Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-11-10
INTERESTING SPECIMENS.
Some of the Wonders Unearthed a
the Nevada State Prison Quarry.

/
We were yesterday shown quite a num-
Der Of interesting specimens Of a past age,
taken from the quarry of the Nevada State
Prison, near Carson by the workmen there
engaged, and presented by the Superin
Iendent, z. G. Hyman, to the society of the
racine Coast Pioneers of this city. This
quarry Is formation of solid sandstone,
ana Ihe specimens hereafter mentioned
nave the ledge formation all around and
among them, showing their existence pre-
| vlous TO the deposit of the substance which
has since become hardened into sandstone
This ledge has in the past Welded some of
| the most interesting specimens in the
world. There was one OF this kind in the
cabinet of the Pioneer, which was DESTROY
ed by the big fire. Itswas the head of some
animal and resembled in shape and size
the two hands OF a man put palms together
and fingers out straight The jaw bones
had no molars, but six teeth Of the purest
ivory stuck straight out from the ends Of
jaws and were sharp. These were, in fact,
lnclsOrs, and could only have been used for
striking serpent fashion and bringing down
prey. 1t was evidently water animal and
nice thing for man to meet of a quiet
Sabbath morning while taking bath.
They have many other curious things
taken from this ledge One, in particular,
has astOnished the scientific world so far as
exhibited. 1t is the skull Of some colossal
animal still unclasSifed and unknown else
where. Portions of this wonder are in the
possession Of Judge Belknap, of this city,
and portions belong to the Hon. J. D. Mi
nor, Secretary of State. These wonders
are but few of the many we have right
at home here. The fact that after passing
through ledge of sandstone deposit Of
black, Shiny mud and quieksand is reached
aids IN building up a theory of probably
truthful proportions The supposition is
that these animals frequented the section
where their remains are found away back
in the Miocene period. The land was then
marShy, and in the water and mud and
sands which abounded, these monsters
which were either saurians or mammals,
and perhaps there were some Of both, lived
and disported themselves. This is doubt
less the period Of which the churches sang
hundred years ago, as follows:
'Ye whales and monsters of the deep.
Your Makers praises spout;
Forth from the sands ye cOd-heads peep,
And wag your tails about"
If, however, to-day this formation is per-
forated boiling water is struck.
But leaving this past which is so long
past, and coming down to the specimens
before US we find:
1. A shoulder joint of an immense NAM
NAL or saurian, firmly imbedded in tertiary
sand stone. Parts Of the bone are well pre-
served, especially the exterior, the interior
being porous.
2. A curious conglomerate of minute
pebbles, composed of feldspar and horn
blend.
8. Another specimen OF bone. very mas
sive, as if from the tibia of the same mon
ster mentioned. 1t was found near the
same place.
4. A large collection of perfectly formed
mOlusks, cOgeners of the present fresh water
clans.
8. Fragment of canine tusk of either
mammal or saurian. The fragment meas
ures over two inches in diameter and is
about four inches long.
g. Other large homes similar to those men
toned above, and evidently from different
parts of the same monster.
Z. A stalagmatic mass, wonderfully re-
sembling frog.
8. Specimens of a petrifed sea weed,
fragmentsry bones, ETC., differing in shape
but of the same general appearance as those
mentioned above.
Tl.,f,.