Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-05-06
And then run back to the army!
SCIENTIFIC.
THE IRISH IN AMERICA.
of Erse Mountains in
North Carolina.

On the Cd instant party of nine
persons arrived in this town from Gull.
ford on their way to the banks of the
Dan River. They comprised Profes-
sor Handyside, late of Chapel Hill
University DIR. Marsh, physician
of Baltimore Michael Mclaughlin,
an IIish excavatOr, of Washington,
d G, and six negroes hired. They
were well prepared for digging, with
tools, chemicals, &C.. had a tent and
considerable baggage. and were sup
posed to be prospeeters in search Oi
gold, iron, or copper, many such per-
sons having visited our town of late
years. They were under escort, how
ever, of Judge Charles Setrie, of For
sythe Circuit Court, who quickly in
formed us that they were going to q
plantation of his on the Dan, known
as Tuscahawsah, and famous for its Iu-
dian mounds. The party, the Judge
told us, had started under the au -pices
of the Smithsonian Institution to eX-
anime some Indian remains in Ten
nessee west OF Knoxville He had met
them at Raleigh, and begged them to
make detour TO ruscahawsah, as a
recent freshet of the river had laid
bare several of the mounds and ex-
posed owners whose existence had
been previously y unknown, making the
opportunity for examination an ex-
ceptionally fine one. Professor Han
dyside consented to go provided per-
mission was obtained of the Smithso-
nian, and this the Judge telegraphed
for and got at once.
AS soon rs l became aware of the
objects of the expedition | accepted
Judge Petrie's invitation and joined
the party at Wentworth / had fire.
quently. in hunting parties, been
struck by tile curious remains at Tus-
cahawash, and on one occasion had ex-
cavated one of the smaller tumult
without, however, discovering any
thing. except few pieces of crOckery,
some crumbling undistinguishabIe
bones, &C. Tuscahawsah. which is
Oh high grounds, is washed on three
sides by the Dan, which has here a
deep, rapid channel, and is very tor
tuOus. At one point the edge of fiat
point, which is about mile long and
200 yards wide. The bluff rises ab-
ruptly, from the margin of the fiat,
and is almost perpendicular to a
height of seventy-fve feet, when it
meets a terrace which is almost level
for two or three huidred yards. The
face of the bluff is much water-wash-
ed, and there is hardly u doubt but ii
once extended to the edge of the
stream, but has been carried cOntin
ually further back by the attrition Of
repeated freshets. Upon this terrace,
or pararet, the greater part of the In
dian monuments are situated. The
freshet of March, an unusually severe
one, had flooded the flats, eaten into
the base of the bluff, and caused a
landslide, which took away the face
of the bluff for several hundred feet,
and carried away some yards of the
terrace along a length at least fifty
yards. A portion of this caviDg-
away involved the substance of two
of the tumult, one of which. an appa-
rently lozenge-shaped barrow, was
about half carried away. The other,
circular, was merely nOtched by the
tooth of the stream.
Professor Handyside, who has great
skill IN these Investigations, went
down upon the flat and examined the
face of the bluff with great care, and,
as we soon saw, with great curiosity.
The barrow-shaped tumulus (which |
shall call A was elevated some six
feet above the level of the terrace.
The circular mound b was nine feet
above the level at lis highest point
The effect of the landslide had been
to give us a view of a clear-cut section
of each of these mounds, cut down al
most pcrpendicularly. There was
first the superintendent soil. then
layer Of charcoal, below that layer
Of red clay. probably eighteen inches
deep and fire-buut on the upper sur
face; below that, at two points, were
vestiges of excavated chambers, two
feet high, we could not see how long,
made of clay and fire-burnt within;
beneath this floor of hard ashes;
then came layer of soil again, next
a layer of clay, then excavations. then
the bottom floor of hard ashes. Two
made those mounds, gen.
said Professor Handyside.
between them :" and he called our at
tention to the fact, which we had not
before observed, that the stratum of
soil which underlaid the upper story
of the tumuit was stratum continu-
Gus through the face of the bluff and
had no relation to the mounds. This
stratum was eight feet below the level
of the terrace, while the second and
lower layer of ashes was full fifteen
fee; below that level. ard in the case
of the circular mound B) not less than
twenty-four feet below its apex.
Professor Handyside decided TO COM
~ enee his excavations with the bar
row Al, and Mclaughlin and the ne
groes we accordingly put to work to
dig an open tunnel from the SIDE of
the mound towards the centre. fhe
first ditch was about five feet wide and
went down to the upper floor of ashes.
.,i..I,t q - The Contra of