Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-02-04
Wonderful Discovery in Ohio.
Rem aims Of Pre.HistOriC PeO-
pie.
MUMMIES IN A CAVE.

MUMMIES IN A CAVE.
Intelligence from Ohio reveals the
wonders of cave in Tiffin town
ship, Manchester county, Ohio. A
correspondent of McClure's Sun9ay
Times writes of the chamber in the
cave, and its contents, as follows:
About fifty feet down the explorer
found the entrance to another cavern.
This gallery at its mouth is ten feet
six incnes high and five feet four
inches in width. The gallery is
straight and fifty feet in length,
where it enters large rom two hun
dred and twenty feet long, one hun
dred and ten feet wide and twenty
four feet high The gallery widens
gradually and where it enters the
chamber measures twenty-five feet
across. The roof, floor and walls are
smooth and even. In the center of
this apartment is sarcophagus and
Mausoleum combined The mauso-
leum at its base measures fifty-five
by thirty-ive feet. 1t is of simple,
though beautiful design, and carved
out of the sold rock. Its base is pan
eled ON all sides, these panels con-
tanning bas-reliefs which are suppos
ed to represent the four seasons in
mans life-childhood, youth, man
hood and old age. At the ends of
the bas-reliefs are tables full of writ
ten characters, in shape something
like the Hebraic, presumed to be
memoriams of the person or persons
in whose honor the mausoleum is
erected. The carving on the bas
reliefs is of the most delicate descrip-
ton, and fully equal to the Grecian
school of sculpture. From the floor
TO the top of this base is six feet
The base is followed out at the four
corners. and these excavations are
covered with slabs Of freestone, ac-
curately fitted and SO firmly cement
ed that cold chisel struck with a
heavy hammer made little or no i'm
preston on the cement. They are of
uniform size, measuring five by twelve
feet. In the center of the mauso-
leum rises a couch two feet five inches
in height, twelve feet in length and
five feet In width.
THE FIGURE OF A GIANT.
On this couch is extended the fig
ure of a man. 1t is probably of life
size, and measures nine feet four
inches in length. The limbs are fine
ly proportioned and disposed in an
easy and graceful manner. The arms
are folded across the breast and the
fingers clasp a bunch OF leaves re
sembling oak, reproduced with such
fidelity to nature that they look ike
petriiactions. Every vein and seira-
ton of the leaf is perfect. The fig
ure is partially nude, mantle or
scarf crossing the breast and loins
and falling in graceful folds on each
side. The face is one OF great
strength and beauty, and the features
are of Hebrew cast. The head is
covered with winged cap, or hel-
met. At each corner Of the couch is
a vase four feet nine inches high, COW
cred with beautifully carved flowers
and leaves. They are in shape some
thing like an amphora, except that
tie bottom is flat and the handles
affixed to the body of the vase. The
neck is thirteen inches in length and
.apers gradually and gracefully. The
vases are of Uniform size, although
the carved designs are different.
They measure in circumference four
feet five inches. The diameter of the
neck is six inches. Suspended from
he roof, and directly over the head
# the recumbent figure, is a copper
amp of unique design, elegantly
and kept in position by rods
If the same metal. At each corner
If the mausoleuLl rises carved pyr-
lmidal column. surLounted by caps
hat are unmistakably Dcric. On two
,ides of the room are toElbs OF hum
,ler design They are side by side,
If uniform size and twenty in aum-
,er, ten on side. Like the maus >
cum they are carved out of the solid
ock and embellished with bas-reliefs
Their dimensions are as follows:
length, II feet; width, 3 feet; height
feet. The tops are covered with
labs, securely cemented On the
ront of each is raised scroll, COW
red with written characters, similar
0 those on the panels of the mauso
cum. On the wall of the room, oP-
'osite the entrance, are painted TWEEN
y-ive faces, no doubt portraits of
hose whose bones lie in the tombs. !
hey are faded and blurred, but still
istinct enough to be distinguished |
light of these faces are of children,
We of youths, two of young men,
inc Of middle aged men and women,
nd one, in the center of the group, |
n exact copy of the face of the re
umbeut figure in the mausOlem.
he colors used are red. yellow, black |
nd white, and were evidently mixed
18th oil The portraits are executed
] a superior manner and the anatOm-
al proportion of the features is pre-
erved to an exact degree.
MUMssY DISCOVERED.