Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1882-08-05

Mt the Prison Quarry Interestin:
studies fM the Rock Record OF NJ
Antediluvian Struggle
The interest aroused over the dis
cOvery Of some man and mastodor
tracks in the rock formation at the
State Prison seems to be increasing
The APPEAL has recently received let
tiers from California making inquiries
upon the subject, and one asks the
paper to publish more thorough ac-
count than the partial descriptions of
the tracks which have from time to
time appeared. Yesterday afternoon an
APPEAL reporter spent two hours at
the Prison in company with Warden
Garrard and Judge Leonard. It was
was learned which has not as yet been
given to the public. The tracks have,
as it were, been
HIDDEN UNDER A EUsHEL
For II long time. In Batterman's ad-
ministration the workmen discovered
slight impressions in the quarry, but
no one attached much importance to
them, and many people believed they
were made by the workmen them
selves to create q sensation. When
Major Garrard took charge of the
prison he took great interest in the
tracks and made thorough investiga-
ton of the ground and discovered
tracks of men and animals which were
sufficiently we'll defined as to leave no
doubt of their character. He wrote ta
Professor LeC,nte of California then,
but the letter ne yer reached its desti-
nation. Several newspapers alluded
to them from time to time and gave
partial desert ptiOns. A correspondent
of the San Francisco Chronicle DIES.
cribed them quite fully, but none Of
the articles seemed to create any pub
lie interest. A few months ago Sher-
if Hanks was in San Francisco and
visited DR.. Hardness to obtain sight
of the foot Of a mastodon on exhibition
at the Academy Of Sciences. He men,
toned the tracks at the prison to the
Doctor, who became deeply interested
and laid the matter before Professors
LeCOnte and Davidson. Some cores
hot ri nd
the two scientists, and finally party |
came up from San Francisco.
VERY CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS.
This party consisted of LeConte, |
Davidson and C. d. Gibbs. Major |
Garrard made every preparation for
their visit and swept away the debris
which had accumulated on the floor of !
the quarry with hose, an operation
which exposed mum bers Of now tracks
the existence of which had not been
heretofore suspected. After examining
the tracks Professor LeConte became
both interested and astonished and !
ordered careful survey of the quarry
and the tracks, from which an accur-
ate map is icing prepared. The eleva-
ton Of each track was also taken and
plaster casts were made Of the human
tracks. The impressions were also
filed with powdered charcoal, which
brought them ut very we'll defined in
the light yellow stone, and photographs
were taken of them. The tracks OF the
birds were more clearly defined with
black paint and photographed.
SKEPTICAL SCIENTISTS.
There were still some doubts in the
minds of the party as to the genuine
ness of the tracks and they asked per-
mission to blast into the wall Of the
quarry where the tracks disappeared
and see if any more would be uncov-
cred. Blasting operations were begun
It once and three human tracks and
hree mastodon tracks exposed to view
or the first time in IL spot which had
)een sealed book TO the eye of man
or over a hundred centuries Every
possible iota of information which
ould be gained relative to the tracks