The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-04-27
Centuries Under Ground.
New York Mercury.I

OcutuTlcS Uuucr UTOuuus
New York Mercury.I
Recent proceedings in the Hungarian
Parliament disclosed a most remarkable
discovery which, were it not so conclu
sively authenticated, would be almost
impossible to believe. The story, as
condensed from the official reports, is
that two peasants, or rather shepherds,
from the village of Ivan-Egerszeg, near
the ancient city of Vesprim and not far
from Lake BaletOn, came to Pesth, and
to jeweler offered for sale some broken
fragments of wnat evidently was very
old golden ornament for female wear,
probably a bracelet or band for the
upper arm. The jeweler questioned the
shepherds, and, their answers being
unsatisfactory, he had the men arrested
on suspicion of being thieves. On ex-
animation they told tale which was so
astonishing that it was communicated to
the Minister of the Interior, and this
functionary ordered an investigation by
scientific officers. The information of
the shepherds was that in the woods
skirting Ivan-Egerszeg, where they had
some huts for shelter when out at night,
they had been digging at little hill,
wanting the earth tor building purposes.
Suddenly they came upon what appeared
to be a square structure of brick walls,
with stone covering the aperture.
Removing this stone they found that
these walls inclosed an opening into the
earth, and resolved to sound the depth.
Lowering a stone tied to a rope, they
ascertained that the shaft, about three
feet in diameter, or nine square feet,
descended perpendicularly to a depth of
over one hundred square feet. The
pebble they had lowered reached what
seemed like a stone floor beneath, and
from the sound itself they judged that
this opening must lead to some large
subterranean cavern or hall.
They agreed to keep their discovery a
ecret and to explore the mystery. A
day or two afterward the shepherds
were again at work. They prepared
as small square board, freighted wit
stones, and in the center of it they
placed three lighted candles. This they
let down through the shaft, and by the
light of the candles they saw distinctly
that the inner sides of the shaft were
smooth, and apparently ended in some
large apartment. AS the candles con-
tinued to burn all the way down, they
came to the conclusion that the air
could not be vitiated, and that it would
be safe to 60 down. They next prepared
a rope ladder of the requisite length,
secured several lanterns, and then one
of them let himself down the shaft. At
the bottom he stood in wonderment as
he gazed upon a large square hall, the
walls covered with faded paintings,
chairs, benches and tables standing
around ornamented with gold and ivory,
and large heavy doors, hung on golden
hinges, leading to other rooms. The
shepherd climbed the ladder and told his
companion the discovery. Both of them
went down together, and walking about,
found themselves in succession OF
rooms abOunding with elaborately carved
furniture, of a style they had never seen
before. In some of them were low,
large stands, evidently once used for
beds; there were also closets or bureaus
containing armlets, rings, medals, coins
daggers, chains, swords, shields, and
helmets. There were also breastplates
of leather covered with iron and studded
with ornaments in gold. Some of the
armlets they took away. broke them uE
and carried to Pesth for sale, in which
transaction they were arrested, as above
stated.
The officers of the Hungarian Ministry
of the Interior began their investigation
under the ancient law which makes all
such discoveries the property of the
Crown, and their report, as communi
Gated to Parliament, is still more start
ling. Their researches clearly establish
it as fact that this subterranear
structure was undoubtedly an old Ro
man castle built many centuries before
the Huns and the Magyars left theil
Asiatic homes to invade this part ol
Europe. This section of Hungary was
the province of Pannonia, of the Roman
Empire, and in the vicinity of Lake
Balaton there was large, permanent
Roman camp, the agricultural and mill.
tary settlements of the Romans extend
ing for many miles, and traces of this
Roman occupation, which continued
down to the sixth century of the Chris
tian era, have repeatedly been found
But how this vast structure, which il
said to cover several acres, and is built
two stories high, with massive walls O
stone and brick. was covered with earth
to the depth of more than sixty feet
over which forest of heavy timber hac
grown up, forest too, that is mentioned
as existing in the Oldest preserved chron
icles of the kingdom the officers have 81
far found, is impossible to account for
In one room several skeletons of human
beings have been found, but the bone
were too much decayed to indicate will
certainty the race of people to which
they belonged.
As a thorough search of this wonderful
building is now proposed, further de
velopments may clear up the mystery
The shaft through which the first dis
covery was made is believed to hav,
been either a chimney or an observator,
or lookout, as iron hooks have beer
found fastened to the wall inside, Il
which means of ascent and descent wer'
probably attached. The Minister of tn,
Interior has asked for preliminary
appropriation of q hundred thousant
forins to make more full examination
and also demanded authority to com
mence work at once digging out th'
whole earth now burying the place, ant
thus bring TO the eyes of the nineteenth
century evidence of Roman provincial
life, hidden from the light of day posi-
bly, for fifteen centuries.