The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-03-03
A Remarkable Discovery
The Footprints of Civilization Discovered One
hundred and Eighty Feet Below the Surface
Xofthe Earth.-A Sea Serpent also Discovered.
From the Sullivan (Ind). Union.

FROM Lne sullivan (InQ). Union.
One of the most singular and wonder
full discoveries of the age was made in
Curryville coal mines, few days ago.
At depth Of one hundred and eighty
feet, while the miners were cutting
through slate stone, they discovered
the petrifed body Of a sea serpent We
examined this petrifcation, and can say
with truth, that it is the finest specimen
we ever saw. Unfortunately it was bro
ken into three pieces, and piece from
near the centre missing-perhaps thrown
out in silver of stone
A limb had evidently fallen across the
serpent, about eight or ten inches from
the head, and mashed the part under
meath fiat, and strange to say, even this
thin part was formed in solid stone, and
taken out perfect. The wrinkles in the
serpent in its wfithing as if to extricate
itself from the stick that fell across it,
were as perfect and natural as the day the
affair took place. The head is shaped
like that of an eel, and the tail, from in
dications, must have been supplied with
a broad fnor fiat feshy substance as d
propeller The eyes and mouth can be
distinctly traced, while the body is COW
cred with small sunken spots, similar to
those on hog skin, though not SO small
or numerous. This specimen is five feet
three inches long, near ten inches around
the largest part of the body.
In addition to this most singular curl
osity, perfect impression of leaves, limbs,
brush and other samples of vegetation
were taken cut ut this enormous depth
Among these was a beautiful impression
of what is Familiarity called suake weed,
or fern, which grows in almost every val
ley throughout the western country.
The most singular specimen is yet to
be described, and in attempting to com
municate the TACT to our readers, we feel
that the history of our earth is just as
much mystery to the present generation
as it was to those who inhabitated it be
fore the flood-the "half having not yet
been told" The sole of shoe, or sandal,
was taken out in complete state of pet
rifcation The heel is almost perfect,
and the impression OF something in the
heel resembling tacks or nails, is plain
and distinct. This specimen is about eight
inches long and of the usual width
When this discovery is seriously con
sidered in connection with the general
formation of the earth for circumfer-
ence Of between seventy and eighty miles
around-there not being hill of any
material helght-bOt a raVine Of auy-
depth worthy Of remark-not a cavern,
and the Wabash the largest stream with
in this scope, and the earth almost level
and thickly and heavily timbered- hat
mind can go down into the bowels of
the earth, one hundred and eighty feet
BENEATH the firmly -rooted aged oaks of
the forest, and solve the mysteries there
nnfoded? What Intelligent being can
stand and look upon the marks Of civiIj-
cation, which have been buried for ages
upon agys, and feel that he is not tread
ing upon hallowed ground 2"
W hat pen can explain or convey /. cor
rect appreciation OF this connecting link,
or Joining OF hands, as it were, with those
who must have existed years before the
Hood !? Indeed we are lost in wonder, and
Shall leave the solution to the more ex-
perieneed
III conclusion we cannot refrain from
expressing our candid belief that the pre-
sent age know nothing of this little ball
of earth, in comparison to the realities
of what has been, or what is to be.
The pctrifed serpent was taken 10
Terre Haute and presented to AIr. Chaun-
coy Rose, who will dispose of it as he
may think best. We suggest, however,
that it, with the shoe OF sandal sole and
The other specimens, be placed in the
Notmal Schoo! buildil g, as relics of the
unwrltten history of the past ages of
he Wabash Valley.