The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-11-04
FOOTPRINTS II THE ROCK.
Traces of a Race Discovered on Stona
Fourteen Feet Z LndaI grnund.

A block of stone some twenty-four
inches square arrived in this city few
| days since and is now in the Office of
Mr.. H. II. Leavitt, late United States
Consul to Manaqua. Nicaragua 1t Is
an object of curiosity. for deep in it is
the impression of a human foot, which
fact is rendered all the more singular as
| it was taken from stratum fourteen
feet below the earth's surface. This
| specimen, for after all it is only a speci-
men-not merely an isolated block
curiously impressed-was taken from
the bottom of a stone-quarry which for
a space of 200 feet long and seventy feet
wide bore traces of the countless feet of
| adults and children. No particular
direction of motion was indicated by
the imprints, as the toes pointed IN
many ways, which would not nave been
the case had the movement been Il COM
mon one among the race Of people who
| left their footprints on the sands
Several blocks cut from the same
stratum were sent TO Vienna during the
last year and are now in the National
Museum, but the geologists and scien-
fists were unable to arrive at any con-
clusion as to the period when the inI-
prints were made, as the gentlemen
who sent them did not send specimens
of the overlaying strata This Mr.. Lea
witt guarded against, and he showed to
the Herald reporter yesterday specimens
of every strata to the number of eleven,
as well as an engineers diagram of the
quarry and exact measurements. The
stone itself is a remarkable specimen.
The foot is most clearly defined, the
lines, curves, and toes being most dis
tinct having sunk into the soft material
since turned to stone some five inches
A gentleman well informed gives sever
al reasons to show it is the imprint of
the foot of a prehistoric man.
MIR. Leavitt says that he visited the
quarry with several gentlemen, and
that he had the block cut. The cuarry
is near Lake Manaqua, which is forty to
fifty feet below it on the dead level
Large trees at one time fiourished on
the surface. which is now in the yicin-
ity of pasture. The whole district is of
volcanic formation 10 a great depth, as
shown by the many swells in the towns
| and neigh borhood. As neaI as can be
judged the strata in the quarry are
level, do not vary in sequence and very
little in thickness. Several strata are
| alike, save that the underlying ones are
SOllulIeu- FOR instance stratum II, IN
which the footprints are TO be found, is
| the same as stratum 3. ten feet above it.
1t is dark gray eonglomerate, very
porous, no cracks or assures, and full of
pieces of hard black cinder
No. IL, overlaying No. II. IS the same
as No 4, dark gray indurated mud
called talpitate- 1t is not used for any
purpose, Through No ii are numer-
Gus horizontal VEINS or streaks full of
impressions of leaves and twigs- OF
these Nj. Leavitt has several specimens;
they are similar to coal specimens. save
in color. Stratum 3 is of indurated
mud, light yellow color, interspersed
with shale of some material and with
pumice. Local name of stratum tai
puga- No q, loose gravelly black sand,
grains rounded, as though by action of
water, and precisely similar to the sands
on the banks OF the lake.
The stone, if its date may be fixed.
any tor-d tE,or-- r-.,ir-- 81 F=Sxl.r
upon the story of man before the Aztecs-
MIR. Leavitt will invite scientists to see
it at his office in the Stewart Building.
-NelO York Herald.