The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-02-12

1A WHOLE No. 59S.
limestone, which supports q huge
block of granite feet long and "A
inches thick. Cn this is laid slab of
polished, and bevelled granite, smooth
er than marble. This slab projects
over the block beneath it about six
inches on every side, and is 6 feet
long and 3 feet wide. Evidently this
was an altar, Cor there are ashes. scat.
tered around. What was the charac-
ter of the sacrifice? To the right of
the altar is small ante-room, which
you enter through an arched door
way, evidently intended to the duties
of the altar. About this there is moth
ing destructive. 1t is not even cer-
tain by what means it was shut off
from the auditorium. The place is
wonderfully dry. The ravages of time
have not in the least impaired it, and
every portion retains the freshness
and glow that it had when it came
from the hands of the workmen.
1t is undoubtedly one of the great
curiosities of the age, and is attracting
the, attention of arch@ologists. An
exhaustive report is now being pre-
pared by committee, which is to be
presented to the Historical Society of
the State of Missouri. That it will
add fresh interest to the study of the
civilization that preceded the present
Indian tribes of this country seems
probable. ,Es :s.a
TABLETS, CARVINGS AND MUMMIEs IN
AN OHIO CAVE. .,a >.Et
Adams County, Ohio, is rich in re-
mains of prehistoric mounds and for
tifications, and is the Mecca of enthu-
siastic arch@ologists. Most of the
mounds are on alluvial bottom lands
of the Ohio River. Seventeen miles
northeast of Manchester is q pre- his
torlc cavern, in which wonderful dis
coveries have lately been made of
great interest to the scientific world.
They throw much light on the charac-
ter and habits of this remarkable peo-
pie, evidences of whose high civiliza-
ton have been preserved to us. A
correspondent of the New York Sun,
lately visited this cavern, aud gives
this description of recent discoveries !
The entrance to the cave is choked
up with the debris of ages, but traces
of a flight of steps are to be seen. The
entrance is at the bottom of q "sink
hole" which is nearly in the center OF
a level field. This field is 200 acres in
extent and is bounded on all sides by
lofty hills. 1t is about twenty-five
feet from the surface of the ground to
the bottom of the cave. l haYe been
unable to learn when this cave was
first discovered. 1t was known to the
earliest settlers, and they, no doubt,
dians. It contains nine chambers, or
rooms. These apartments are con-
nected by narrow galleries. All but
the third one from the entrance are
mathematically egular in shape, being
each about thirty feet in length, TWEEN
ty in width, and fifteen in height. The
galleries are of the same height as the
main rooms, but are only six feet wide.
The excavation passes through solid
ledge of freestone, which is bisected
one hundred feet from the mouth by a
vein of limestone. The chamber where
the limestone crops out is of irregular
shape. The water has oozed through
the limestone rock for ages, and form
ed thousands of beautiful stalactites
and stalagmites. The cave is much
visited by picnic parties, and every
corner of it has been thoroughly ex-
plored thousand times. +.
The fourth chamber has deep we'll
in one corner, at the bottom of which
is stream of water. The depth of
the we'll is unknown, but it must be
several hundred feet, A few days
ago party of gentlemen paid visit
to this cave, equipped TO explore this
mysterious we'll. Forty five feet from
the top of the well, they found the en-
trance to second cavern, which
proved to be the family tomb of a
race of gigantic men: A narrow gall
lery which expanded as they left the
well behind them opened into a lofty
chamber 225 feet long, and ITO feet
wide. The walls, floor, and roof of
this immense room are smoothly fin
ished. In the center of the apartment
is sarcophagus and mousoleum COM
bined. The mausoleum at its base
measures fifty-fiye by thirty-five feet.
1t is Of simple, though beautiful, de-
sign, and carved out of the solid rock.
Its base is parallel on all sides, these
panels containing bas-reliefs which
are supposed to illustrate the four
seasons in mans life-Childhood,
Youth, Manhood, and Old Age. At
the ends of the bas-reliefs are tables
full of written characters, resembling
the Hebraic, presumed to be memoir
Jams of the person or persons in whose
honor the mausoleum is erected. The
carving on the panels is of the most
delicate description, and fully equal to
the Grecian school of sculpture. In
the limits of newspaper article they
cannot be described as they deserve.
From the floor TO the top of this base
is six feet The base is followed out
at the four corners, and these excava-
tiens are covered with slabs of free
stone, accurately fitted and SO firmly