly as won-
de,ful as any yet reported In this Northwest
was made By the workmen on the D.,bu1ue
4 Alirnesata Railroad. ness the base Of One Of
the tall. froHning bluffs overlooking the river,
short Gista:ce above Eagle Point. At the
foot Of the blu6 equad Of WoEkmen were
engaged in escavatinE IN tue loose stra'itief
limestone rock for the railroad track, aud
while digsirg away with pick, spade. and crow
Lar in tho side Of the tank. they suddenly
found thsir. further progress arrested By
face Of Nhlch was inscribed a number OF
strange characters and leSlca@, which uona Of
the ullettered wntkMeu, OF caurse. cnulA
make out. Under the direction ct tho fore
msp, and By the rnited exertions OF = number
Of mer, the stone was Removed. when.t 70
ed yicl<n: rush Of cold cir, from large.
souare optnnE, which txiended icto
the bluff in horizontal direction, the air
rushing out with sueh force that !tshta'l
taper held in the mouth OF the opening; was
eAtipguished in Al instant. Inspired By ths
,lousLts Ct hidden treasure. aud thinking
that pelLxrs cache Of some Of the early ex-
ploltrs had been unearthed, it WAS resolved
TO explore tho mystery at once, and bring
OUT tie strcnE chests and precious
gins fepoeinE eomewh here within. Lights
were procured. ard. holding = caa.lle in each
hane, five meiI. hea-ed by the forc1n.n. set
out to explore the suotezra,,ra,l passage, ,whI:h
was about four feet wide. and high enough, -
permit 4 man to walk hy bending over little.
Grl ping their wa5 ale1g cantiLu.1y. and. cast
ing many fearful g!ances around them, as
Though they expected every moment to en-
counter rome dreadful spectre, the party prt1-
ceeded along the tunnel. which extended d.
rectlv into tie heart Of the bluff about,
way in,peded by snotheE: large etone.
Removing this, they found a '.lisht Of stoue
steps leading downward distance OF ten fest,
and descending thc.e, tho party found them
solves in what appeared TO be huge cham
Der, cut cut Of the eolid rock. about twentv-
five feet square. and twenty feet high. F"r :.
moment the men stood ln-s IN admiration at
This wcnGarfni ~oIk- The tl1or bcueati1 wa4
hard and perfectly rrnootb. while by the dim
light OF the candles they could see that the
uucouth characters and figures, Intended to
represent birds. trees. flowers, and other nat
ural objects, Ill carrtd 4 III solid limestone. On
the south wall, Appeared 4 representation OF
the tup, and imme diaioly brlow this Was the,
figure OF naau ciad in loose. lowing robe,
ing ir hit hatff dove. The roof ot tho cham-
ber was embellished with stare. serpents. aud
! cbnriots. the outlines Of ali neing revealed
| plain and distinct. In the GENRE Of
| the apartment was large ia. sfae. aud upon
rtmosing this large r4nft was revealed be.
| come unknown race, Ill OF them being in a
sitting or standing posture aud almost per
| fectly Ire. erted, even to tho tms!ler bons 4.
1t waa noticed that all had originally bean in
| tered With their faees TO the southwest.
Dy tho aida Of each skeleton stood sus,i
each beirg filed with ) speelea Of yellow
| cnlored earth. One OF the vases WAS exam
fined. and At the base found to consaiu eoma
animal b1nes and dark paIti,les CT animal
matter, uLich had evidently heen placed 10
the serulchre to support I be departed to the
epi1t-lsnd. a funeral r,te in obedience to a
wide-epread custom among many barba1ic
| nations. Heads Of 4rTows. etone hatche:s,
and pieeea Of shells perforated with holes,
sere found scattered about the sanlt in pro-
| form Of ecmi.ciEc}c. tho largest being
| t,la ed in tte centre. Thia skclatun. by actual
meaAuxenont. stood sorcn feet eight inchet
| bigh. The teeth were white and glistened
| outs'fescbed hands. securely locked in the
| artjcu1Ated hones. rerose1 h small pearl orna.
ment. This person had evidently been the
| Chief of the tribe, and was consequently
buried with uuusual honors. by the side
tue ., ,3nan .Sa vb Ts's Imo ear anit
bone and copper heade covered the floor Of
I the vault- Yertiges Of 6brous cloth were
| a1eo discovered near the lower eIfremities oi
each skeleton. but 70 thin and in,pa1paple
that it crumbltd AWAY at the slightest touch,
No ornaments Of gold or silver were fouud
but various Implements in copper were scat.
tered tlick1y about, which had evidently beer
rocuIcd frcm the mines Of Lake Superior, a.
| the evidences are accumuIasing that these
! mines were worked At 3 date long Prior te
! the defuge-
After making a thorough examination oI
the chamber Of death and its ghortlr occu.
pants. the men came ont, closing tho entrance
! behind them. To what race the skeletons h.
! long. l'y whose bands their tomb Vas c1n
! s:lucted. rnuet ever remain mystery. 1t j:
| another leaf lcolicE to the long aEes OF the
pat. another evidence Of the fact that o. thi:
,.5 Wo51d and i's founders " know but yer.
We understand that measures are on tool
! to remove the >ke1eton4 and Ill Of the mos
| important article, to the hall OF tho Lows In.
| etitute Of Science AID Art