New-York tribune., 1874-08-14
hNcIPNr CTOYP FORT IN INDIANA.

ANCIENT STONE FORT IN INDIANA.
BY PROF.. y. 7. cox, STATE GEOLOGIsr INDIANA.
Of the many ancient works scattered over
the greater portion o che UIitod States indeed might
add over North ana South America there are none WINCH
Possesses greater interest the student OF Archaeology
than the stone and earhwork Enclosures Oult Dy the
race of men who inhabited the country time - re-
mote past history OF the country tht h; uillloh
Of the race who preceded them cannot lurhISu
ma witb any Trustworthy cew 10 the history though
they were evidently powerful race living under organ
ized governments at the mead o which there was prOo
ably a powerful and desppc ruler whose VIII was NV
ct amI All the re lining records OF their greatness
no trace found 0f national name cOIcpuehly
they have been classed under the gehet@ ha'nc Vi
Without relating the many evidences wllcn lead to
the inference that the mOIndbuilders OF The Unted
states had their origin in Central America wlen cly-
zltion and attained degree 0l perfection uhslr
nassed n egnaei by the earlier evidences OF art In the
Old World will merely adj that IN tneir emlErail3n
10 the northward they followed the shore ues OF the
oceans and CULTS aud 70 the interior by the
great rivers and their tributaries and took possession
OF for their towns and fors ~ our iore
fathers subsequently saw nc ~ adopt A. Sites lot iouh
lug some OF our present nOurishng cities.
one OF the most remarkable works left ;by the mound
builders Is seen m Clarke County, Indiana, fourteen
miles above the Falls OF the Ono River IL ancient
stone FORT built upon the terminal point Or hgh rlHe'
which Is washed on the south s,te Dy the OliO RIVER,
and on the north by Fourteen Mile Creek, DrOdd anu
deep stream which empres INTO the ONO lew mucs
below The point OF the ridge is pcarshlped, aud tue
forncatOn includes from eight 10 ten acres. Ile hlga
point at the stem OF the pear is 80 rect hDo'S c
Ono RIVER ana Is here only % feet broad with the
corncrous limestone two three feet thick, exposed
at the surface aud the Niagara limestone beneath ana
reaching down IN almost perpendicuar wall 10 the
river. natural wall OF Niagara limestone iurulshe,
complete protection against the approach OF an enemy
M the upper part OF the fort with the exception OF
short gap the creek odc eXtendns irom tne uppcI
point sOuthwdrd for about 100 steps Ihls D.9th III ung
natural wall is protected by an aruncil "au
seventy y-hye feet IN mgnt, made 10y lyl1g up
loose stone, mason fashion, olt witnlut mortar, az
The base for 6J IN hight follows the sDpe py le
hill aud rises 10 ieet vertically ArOdh nc SOUTH
ern terminus Of the point there Is an AZ hcdi stOho
wall 10 bigh which connects the two natural WaiI-
of Niagara lines tOue forming complete barrier
to tue approach OF foes. GA the inside Ot the uiic
wall are numerous MOUNDS OF earth, and Wlthln the
line of mounds there Is dug ditch four eet deep
and twenty wd- which receives the drainage from
the Of the hiu
A trench was dug through one OF these mounds ana
found slabs OF Stone set upon edge ana IedhhS IN
the direction OF tue slope OF the moIni lhey cNteuici
and arranged 80 as 10 protect thc
mound from overflow of the ditch some pieces 0I
charcoal, ashes, decOmpOsel bones, ana large utlno
shaped rock having slight indentdtOn near th' cen
ter OF the top surface, aut worn qulJe SMOOTH are all
the relies we could ud in II. Ga top OF the udse aeIe
are also a number OF mounds, and the ground slopes
very grldualy the northern 10 the sOu-herh eA-
trcmijy, ia. former being go aud the latter tO rect
above the river,