Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-04-26
Those Big Bones.

I
the last few days, induced a visit to the
place Of finding, and an examination Of
the fossils, which are kept-in part-at the
village, by Mr.. Alvord, while another POr-
tion are in solution near by, with the de-
sign of increasing their tenaeity and ca
pacity of endurance Of the handling and
qualification Of curiosity. The place where
found, has no doubt been q swamp hole,
or depression of the surface, Of something
less than an acre in area, on the east end
of the old Aaron Austin farm, now owned
by B. Seeley, and but 8 short distance
across the fields. from the Eagleville road.
To reach it by carriage, take main, OF CEN
ter road south from the village Of Austin
burg. and by following lane east to the
A. Y. & P. road crossing, and following a
wagon track through one and over cOnsid-
erable portion of the second field, the spot is
reached. 1t is now covered by two feet of
decayed vegetable matter which is under
laid by blue clay deposit, tough but soft,
in plastic and miry state. In the center
of this. lying some four feet below the sur
face. and embedded in the clay, was found
such portions of the frame Of the large,
now unknown animal which have attracted
so much interest under the name Of mas
todon. The bones found do not constitute
anything like frame-as was noticed last
week-but a few scattered portions OF it,
the head and blade are the most important:
The first was #. 8 in. in length, and
broad in proportion. The lower part was
in tolerabiy fair condition, but the upper
and broader part was decayed from the un-
derside so thin Ms not to besr its own weight
but 4as broken into several pieces. This
was found, as most Of the others were,
four feet below the surface, imbsddSd in
the clay. The muzzle was broad, and
nothing like tusks being found, reminded
one Of the massive head of the hippopota-
mus. The blaas bene-fan shape, as these
bones usually are, measured #. on
two Of its edges, and 80 across the top,
and 81 inches across the base. The ether
bones found were ribs and sections of the
back hone, considerably wasted away, ribs
measuring in length, about 4-6. The ami
NAL to which these bones once belonged,
seems to have had = run in this region. as
similar bones have been found elsewhere
in the county. There are now extant
number that were found few years ago
in the township Of Hartsgrove The only
known living specimens Of these great an
imals are found in warm climates. They
are the hippOpotamus the rhinocrOus and
the elephant. Some of the bones found in
other sections are accompanied by tusks.
showing them to have belonged to the ele-
phant species; some Of them again like
the hippopOtamus are amphibious and
probably sought water, not only for quench-
ing thirst but for bathing and sporting.
They are sometimes of enormous size, so
much so that the Austinburg bones are of
moderate dimensions. The theory is, that
in seeking water, standing as it probably
did, in the spot described, the foolish
animals rushed into the and from the
softnesS of the bottom found themselves
hampered by the mud and unable to get
out, and paid for their indiscretion with
their lives. This theory is borne out by
the fact that in almost every instance the
fossils are found in marshy localities, and
further, as we are informed by one of our
citizens, recently from Colorado, these oc-
currences are going on continually in GER
tain springy or marshy localities of that
State. Buffalo and other animals mirS
and die in these localities to such an ex-
tent as to make the atmosphere surround
ing them intolerable from the stencil that
infests them. In rejecting upon this sub
ject, the question meets us-How did these
tropical or semi-tropical animals of which
We have present knowledge, ever become
the inhabitant of this friged latitude?
That it has been so is not only proved by
the fossil evidences found, but is cor
federated by similar evidences found in
greater numbers and abundance in the
colder regions of Russia and Poland. In
deed, if our recollection serves us, Poland
furnishes large proportion of the ivory
of commerce from the enormous tusks
found as fossils imbedded in the earth.
Another solution of the climatic difficulty
is found in the fact the evidences of these
great beasts have appeared in winter COW
ering or coated with wool or hair. This
then supplies theory that would enable
US to realize how they may have been able
to withstand the rigors Of this climate.
The questions, however, still return upon
us-How did they, and when did they be
come extinct? As to the first question,
we are left without the remotest idea, but as
TO the date of their extinction, we find the |
question involved with another theory sup |
posed to date back in the ages-the sub
sidence of the lake, for this bshemouh could |
hardly have been looking for water in
which to lave his lnonstrous carcass. if |
the water had been flowing oyer the land |
according to the generally received theory |
in this region. The subsistence Of the |
lake, therefore must have been anterior to |
the time when these leYiathans lived and |
sported in the pools and water courses Of |
benightsd Ashtabuls county.