Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-14
FOOTPRINTS IN THE ROCK.
Traces of "a Race Discovered ON stone
Fourteen Feet Underground.


A block of stone some twenty-four
inches square arrived in this city few
days since and is now in the Office of
MIR. II. II. Leavitt, late United States
Consul to Manaqua, Nicaragua. 1t is
an object of curiosity, for deep in it is
the impression of q human foot, which
fact is rendered all the moro singular as
it was taken from a stratum fourteen
feet below the earth's surface. This
specimen, for after all ii is only speci-
men-not merely an isolated block
curiously impressed-was taken from
the bottom of 4 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 have been
the case had the movement been a 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 biologists and scien-
lists were unable to arrive at any con-
clusion as to the period when the inn
prints were made, as the gentlemen
who sent them did not send specimens
of the OVERLAPPING 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 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.
Mr.. Leayitt says that he visited the
quarry with several gentlemen, and
that he had the block cut. The quarry
is near Lake Manaqua, which is forty to
fifty feet below it on the dead level
Large trees at one time flourished on
the surface, which is now in the vicin-
ity of pasture. The whole district is of
volcanic formation to a great depth, as
shown by the many swells in the towns
and neighborhood. As near 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
solicited. For instance, stratum Y, in
which the footprints are to be found, is
the same as stratum 3, ten feet above il.
1t is dark gray conglomerate, very
porous, no cracks or assures, and full of
pieces of hard black cinder.
No. IL, OVERLAPPING No u, 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 OF streaks full OF
impressions of leaves and twigs. OF
these Mr. Leayitt has several specimens;
they are similar to coal specimens, save
in color. Stratum is of indurated
mud, light yellow color, interspcrsed
with shale Of some material and with
pumice. Local name Of stratum tall
puga. No. 6, 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,
may tend to throw some valuable light
upon the story Of man before the Aztccs.
MIR. Leavitt win invite scientists to sec
1t at his Office in the Stewart Building.
.Ae10 York Herald