Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1880-02-13

ly finished. In the centre of this
chamber is sarcophagus and mauso-
lenm combined: The mausoleum
measures at its base fifty-fve by
thirty FIVE feet. 1t is of simple
though wonderful design, and cary
ed out of the solid rock. Its base is
paueled on all sides, these panels
containing bas-reliefs which are sup
posed to illustrate the four seasons
in mans life-childhood, youth,
manhood and old age. AT the end
Of the bas-reliefs are tablets full OF
written characters, resembling the
Hebraic, presumed to be memorIums
of the person or persons ID whose
honor the mausoleum is erected.
The carving on the bas-reliefs Is Of
the most delicate description, and
fully equal to the Grecian school of
sculptor. The limits of newspaper
arucle will not suffice to ftly de-
scribe them. From the floor to the
top of this base is six feet. The
base is followed out at the four cor
ners, and these excavations are GOV.
cred with slabs of freestone, accu-
rately fitted and so firmly cemented
that cold-chisel struck with heavy
hammer made little or no impression
on the cement. They are of uni
form size, measuring five by twelve
feet. In the center of the mauso-
leum rises a couch two feet five inch
es in height, twelve feet in length,
and five feet in width. On the
couch is the figure of man. 1t is
probably of life size, and measures
nine feet four inches in length. The
limbs are finely proportioned and
disposed in an easy and graceful
manner. The arms are folded across
the breast, and the fingers clasp
bunch of leaves resembling the oak
reproduced with such fidelity to ma
ture that they look like petrifac-
tions. Every vein and serration of
the leaf is perfect. The figure is
partially nude, a mantle or scarf
crossing the breast and falling over
the loins in graceful folds. The face
is strong and robust in outline, and
the contour of the features is decid
edly Israelitish. The head is cover
ed with a winged cap or helmet. At
each corner of the couch is a vase
four feet five inches high, covered
with beautifully carved flowers and
leaves. They are in shape some
thing like an Amphora, except that
the bottom is fat and the handles
affixed to the body of the vase. The
neck Is thirteen incnes in length and
tapers gradually and gracefully.
The vases are of uniform size, al
though the carved designs are diff
ferent. They me sure in circum-
ference four feet five inches. Sus-
pended from the roof by delicate
copper rods, directly over the head
of the recumbent figure, is copper
lamp of unique design, and elegantly
chased. At each corner of the mau-
soleum rises a carved pyramidal col
umn, surmounted 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 a side.
Like the mausoleum, they are carv-
ed out of the solid rock. and embel
hshed with bas-reliefs. Their di-
mensions are as follows: Length,
twelve feet; width, FIVE feet; height,
five feet. The tops are covered with
slabs, securely cemented. On the
front of each is raised scroll, COW
cred with written characters similar
to those on the panels of the mau
solemn.
On the walls of the room opposite
the entrance are painted twenty-five
faces, no doubt portraits of those
whose bones lie in the tombs. They
are faded and blurred, but still dis
tinct enough to be deciphered. The
colors used are red, yellow, black
and white, and were evidently laid
on with oil. The portraits are ex
ecuted in a superior manner, and
the anatomical proportion of the fea-
lures is preserved to an exact de-
gree.
After our first astonishment over
these wonderful discoveries had in a
measure subsided, we seized the
tools, and set to work to open one of
the tombs. 1t was no easy task.
Our chisels would not cut the ce-
ment which held the slab in place,
and we were at last forced to batter
the tomb to pieces. The walls were
thin, and a few blows of a heavy
sledge-hammer shattered the free
stone to atoms. To our great sur
prise there lay before US not a few
handfuls of crumbling dust, but a
splendidly preserved mummy, swath
ed in cloth covered with thick warn
ish, which emitted a pleasant aro-
matte odor not unlik balsam of fir.
The mummy measured nine feet one
inch in length, and the cloth in
which it was wrapped, although of
coarse texture, was skillfully woven,
One of the party cut the wrappings
on the face, but did it so clumsily
that the head crumbled into dust.
Portions of the hair remained stick
ing to the cloth, and your correspon-
dent brought some of it away with
him. 1t is black and, curly, and of
fine texture. Besides the giant the
tomb conts:ded a spear-head, hatch
ct, tw5 lances, three mattocks or
hoes, a spade, a cup, two plates and
a small urn, all of copper. l appro-
pr1ated one of the lances and the cup
as souvenirs. These wonderful peo-
pie understood the secret of harden
ing copper, and the edge of a cold
chisel turns up like lead when struck
against it. The cup is of softer met
al, and beautifully engraved with
trailing vines and wreaths. A
square package at the head of the
tomb, wrapped in the vanished
cloth, was opened and found to con-
tain book of one hundred leaves of
thin copper, fastened loosely at the
top, and crowded with finely en-.
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