The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-05-25
A Wonderful subterranean Palace.

| n dHCuh l. dAGiSSs
Recent proceedings in the Hungarian
Parliament disclosed most remarkable
discovery. The story, as condensed
from the official reports, is that two peas
ants, from the valley of Ivan-Egerzeg,
near the ancient city of Vezprim, and
not far from Lake Balaton, came to Pesth,
and to a jeweller offered some broken
fragments of what evidently was some
very old golden ornaments for female
wear, probably bracelet or band for
the upper arm. The jeweller questioned
the shepherds, and, their answers being
unsatisfactory, he had the men arrested
on suspicion of being thieves. On the
examination 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 shepherd was, that in the woods skirt
ing Ivan Egerzeg, where they had some
huts for shelter. when out at night, they
had been digging at little hill. Sud
denly they came upon what appeared to
be square structure of brick walls, with
stone covering the aperture. Removing
this stone, they found that those walls
enclosed an opening into the earth, and
resolved to sound its depth. Lowering
stone tied to rope, they ascertained that
the shaft, about three feet in diameter,
or nine square feet, descended perpen-
dicularly to depth of over a hundred
square feet. The pebble they had low
cred 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. A day or two afterward the shep-
herds were again at work They pre-
pared small square board, freighted
with stones, and in the centre 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 endeded in some
large apartment. They next prepared
rope ladder of the requisite length, Sc
curing several lanterns, and then one OF
them let himself down the shaft. At the
bottom he stood in wonderment as he
gazed upon large square hall, the walls
covered with faded paintings, chairs,
benches and tables standing around, or.
namented with gold and ivory, and
large heavy doors, hung on golden hinges:
leading to other rooms. The shepherd
climbed the ladder and told his conpan-
ion of the discovery. Both of them
went down together, and found them
selves in succession ofrooms abounding
with elaborately carved furniture of
style they had never seen before. In some
of them were low, large stands, evidently
once used for beds; there were also clos
cts, beaureaus containing armlets, rings,
medals, coins, daggers, chains, swords,
shields and halmets. There were also
breastplates of leather, covered with iron
and studded with ornaments in gold.
Some of the armlets they took away,
broke them up and carried them to
Pesth for sale, in which transaction
they were arrested, as above stated.
The officers of the Hungarian Min
istry of the Interior began their
investigation under the ancient law
which makes all such discoveries the
property of the crown, and their report,
as communicated to Parliament, is still
more startling. Their researches clearly
establish it as fact that this subter-
ranean structure was undoubtedly an old
Roman castle, built many centuries be-
fore the Huns and Magyars left their
Asiatic homes to invade this part OF
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 is said to
cover two acres, and built two stories
high, with massive walls of stone and
brick, was covered with earth to the depth
of more than sixty feet, over which
forest of heavy timber had grown up
forest, too, that is mentioned as exist.
ing in the oldest preserved chronicles OF
the kingdom the officers have so tar
found, is impossible to account for. In
one room several skeletons of human be-
ines have been found, but the bones were
too much decayed to indicate with GER
tainty the race to which they belong. A
thorough search of this wonderful build
ing is now proposed. The shaft through
which the first discovery was made is be-
lieved to have been either chimney or
an observatory or lookout, as iron hooks
have been found fastened to the wall in
side, to which means of ascent and de-
scent were probably attached.