Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-02-25

unlike balsam of fir. The mummy
measures nine feet one inch IN length
and is evidently the body OF a man.
One Of the party of discoverers cut the
wrappings from the face, but did it so
clumsily that the head crumbled into
dust. Portions OF the hair renamed
sticking to the cloth, and your cores
pondenJ has piece before him as he
writes. 1t is black, curly and Of fine
texture. Besides the body Of the giant
the tomb contained a spear head,
hatchet, two plates and a small urn, ,all
of copper. One of the lance heads and
the smallest cup have been shown me.
The wonderful people understood the
secret Of hardening copper, for an ordi-
nary file will barely scratch the lance,
and the edge of a cold-chisel turns up
like lead when struck against it. The
cup Is of softer metal and beautifully
engraved with trailing vines and
wreathes. A square package at the head
Of the tomb, wrapped in vanished
cloth, contained book Of Que hundred
leaves of thin copper, fastened loosely
at the top and crowded with finely en-
graved characters similar 10 those
already described.
This remarkable cone is Que of the
most wonderful prehistoric rema n
ever discovered. Its builders were
race Of giants, but whether they were
also mound builders, l know not. The
upper cone was the cellar OF a house
aud used for domestic purposes, or as
a place ofretreat in case Of attack on
the above ground residence. In the
first two chambers and in the last five,
are many curious formations in the
shape Of tables and benches, which
have always been presumed to be OF
natural origin. Later examinations
revealed the works of chisel and pick,
which were also noticeable on the floor,
roofan walls. The entire excavation
is made out Of solid rock, and all the
chambers were at one time Of the same
width and height. The irregularitY Of
the roof, walls and floor OF the lime
stone cham Der is due to natural causes.
In all probability this room was dry
when the wonderful people who design
ed and built it were alive. The
stalacttes and stalagmites have formed
since. l measured one Of the longest t
OF the former. 1t was five feet six and
one-half inches from base to apex. Al
lowing that It lengtheaed at the rate OF
one inch every City Years-whlch
geological friend tells me Is very rapid
growth it would have been three
thousand, three hundred and twenty
five years reaching lis present length.
Conjecture alone can fix the date Of the
last occupancy of the cave. 1t must
have been years before the stalactites
began to form. examined the mouth
of the cave and discovered traces of
stairway whish once led to the surface
Of the ground. Indeed, l found among
the debris broken fragments Of rock
which five or six thousand years ago,
were undoubtedly parts of a broad
staircase. There were also traces Of
stairway which wound around the
sides Of the well, aa'ordlqs easy en-
trance to the lower cavern.
The owner Of the cave, 3Ir. Grooms.
has organized company with capital,
and they contemplate opening all the
tombs and the great mausoleum. AS
soon as all arrangements are completed
the cave will be thrown open to the
public and an admission fee Charged
In the meantime the entrance 10 the
cave is kept closed, to keep out the
curiosity-seekcrs, who fock to It from
miles around. Mr.. Grooms IS anxious
to have a scientist examine the cave,
and description Of the discoveries,
together with the engraved book and
the tools found in the tomb, will be
forwarded at once to the Smithsonian
Tnstitute. G.. VS..