Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-07-22
ANOTHER MASTODON.
The D nes of Giant Animal Discovered by
New Windsor Farmers Boy.

NEW Bu h1, ~ IL July hu.~
Hugh X ely is farmer owning and
working a farm of 108 acres in the
town of New Windsor, adjoining
this city. Just east of the house
which is an old-fashion two-story
frame structure, is marshy swale.
Fifty years ago there was pond
here which probably covered three
acres of land. The swale runs north
and south, aud extends for several
miles each way. The outlet is to
the eastward and empties into the
OtterkilI, which flows to the Hud-
son river. The pond was drained,
Mr. Kelley says, about fifty years
ago, and since then the black muck
ground has been used for raising
garden truck. 1t is now planted
with potatoes, and in order to help
this crop along Mr.. Kelley on Sat-
urday set his sons, Willie and
James, young men of about sixteen
and eighteen years of age, digging
q drain on the western edge of
the patch. Several bones were
observed lying around loose upon
the surface of the bog meadow, but
nothing was thought of their ap-
pearance. But when Willie dis
covered, on digging down about
two feet beneath the surface, the
second joint of foreleg which meas
ureh two feet ten inches in length,
he was amazed. Mr.. Kelley con-
cluded to stop digging and inform
some of the neighbors. This was
done, and on Sunday the excavat-
ing was continued and their labor
was rewarded by finding nearly
all the bouee of giant mastoh0n.
A trench about thirty feet long.
ten feet wide and four and a half
feet deep has been dug SO far and
the men are yet at work endeavor-
ing to recover what is needed to
make up the whole frame or skele-
ton. Operations were resumed
early this morning on larger
scale and several sections of the
spine, two more ribs and
other peices have been re-
covered to-day. A spring of
cool water has been struck and the
diggers are troubled bailing it out.
Tue black vein of muck is said to
be about twenty feet deep and rests
on a bed of blue clay. AS stated, it
at one time formed the bed of u
good sized pond, and it is copjec-
tured, as in the cases of other mas
todons found, that the animal wad-
ed in beyond his depth, got fast and
perished. When the upper jaw of
the skull was found there was great
difficulty in getting it to the surface
whole. 1t took five men to lift 1t
out of the trench. 1t was found
four feet six inches below the SUR
face. The lower jaw was four and
a half feet. below the surface and
some three feet distant from the
upper jaw. 1t required two men to
lift it out. The backbone and spine
were not over two feet under
ground. Other pieces have been
found in various portions of the
trench.
The measurements of the princi-
pal bones already found are as fol-
lows: The skull, 2 feet 81 inches
high; length of the upper jaw, 8
feet I inches; width OF upper jaw, 2
| feet inches; between the eyes, 2
feet; depth of forehead, IS inches;
eye sockets, inches in diameter;
ear holes, Is inches in diameter.
The nostrils measure 63 inches in
diameter, and are 2 ieet deep.
There are eight teeth In the skull
two on each side of the upper and
lower jaws-and all in the finest
condition. The black teeth of the
lower jaw measure seven inches
long on the surface and are four
inches in width. The upper and
lower front teeth are Al inches long
on the surface and 81 inches wide.
All the teeth protrude from the
jawbone II inches. There are s
points on each of the hind teeth
and on each of the front teeth.
| The space between the rows of
teeth on the roof of the upper jaw
is n inches and at the lower jaw 81
incnes. In the centre of the lore
head is q cavity measuring IL inch
es long and inches wide. The low
er jaw was placed in position to-
day and found to measure cores
pondingly large with the upper
| Jaw and completes the skull. AL
though not yet weighted, it is esti-
mated that the skull complete will
tip the beam at not less than 600
pounds. One of the forelegs, in
ding the shoulder blade is 7 feet
eugth, aud weighs, it is thought,
pounds. The first joint of the
nd leg measured = feet 8 inches,
rJ the second joint of the same
M feet 4 inches. The only part
he other foreleg yet found, and
oh was the first piece discover
d underground by Willie Kelly,
asures 2 feet 10 inches and
ighs about 80 pounds. AT this
lr twenty six ribs have been
nd, the longest measuring feet
inches, with width of 2 inches
the centre. A dozen or more
tions of the spine have been un-
rthed, the largest being 10 inches
de aud 16 inches long. A score
two other bones are among the
a !, prominent among them n toe.
ne measuring 81 by a inches.
The marshy land or swale in
hich the mastodon is found Is of
gl,onnd a., ne or stretch of similar
su WHICH MS rnastodon of