The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-09-16
WONDERFUL DISCOVERY.
Discovery of an Ancient Vault In Syra-
cusc-A Relic COevaI with the Cardiff
!

Discovery of an Ancient Vault In Syra-
cuse-A Relic COeval with the Cardiff
Giant.
They claim to have discovered all an
cient vault in Syracuse, and DR.. Boy
nton, of Cardiff Giant fame, has been in
vestigating the wonder and discourses
on the same in the following tenor in a
letter to the Syracuse Courier:
Hearing a day or two since that cur
iously formed cistern or vault had been
exhumed on the premises of Mr.. ID. b.
FILLMORE, on Seymour street, and not
having seen the notices which have ap-
peaced in the daily papers, 1 concluded
to visit and examine the same for my
self, and, accordingly, by the kindness
Of Mr. FILLMORE, spent couple of
hours to-day in making a careful exam
nation on the premises. There is no
evidence that it was ever water CIstern
as there IS no appearance of the action
of water, or deposition of It's sedi-
ments in the interior; neither was there
any indications that it was built as an
oven or cess pool, as neither form nor
structure would indicate such a use
On the contrary, facts go to show that 1T
was made and used as a vault or depos-
story for valuables III times of danger.
The external diameter of the vault is
five feet and three inches, about three
feet IL height from the foundation, and
the wall about six inches thick. 1t was
built in the form of circle, with an
arched top, in which there was appar-
emily an opening, originally closed by II
keystone or cover, the whole structure
being situated about two feet below the
original surface of the earth. The bot
tom was built of brick and mortar, be
ing apout six inches IN thickness, and
resting upon foundation of several
pieces of JAMESTOWN, which had evident
ly been broken from some outcropping
ledge, as one piece had weathered sur
face upon its edge These stones were
undoubtedly brought some distance, as
no stones of this kind are found in the
post diluvial deposit of the valley
The brick of which it is built were not
"adobes," but were well burned, of or
binary size, and made in mold, sand
ed and streaked.
The mason work showed no signs of
a trowel, but on the contrary, was APP
parently built by rude tools or by hand,
and the interior slushed over with thin
mortar, as the streaks plainly show
The floor of the vault is concave, the
center being about three inches lower
than the sides. In the center there is a
! distinct and deep impression III the
mortar of what was apparently the head
of keg, as the imprints of the grain
of the wood and joints of the head in
the mortar are plain to be seen, indi-
eating that the key was placed there
while the mortar used for slushing was
in its plastic state
! Directly over this vault stood a hick-
! DRY tree, which when sawed off at the
/ foot measured about seventeen inches
/ in diameter, and layers Of wood or rings
of natural growth can be readily count
/ ed to the number of fifty which in
dictate that the tree has been growing
undisturbed for 56 years, which takes
us back to the close of the war of 1912.
/ Mr.. FILLMORE informed me that this
! land was covered with a heavy growth
/ of timber, which he cleared about forty
years ago, working for five dollars a
month, and that this was one of only
two hickory trees growing IN that vlcln-
/ ity.
Query: Might not this have been 8
place of deposit of valuables during
/ the distressing times of war of Britons
and Indians from 1911 to 1915? AND
was not this hickory planted to marx
/ the spot? Were not these deposits re
moved at the close of the war, when the
tree was cut off or received an inquiry
and the second growth took place form
ing these distinct centers, as the cross
section of It's trunk plainly indicates
[ think from the induction this can
not go back in its history to the early
settlement of our valley, when the
| French were here IN large numbers, IL
the years from 1880 to 1860.
But it would not be unreasonable tc
suppose some trader or settler would
arrange this secret place of deposit fol
his valuables at the outbreak of the wal
! of 1872.
BY my request, Messers. c. c. Brad
ley, William Sweet and several other
gentlemen visited the location, and al
agreed that it WIS one of the land
mark S of our country's past history
! We know that our vicinity is one OF
more history than any other State, and
/ / write this to awaken an interest Ill
saving history of every apparent an
| tiquity of the great council valley Of
| the lrOquOIs.