The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1889-06-27
cor. SEVER.
WhGt Wds Found ia the Craze
of Teancsee'S FjFSj GOUe.Itur


Of Tenmcsee'6 FIRST G0Ue..tur
The pro- ale lire Of the grave vas
marked on and Hon. K. +. De
Almond, of Knox county, fennes-
see. broke the Dirt. The .abor Of
digging was commenced ahou. 10
o'ciucR, and ai,ergoing down foot
or two, the formation was distinctly
thai Of grave. Att the grave
digeers Lad cleared nut the grave
to TIE depth of about two feet, the
pick struck a hollow place and the
crust through which its point had
gone began to cave il. Then came
the work of close Investigation. A
hoe was opened showing 40 arch
or crust of solid nth formed over
the vault or receptacle for the cot
fin. The soil throHn out from ~
meath this arch was submitted to
Dr. BOYD OF Tennessee and Prot
N. 4 Lupton of the Ayr cuitural
and Mechanical College at Auburn
both of whom pronounced II p gee
with disiDtagrated animal mat'"-.
The work was continued lats'
arch was entirely Gestroye -
vealng beneath a vault, duI
clay alnost fiji ty hard, shaped cx-
actly like the old style handmade
collio. small st the head broad at
the shoulders and tapeiing to the
loot. The handsome metallic as
ket was brought 10 the side OF the
grave as soon - the hollow vas
found aud the dust in the portion
Of the vault hrsi opened vas placed
Inside. This vas at the head, di-
rectly beneath the head stone, and
"a sbarp lookout WAS sept, "a 1T
WAS expected that the skull Of the
deceased would be discovered, but
close searched failed to reveal il.
When tho laborey in the grave
reached the center OF the vault his
shovel grated again. something
and an examination Of the shovel
Of dirt he brought up showed two
or three nails, badly corrOded but
gtiIl with firm center. These
nails were carefully examined by
Dr.. Boyd, who pronounced then
hand-forgtd- A little nearer the
shovel brought mp whitish OBJ
iact. covered with that peculiar
.,bstance noted on things under
Going what is tcrme / the dry rot.
d. Boyd took The object and pfo-
uoanced it piece OF bone.
The doctor examined it carefully
and said il was portion OF the
thigh bone. This piece OF bone
was about fourteen or fifteen inches
ia length, and the remnant was
from the center of the bone, each
ed having decayed and resolved
into dust. A few minutes later the
shovel threw out another piece OF
hone IL little shorter than the first
but the same in every peculiar. a
Gttlo nearer the foot OF the coffin-
shaped vault some more nails were
found. and then another piece OF
bone about ak or eight ioches long
but smaller in diameter than the
fret pieces.
The grave had been carefully
cleared flom about the shoulders to
the feet, aud Tom Battle, the negro
engaged in the work, turned toward
the head. The first shoveful re-
y,aled nothing. but before he took
another he stopped and picked up
something which he handed TO d..
Boyd saying, here's tooth. DIR.
BOYD took the little object om
handed to him, and on looking at
H. confirmed Tom assertion. Ey-
cry shovelful taken from the head
of the crave after this find was
carefully examined, resultIng in
finding ten or twelve Of the teeth OF
the deceased
The grave was cleaned out, lcav-
the coffin shaped vault with it's hard
bottom and sides bare and q large
quantity OF dust from It's bottom,
with the bones aud tech, filled the
casEct. Every Que about the grave
was satisfied with the resllts, and
none moro so than Gov. Taylor
and the deccndants Of Gov. Sewer,
who were present. The latter say
that every circumstance revealed
by the search confirms the history
of the burial OF Gov. Sewer at that
spot. now almost 3eventy-four
years ago 49, Herald.