The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-15

America Was Discovered by the Phse-
nieians 500 Years Ago.
The visit OF number of Boston savants.
armed with kodakS and ponderous vol
urnes on archaeology, 70 Dayton, Mass,
has again directed attention 10 the famous
Writing Rock, = relic which has puzzled
philosophers since the earliest days OF
| American hRhitStion. Thscelehrafed Writ
| ing Rock IL situated on Taunton river, a
stream associated with many an Indian
/ tradition and event OF colonial history.
I II is one OF the most marked evidences
/ that the coast OF New England was visited
+ by old time mariners long before the COM
/ ing OF the Spanish voyagers and the Pill
/ grims- II shares With the skeleton in ar
/ NOR az Fall River and the old stone tower
| at Newport the interest Of students OF the
/ far distant past.
/ The three objects mentioned make IL
! nearly certain that America WAS discov-
! cred long before the Mortimer penetrated
/ the more temperate latitudes Of the sea. or
/ the adventurous sails OF Americas YES
| pucci were waited amid the flower covered
/ island Of the Caribbean 10 Il also nearly
/ certain that adventures from ths Old
/ World made n temporary settlement along
| the coast OF Massachusetts, before the PHI
| grims ever saw the wintry shore Of Plynn-
outh or bent their knees In worship. upon
taking possession Of the, 70 them, new
continent
The ROCK.
The Writing Rock is one Of the strongest
Of the evidences in the case. IL l. often
visited by antiCuarians, and ia inScrip-
tons are well preserved IL consists Of an
insulated mass OF fine grained granite living
on the sands OF the river a few feet above
/ low water mark. but covered with water
| at each flow Of the tide IL Is II feet long
and about high. On the water side Il
presents an inclined plane surface. the face
Of which. IL feet by 3, seems 20 have been
originally covered with inscriptions and
sculptures. The inscriptions are hero
glyphic IN character. and a. the rock il
very hard those that rise above low water
mark can have undergone but little change
from the action Of the elements
The rock was noticed by the Pilgrims,
but received only little attention from
historians until 1884. when there was found
in the neighboring town Of Fall River
most remarkable relic. one that has not
yet ceased 10 be carefully studied. In dig
ging down a Hill mass Of rock fell OF
and disclosed human skull, which was
found 20 belong 10 body buried in a sit
ting posture and envelOped with bark.
This envelope was removed. and the a.
tonished workmen found that the skeleton
was incased in brass armor. The helmet
which covered the trunk was thirteen
inches by six inches and about one eighth
inch in thickness Il was evidently cast
in a furnace and bore marks Of skilled
workmanship. II was very similar 20 that
described by Homer as having been worn
by Hector in the immortal battle and siege
Of Troy.
THE SKELETON IN ARMoR
What was more remarkable about the
armor was that 10 seemed TO have no con-
nection with the armorial customs and
patterns OF Northern or Eastern Europe,
nor with any recent date. Below the
breas:plste, and entirely encirrling the
body. was belt composed Of brass tubes.
each four and one-half inches long and
about three-eighths Of an inch in diameter.
arranged longitudinally and close TO-
gether The tubes had been cast on hol-
low reeds. and were 30 arranged ~ 20 pro-
tect the body below the belt and breast
plate The contrivance was n most in
genious one, and proved that the maker
must have had most skilled hand and q
comprehensive knowledge Of the art Of
casting.
II is the opinion Of learned men who
have made a study OF the skeleton in armor
and other relics which have been found
near it that IL belonged 20 the crew OF
voyagers which left the inscription on the
Writing Rock.
Both the skeleton and the writing on
the rock are supposed 10 be % Asiatic or
igin. The most careful writer's on the
subject believe the Writing Rock 20 con
tain representation Of the Pillars OF Her
cules tGibrAltar) and that the mail clad
hero was one OF a crew Of PhnniCsans who
crossed the western main. sailing through
the Strait Of Gibraltar, past the Pillars %
hercules, never 20 return.
The armor Is the same As appears in
drawings of sculpture found ~ Palenque
Mexico. which has led 20 the supposition
that an Asiatic race transisntly settled
North America. affcrwaTd going % Mex
leo, where IL founded those rock walled
cities in the exploring Of which such as
tonishing evidences Of Asiatic civilization
have been found
READING THE HrERo0LYPHics.
To this theory The RntiquRrians who have
recently visited the rock subscribe. They
have deciphered the hieroglyphics % their
own satisfaction 90 read that the writer
was familiar with the Mediterranean re-
gion. and that with his fellows be was dis
Outraged and abandoned on the North
American coast
IL l. supposed that in the eKodus %
Mexico this band was forgotten. and thu
inscriptions are their mute record ~ the
loBes0neuess and encouragement o. the
situation II IL probable that the record i
AZ least eight hundred years Old. and -
autsdates the Columbus period By four
centuries.
The PhOnicians were the most persevsr-
Ing Of naviZators. and their capital was
once queen Of the sea Their history tells
% bold sailors who pushed out bsTond the
Pillars q Hercules and found strangs
lands, rugged and rough. They may have
been the American continent.
u IL proposed b preserve The rock ~ ~
moving 10 n possible 70 one Of the great
museums There IL can b. studied more
scientifically and the Inscriptions Do
cipherrd With greater accuracy. Who
knows bat that they may. vhsn fully IN
derStood. reveal = tale q early &dvsnturs
and hardship never dreamed OF TbOss
hardy mariners may have performed deeds
q daring u y kich thsy we're proud enough
% immortal r. in during granite. or tbsy
nav have written the direction % souzs
wonderful trszsrrs which thsy bad dis
covered The later many beilsTs % -
The true EaassEgs contained IN thu hero
ziyphics. ard enthusiasts have panied