The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-05-21
WoLr lTRap. Mar, 90. 1SIa. !

4
Editors Dispatch: We noticed a conl-
Imunication in Your issue Of. 10th from Pro-
lessor Campbell, Of the Washington and
Lee University, desiring 10 know more about
1.-THE crock waHo lately eShumed in this
county. For The edifcation OF this gentle
! man and the interested public (having seen
the "Wasl" otirse!ycs). we will take the
liberty OF pointing out some minor points
that have been heretofore, rs far as we have
seen. uanoticed in public print. The
"wail is distant twelve miles from Clover
! del'ot, on the Richmond and Danvile rail.
road, on \ piece Of land now owned by MIR.
John Canada. About fifty years ago, it
seems. Mr.. Hudd'e<ton grandfather OF Mr..
Canadal was having part OF his land sur.
.veyea. When the surveyor passed over the
spot whcrcthcs. wall'' now is his .sneedle "
refused To move olit Of a certain position,
so he concluded that there must be some
metal underneath. Mr.. Huddleston COM
meneed digging for gold ior he supposed
this was the metal). After getting down
| into the ground two or three feet he
struck the. present WALL; but, Mr.. H.,
| being quite ignorant and uneuucated, did
not tank the discovery anything wonder
| Inl or peculiar, so he had part OF The
"wall" thrown over some thirteen or four
teen feet-this excavation being in the very
| centre OF the wall, and still eXists-but not
| finding the desired metal. he discontinued
| his operations entirely. From that day I'M
| I'll the present the {. wall" lay unnoticetl.
| Richmond, being in the county On The out
look for - specimens" hearing OF this
strange wall, went over and commenced
making various excavations. Having re.
opened the aperture made by Mr.. h., he
discovered that it was much longer and
higher than at first suspected. The "wa!l"
rs now exposed to view is siXty-Sefen feet
ten inches long, seventeen feet six inches
! high, thirty inches at base, and eighteen al
the top; but Mr.. Canada says he dug TWEEN
ty-0ne feet distant from the northwest cor
ner Of the wall. and said he still struck IT,,
but having cNcavated 4 few feet farther on,
| the wall was not 10 be found: so the length
is about lightweight feet ten inches, all
! told.
The wall is situated on the north.
western decline CT small hill, rising not
more than fifty or sixty feet above the level
| OF the surrounding bottom. at the exact
! place where the wall is located its base can
not DC more than twenty-five or thirty feet
above the level OF the surrounding country.
The land is very broken for miles around.
The "waIl" stands imbedded in the bill.
TO the casual observer 10 clew to the Oh
jcct oil its construction can be gained from
its position, &c. The rock (a> Professor
(! Campbell supposed) is "whitc tllntY
quartz" This is the nature OF the bottom
stones, but those nearer The surface are
rather darker-we suppose caused by cN-
;Dosure The cement that binds these rocks
! together (and this kind oi clay appears no.
" here in the vicinity is kind Of ravin-a
clay OF the nature OF pipc-clay, and very
tab t,11t fsfsG hur.i
when exposed TO the action OF air. One
minutes examination OF the structure OF
! the "wali." aud also OF the surrounding
earth in which the "wall" lies imbedded,
will convince any one - beyond a rcasona-
bic doubt" that The "wall - was not built
by the forces OF nature" las Professor
Campbell sugIeSted). but rather by the skill
Of man.
The petition Of the "wall" is vertical.
standing about northwest and southeast.
The stones embracing the outside layer i'll
The "wall" on the western side are per-
iectly "dresscd" or bewn, and the inter-
slices between the larger rocks are filled
with smaller rock, with layers OF the cement
to hold them fast in position, ard thereby
making much more substantial structure,
all lain in $50 to speakl vertical plane,
thus showing design and Il skiliul arrange
mcnt, unQOUDLeulS tlluccu ny SUlucr shlllui
mason. The stones on the eastern side are
not dressed" but retain the same position
as those on the west. The earth Joining
the "wall" is of light sandy loan, par
taking nothing Of the nature of clay; but
as to the question whether by long COM
preston this sand-soil could be converted
into pipy clay we are not prepared to say,
but will leave it FOR the savants" to de-
eide. Nowhere near the wailn is there to
be found any rock resembling the nature OF
, that OF which it is built. Mr.. Canada in
formed us that several thousand persons
had already been there to take look at the
- big rock wall" He intends building q
hotel in the vicinity, and in = few days
would be ready to accommodate any num-
Der of visitors. The "wal" will be en-
closed, and very small aduittance-iee will
, DE asked. 1t is we'll worth q trip to 60 Old
{ Halifax - 10 see the sbiS wall" But even
| after establishing the fact that the g wall y
= was built by man, the great question yet
z remains unanSwecPd-For what purpose
a was the " great wall " built !? Let the Solo
2 mons advise us. Will send specimen O.
the rock and cement to Professor Campbell
4 and hope he will ere long give the result O
bis analyses to the public through YOU
excellent paper.
Feeling we have already ,trespaSsed to-
much on your space, we will close.
L. w. A.