The Worthington advance., 1881-03-10
Colorado Yarn.

AColorado Yarn.
The Leadville Chronicle publishes an
account of the most marvellous discov-
cry yet made by mortal man, provided
that it is true, which is more than doubt.
full. Two miners, while sinking shaft
near Red Cliff, arc represented to have
found deep subterranean chamber
without apparent communication with
the open air.. What they claim to have
seen is thus described:
The cave at first seemed empty, but a.
their eyes gradually became accustomed
to the deep gloom, the men saw in the
further extremity huge black object,
which, not without some trepidation, they
approached. As they neared it, to their
unbounded amazement, they made out
the lines OF some sort OF sailing craft. It
was, as nearly as they could Judge, about
sixty feet long by some thirty feet wide,
ana lay tilted forward at an angle of
about fifteen degrees over a rough pile of
stone. The body Of the craft was built OF
short legths OF some dark and very porous
wood, resembling our black walnut if it
could be imagined with the grain pulled
apart like sponge or a piece Of bread,
and male perfectly square. Both ends
ut was evidently intended for sailing
either way, were turned abruptly up
like the toe of peaked Moorish slipper.
The planking was apparently double
rivettcd on with nails Of extremely hard
copper, only slightly rust eaten, and with
the heads cut or fled in an octagonal
shape, while along the upper edge of
the ship eleven large rings Of the same
metal, aud evidently for the securing of
rigging, were counted. At the bottom
edges Of the craft, and running its entire
length, were two kcels some tour and q
half feet deep and six inches thick. hung
on metallic hinges, and at the ends were
fastened rough copper rods, sextending
upward and bent over 81 as to attach to
two masts rising from the upper edges.
If the cross of an inverted V be conceiv-
ed to represent the deck lines, the two
stems are at about the angle and position
Of the masts. These were upward of
twenty feet long; and, as evidence that a
sail was at one time stretched across,
some ragged remnants of what appeared
to be cording were found clinging to
the inner edges. The ends of the masts
were secured in pivots, and it was evi-
dent that in tacking one could be
moved forward and the other back,
thus bringing the sail at an angle with
the body OF the ship-an idea which
it might not lie bad for our modern navi-
gators to initiate. This, 1t is believed, al
so explains the copper rods which moved
the keels so as to reciprocate the position
Of the masts. While the whole ship was
intact, the wood crumblcd like dust be
meath the finger touch ,and fearful of trap
falls the two prospectors did not venture
to explore the interior. Lying on the
ground near by, however, was discovered
a gold instrument bearing a rude resem-
Dlance to the sextant of the present day,
and possibly used to calculate their longi-
tude. No trace OF any writing was found
save at one end OF the ship, where about
midway on the bow of the ship, inclosed
in metal ring, were twenty.six copper
characters rlveted to the wood and bear
ing much resemblance to tie Chinese
hieroglyphics of the present day. No
human remains Of any sort were found,
although it is possible that search in
the hold will reveal something Of this
sort.
Without pushing their Investigations
further, the two miners, lost in wonder
ment, retraced their steps to the upper
air, leaving the gashtly ship once more
in gloom and silence.
by this timc.it had grown quite dark
above, and with that tacit understanding
existing among men who had seen that
which borders upon the supernatural,
they spoke but little between themselves
OF the discovery, but sought rest by their
kindling camp fire. In the morning the
whole thing seemed so much like a
dream that they were seriously inclined
to regard it as some morbid phantasy,
some disordercd vision of the brain alone,
having no substance in reality, and
eagerly, yet with a strange dread, they
descended the rope again. AS
suring themselves by a short survey
of the facts they had learned the night
before, the prospectors hurriedly as
cended the shaft and spent the rest of
the day in concealing,a AS we'll as possible.
the traces of their excavation. This
done, they went to the cabin of a well-to-
do miner living some thirty miles down
the gulch, and to him first told their ex.
traordinary story. The gentleman is
perfectly reliable, and, together with a
we'll known mining expert resicing in
this city, has seen and examined the
ship, and will take steps to preserve the
wonderful discovery to the world in all
it's possibly great historical value. The
minute particulars as to locality are at
present withheld for very obvious real
son-they would attract horde Of wanda
sight seers who would soon destroy the
moulderlng dust beyond hope Of restor-
alton, and until the proper authorities
can be sent for they will not be published.
The discovery Of the junk-like ship
with its unknown architecture, hermeti-
cally sealed in cavern fifty feet below
the surface Of the earth, gives scope to
indefinite speculation. The only possible
explanation seems, however, that ages, or
icons, perhaps, agone, vessel bearing a
crew OF bold discoverers, tossed by the
waves, sought harbor in cave within q
cliff. The waves then receding left il
stranded there, and the great continental
divide, the awful upheavals and convul-
sions Of nature, which we know 50 little
of and can only bllndly speculate on,
pressed the face of the earth together and
sealed it in living grave.
T