The New York herald., 1879-07-08
MASTODON DISCOVERED.

REMAINS OF THE GIGANTIC MAMMAL FOUND
ON FARM NEAR NEwBURG-DETAILs OF
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE
BONES ENORMOUS SIZE OF THE ANIMAL
INDICATED
NEwBURa. N Y, July 7. 1879.
Mr.. Hugh Kelley is an Irishman and farmer.
owning and working farm of 1Os acres. The farm
is situated in the town of New Windsor. adjoining
this city and about one mile south of the Little
Britain Presbyterian Church. on . cross road
leading to Bethlehem. in the same town.
Mr.. Kelley is an industrious and is surrounded
by family of three four children the boys Of
which grown up and able to assist the work Of
farming. which he is now busily engaged in. Mr..
Kelley has owned his farm for the past fifteen years.
but until Saturday never dreamed that he was the
successor in possession of mastodon. the petrifed
bones Of which beneath its surface. Just east
of the house. which Is old-fashioned two story
frame structure. is marshy swale. Fifty
years ago there was pond here which
probably covered three acres Of land. On the west
is rising slope of ground where cattle graze which
is surrounded by cherry trees loaded with
fruit. The swale runs north and south. and extends
for several miles each way. The outlet. what there
is goes to the eastward. and emptes into the Otter
KILL which flows to the Hudson River. The pond
was drained. Mr. Kelly says. about fifty years ago.
and since the black muck ground has been used for
raising garden truck.
THE DISCOVERY.
1t is now planted with potatoes, and in order to
help this crop along Mr.. Kelley set his sons, Willie
years of digg ing drain the western edge of
the patch. Several bones were observed lying
AROUND Loose e .nd upon the surface OF the bog
pearance. But when Willie discovered on digging
down about two feet beneath the surface the second
joint of the foreleg, which measures two feet
inches in length, he was thunderstruck. At first he
thought it was log He had never heard nor read
about the mastodon of ancient times. and when he
made The family acquainted with his dis
coyery they. too. were dumtounded. Mr.
trench nsn and tsrs and 0ssa no4m some ns
of the neighbors. This was done. and Sunday II.
Wallace W e., Gsnnng ga William M p j. Morrison nesheors
visitor ut Mr.. Morrisons. went to work ut digging
again and their labor rewarded by finding nearly
long and ten feet wide. and four aud
half feet deep has been dug SO far
to recover what is needed to make up the whole
frame or skeleton. Operations resumed early
of the spine. two more ribs and other pieces Of
minor Importance have been recovered to-day. The
muck taken from the trench. which Is now
water has been struck ana the dggers are troubled
bailing it out. The black vein of muck said to
about twenty feet deep and il very fertile As stated
it at time formed the bed of good sized pond
and it is conjectured in the Of other
| dons found. that the animal waded in beyond his
| depth. got fast and there perished.
THE UPPER JAW.
| When the upper jaw OF the skull was found there
| was great difficulty In getting it to the surface
whole. 1t took Eve to lift it out Of the trench
1t found in the southeast of the excaya-
vation and four feet six inches below the surface
| Tho lower jaw was four and half feet below the
the upper jaw. I. required two men to bring it out
| OF the trench. The backbone and spine were not
| over two feet under ground. Other pieces have
| been found in various portions of the trench.
PREVIOUS DISCOVERIES.
The marshy land or swale in which the mastodon
was found is Of the same line or stretch Of similar
ground in which the mastodon of lS45 dis
covered. This is the third unearthed since that
year. The masodon of lS45 was dug up three miles
due north of Mr.. Kelley's farm and on the farm OF
! Mr.. William Brewster. The brewster mastodon
soldfor $4,000 and is Boston. The second one
discovered ut Otisville this county few years
| ago. 1t Is reported that these petriAed bones of
Mr.. Kelley wanted the boys. who, he says. viii ret
the benefit Of the discovery, il accrues to lot
lay until he got over hayine. but the neghbors
the importance OF the discovery aud at once pro-
ceeded TO get all Of it If possible. The bones
now in the barn Of Mr. James ": Morrison. neigh
not well read man. does not realize the rarity Of
MEASUREMENT OF THE BONES.
The measurement OF the chief parts Of the bones
already found are as folows-Skull. two feet Ave
three feet nine inches; width of upper jaw. two
feet four inches; between the eyes, two
feet; depth of forehead. eighteen inches;
eye holes. seven inches in diameter; holes,
eighteen inches in diameter. On each side and
above the mouth are holes measuring
six and half inches in diameter and two deep.
There are eight teeth in the skull two each side
of the upper and lower jaws aud all in the best of
condition. The back teeth of the lower jaw
seven inches In length the surface and four
inches in width The front teeth. up and down.
four and quarter inches long the surface
and three and half inches WIDE. All
of the teeth protrude from the jawbones one
and half inches. There eight corks each of
the hind teeth and six each of tho front
teeth. The space between the rows of teeth on
the roof OF the upper jaw is seven aud half
quarter inches. In the centre OF the forehead
is a cavity measuring eleven inches long by four
inches wide. The lower jaw was placed in position
. and found to measure correspondingly large with
the upper jaw. and making perfect skull Although
not weighed at this writing, it is estimated that the
skull complete will tip the beam at not less than six
hundred pounds.
One of the forelegs. including the thighbone,
measures seven feet in length and weighs. it is
judged. $50 pounds. The first joint OF the hind
second joint of the leg three feet four
inches. The only part OF the other foreleg yet
found. and which the first piece discovered,
underground by Willie Kelley, measures two feet
and ten inches in length and weighs about nifty
pounds. At this hour twenty-six RIBS have been
discovered. and the largest measured three feet
inches and is two inches wide in the
CENTRE dozen or more sections of the
spine have been uncarthed. and the largest
measures ten inches wide by sixteen inches long.
among the lot prominent among them toe bone,
measuring six and half by four and half inches.
1t is thought to be fully rs large the mastodon
now in Boston. and found the Brewster farm,
three miles NORTH
THIEVES AT NEW ROCHELLE.
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