Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-02-19

produced with such fidelity to nature that
they look like petrifactions. Every vein and
serration Of the leaf is perfect. The figure
is partially nude. n mantle or scarf crossing
the breast and ioins and falling in graceful
folds on each side The face is one of great
strength and beauty, and the features are of
a Hebrew cast The mead is covered with
winged cap, or helmet. At each corner of
the couch is vase four feet nine inches
high, covered with beautifully carved flow
ers and leaves. They are in shape some
thing like an amphora, except that the bot
tom is flat and the handles affixed to the
body of the vase. The neck is thirteen
inches IN length and tapers 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 the roof, and directly
over the head of the recumbent figure, is a
copper lamp of unique design, elegantly
chased. and kept in position by rods of the
same metal. At each corner of the mauso-
leum rises carved pyramidal column. sur
mounted by caps that are Enthusiastically
Doric. On two sides of the room are tombs
Of humber design. They are side by side
of uniform size and twenty in number, ten
on side. Like the mausoleum. they are
carved out Of the solid rock and embelished
with bas-reliefs. Their dimensions are as
follows Length, II feet width, ) feet;
height, feet The tops are covered with
slabs, securely cemented. On the front of
each is raised scroll, covered with written
characters. similar 10 those on the panels of
the mausoleum. On the wall of the room,
opposite the entrance, is painted twenty five
faces, no doubt portraits Of those whose
bones lie in the tombs. They are faded and
blurred. but still distinct enough to be dis
tinguished. Eight of. these faces are of
children. five Of Youths, two of Young men,
nine of middlc-aged men and women and
one. i'll the center of the group an exact
copy of the face of the recumbent figure on
the mausoleum. The coors used are red,
yellow. black and white and were evidently
mixed with OIL. The portraits are executed
IN superior manner, and the anatomical
proportion of the features is preserved to an
exact degree.
One only of the small tombs has been
opened. 1t contained a splendidly preserved
mummy swathcd in cloth covered with
thick ,arnish which emits a pleasant aro-
matte odor not unlike balsam of fir. The
mummy measures nine feet and one inch in
length. and is evidently the body Of a man.
One of the party of dscoserers cut the wrap
prings from the face, but did it so clumsily
that the head crumbled into dust. Portions
of the hair remained sticking To the cloth,
and your correspondent has a piece before
him he writes. 1t is black, CURLY and of
fine texture Besides the body of the giant,
the tomb contained a spear head, hatchet,
two lanccs, three mattocks or hoes, a spade,
a cup, two plates and a small urn, all of cop
per. One Of the lance heads and the small
est cup have been shown me. The wonder
full people understood the secret of harden
ing copper, for an ordinary file will hardly
stratch the lance, and the edge of a cold
chIsel turns up like lead when struck against
it. The cup il Of softer metal and bcauti-
fully engraved with trailing vines and
wreaths. \ square package at the head of
the tomb. wrapped in the ,arnised cloth,
contained book Of one hundred leaves Of
thin copper, fastened loosely at the top and
crowded with finely engraved characters sim |
liar to those already described.
This remarkable cave is one Of the most /
wonderful prehistoric remains ever discov- |
cred. Its builders were a race of giants, but |
whether they were also mound builders, | |
know not The upper cave was the cellar |
of house, and used for domestic purpose,
or place of retreat in case of attack on |
the ground residence. In the first two |
chambers and in the last five are manv curl
Gus formations in the shape Of tables and
benches, which have always been presumed
To be Of natural origin. Later examinations
revealed the marks of chisel and pick, which
were also noticeable on the floor, roof and
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 ir-
regularity of the roof walls and floor of the
limestone chamber is due 10 natural causes
In all probability the room was dry when
the wonderful people who designed and built
It were alive. The salacities and stalagmltes
have formed since. | measured one of the
longest of the former. II was five feet six
and one-half inches from base to apex. Al
lowing that il heightened at the rate Of one
inch every fifty wears which a geological
friend tells me is very rapid growth-it would
have been three thousand. three hundred and
twenty five years reaching its present length.
Conjecture alone can fix the date of the last
occupancy of the cave. Ii must have been
years before the stalactites began TO form. |
the mouth of the cave and disc,
cred traces of stairway which once led to
The surface of the ground. Indeed found
among the debris broken fragments of rock
which, FIVE or six thousand wears ago, were
parts of broad staircase.
| there were also traces of stairway which
wound around the sides of the wall, afording
EASY entrance to the lower cavern.
The owner of the cave, Mr.. Grooms, has
organized company with capital, and they
opening all the tombs and the
great mausoleum. As soon as all arrange
nents are completed the cave will be thrown
open to the public and an admission fee
,harged. In the meantime the entrance to
he cave is kept closed, to keep out the Gu
iosity seekers, who flock to it from miles
lround. Mr.. Grooms is anxious TO have
cientist examine the cave, and description
If the discoveries, together with the en-
,raved book and the tools found in the
omb will be forwarded at once to the Smith I
oman Institution.