The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-03

BY wItLfAM AsprasoN.

"NtF - S"NS W 'Hhii~ouEg AoWu-
hip, Mrig- county, Ohio, two and
Ilf milt- northwest from Promerey. Ii
deep excavation IN the coarse sand
zone which overlies the Pomeroy coal
'ein. and was probably the product Of
atmospheric agencies. II Is nn el0nga-
ed semi circle, one hundred aud fifty
eel long. thirty-fve feet wide, aud ff.
cen feet high at the entrance, and grad
iaily recedes To height OF FIVE feet at
he rear. The cave has been long
.nown bnt its contents were not known
Intil 1870, when man hunting rabifs,
hrrst his hand aud arm nnder stone
found them covered with ashes. Some
>light excavations were then made which
resulted in finding i've well prepared
-keletons. (prohably Indians), ranging
from that Of . child to a matured adult
in size. A physician OF Pomeroy, !
learn, became possessed Of them, in part
at least, and he transferred those he had
To Medical College in Cincinnati.
i commenced an excavation in the
east end Of this cave and found there
immense Quantities OF ashes, thousands
of bushels probabIy;) intermingled with
which were mnltitndes Of bones of the
hear, elk, deer aud other animals; also
eist~, shells. stone axes, arrow points.
fragments Of pottery, shelI-beads and
various other things found usually in
mounds, including a well-worn bone
needle, six inches long. I also secured
four relics made of fine green colored
late. The axes were Of two types, and
the celts were the usual style. The
homes, at least many of those that con-
'ained marrow, had been split open, as
vas the mound builder custom, and 9th
srs seemed to have been boiled. Some
''f the pottery found was Of considera-
bic thickness and had been ma,le Of
nnch cOarser materials than that usual
ly obtained in the Ohio river bottoms.
At the mouth OF the cave is a huge
block of sandstone that had fallen down
from the top. 1t stands about ten feet
high and lies with its lowest diameter
parallel with the mouth of the cave. In
the center of the stone il a hole drilled
fifteen inches deep, oblong in form, FIVE
by aix inches at top and five inches di-.
ameter at the bottom. II was filled with
lecayed wood, pole having probably
rested in it and reaching to the top of
The cave. Much of the pottery was
ieat, having various ornamental lines
lrawn ovA its snrface. Most Of the i'm
pleinents found in this cave were similar
o. those found in this county, and in
Mason county, West Virginia, across
he Ohio river. So aIso are the beads
and other ornaments. / made a
thorough examination Of the she'll
heaps, (probabIy of the Indians,) but
found no beads. The immense accu-
mutation OF ashes renders it probable
that the cave was in use a great while,
probably centuries, but npon thS sup
position that the skeletons foand were
those of Indians it may not have been
ofsuch very ancient date when the ashes
were made. That they were Indian
skeletons is probable from the fact OF
their burial near the surface Of the ash
heaps, and the careless manner of il also
as they were thrown promiscnously on
top Of each other, and no implen,ents
or ornaments being found with them.
There are other, though smaller caves
in Meigs county. that have been found,
on only partial exploration, to contain
remains similar to those above describ-
ed. In some Of the mounds Of this
county, which are not generally MS large
aS those Of Licking county, have been
fonDd variety Of Mound-bnilders' rel
ics. No lines Of decentralization exists
here, but the she'll heaps are numerous,
and contain many Indian remains.
Shell-heaps are abundant hsreabonts.
ON both sides Of the Ohio river, and APP
pear to be the remains OF two different
peop oples, the mound-bailders and Indians
probably, who both used mussels for
food. Those on the surface. which are
most numerous. were doubtless Of Indian
origin. The others are the remains OF
a people that existed long ages before
the Indians-so long that in some in
stances the Accommodations in the bed Of
the Ohio river. have been found to be
twelve feet in thickness over their re-
mains.