The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-16
A sunken Continent in the Pacific.

The fact is quite generally conceded
among scientists that the probabilities
are strongly in favor of the suppose
/ on that there formerly existed a large
island, of continental dimensions. he
tween the West Indies and the west
crn coast of Africa. The continent is
supposed to be atlantis, of the an
clients. whose recent d ]scoveries point
TO the further probab lily that there
also once existed a similar continental
area of land in the Pacific Ocean, be-
tween the west coast of South America
and the present Australian continent,
a II IS sometimes called.
At q recent meeting of the Academy
of Sciences of San Francisco. Captain
Churchill read 4 very interesting pa
per in relation to this matter. His pa
per referred e,pec ally to the gigantic
scu!pturcd figures still to be seen upon
Ia ter Island, and evidently the work
OF a different race than that which
more numerous. since the works re-
ferred to are on too large a scale to
have been constructed except by many
hands. He argued that a vast conti-
nent once existed where there is now
nothing but Il waste Of ocean, dotted
with countless isles and islets of vary
ING 5 ne and character. the majority
showing in the I formation The traces
of thai former volcanic acton. which
either upheayel them from the depths
of the sea or battered and sunk the
continent of which they are now the
only vestice. Easter Island. it is be-
l;eved. was once the home of a popu-
lat on numbering many thousands. of
whom scarcely any now remain. Be
sides dwelling upon the sculptured
figures to be found there. Captain
Churchill II laid much stress upon the
hieroglyphic tai lets of wood DIS.
covered upon Faster Island and which
are the only instances of a written
language in Oceanica. He thought
suf1ic cnt attention had not been given
to them.
From other sources a San Francisco
paper learns that q German govern
ment YES sel recently VS. ted that island,
and made a large collection of prehis-
toric rema ms, and made c0p:ous notes
of other matters of scientific interest.
The German government, it is under
stood. are making preparations to
send another exped ton to Easter Is
land, with a corps of scientists and en-
gineers to sketch the island, survey the
ground. and to make plans and sec
tons of the prehistorc buildings and
ruins.
The United State, government has
also taken steps to ecure some of
the e valuabl. remains representing
the prehistoric and known races OF
this hem sphere. Instructions have
already been sem to Admiral Upsher,
in command of the South Pacific
squadron. to send one of his vessels on
a cruise in the d rection of Easter Is
land to make such expIorat ons. col
lections and reports as he may think
important in the int .rests OF his gov
eminent. The government of France
is also turn ng its attention to this IS
land. with a v ew to the establishment
of a prote torate.
1t is reported. in the accounts given
by the German vessels, that the island
which is small. is strewn with large
stone images and sculptured tablets.
The inhabitants of the island know
nothing about the remains, and even
tradition gives no account of the pco
pie living there when Their ancestor;
i arrived.