The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-10
THE PREHISTORIC RACE.
MOUNDS AND EARTHWORKS IN THE
OHIO VALLEY.
Fortified Hills Along the Great Miami.
The Valley of the Scioto - Mounds
Where Circleviue, o., Now stands-The
Ancient Works at Portsmouth, o.
ESpecfal Corresnondence.


of defense, one a few hundred feet beyond
the other
The valley Of the Scioto river is perhaps
the richest in these wonderful monuments.
There are fewer fortified hills, but the in
closures are generally Of greater extent,
and they are additionally interesting on
account of the variety Of geometrical fig
ures represented in their plans. One of the
most extensive of these is on the north fork
of Paint creek, near ChiIlicothe. 1t con-
sists of two divisions, the largest contain
ing III acres, the smaller 16 acres. The
large Enclosure is surrounded by a ditch
and a wall u feet in height. 1t contains
six sepulchral mounds, from which several
skeletons have been taken Another ruin
on Paint creek shows that the work origi-
nally consisted of two forts, one square, the
other circular, each containing about q
acres. Within the Enclosure were several
mounds, and four wells, which still retain
water, though much filed with stones and
debris.
Among the mounds were two elliptical
in shape-one 25 feet high, $50 feet long and
10 broad, constructed OF stones and earth.
Another is feet high and similarly pro-
portioned. Several human skeletons have
been taken from these mounds, and also
pieces Of pottery, cry stal trinkets and other
articles of use and adOrnment. To the east
of these Enclosures is a rocky, precipitous
hill, the summit encircled by wall of IN
dressed stones inclosing 100 acres. Within
the Enclosure has been found an immense
quantity of cinders, as though at one time
a furnace had been in operation there
In the bed Of the creek, just below the
hill, are four wells dug through the rock
and laid around the top with hewn stone
and covered with circular slabs having
small hole through the center. 1t is
thought that the creek has changed its
channel since the wells were sunk. They
were discovered by a man out rowing, who
was attracted by the milestone like cover
ings at the bottom of the stream. Similar
works to those of Paint creek have been
found all along the Scioto TO its junction
with the Ohio at Portsmouth, opposite
which on the Kentucky side are extensive
ruins, the first explorers of which report
evidences of the remains of chimneys.
The present city of Circleville occupies
the site Of one of these old works, now en-
tireiy leveled. IL consisted of two in
closures, one a circle, the other a square,
with its sides facing the points of the COM
pass. The square Enclosure had eight en-
frances, each defended by a mound. Each
side of the square was ifty-nine rods long
and the wall ten feet high. The circle was
sixty-nine rods IN diameter, with double
walls twenty feet high and a ditch be-
tween. There were a number of mounds
within and without the Enclosures, one in
the center Of the circular fort with semi
circular pavement on the eastern side and
assembled by graded way. The town takes
its name from the circular fortifcation.
The ancient works at Portsmouth, now
partially leveled, were intricate in charac-
ter. They consisted chiefly of parallel
walls several feet in height, running from
the waters edge distance of four miles
across the low lands to the summit of
large hill, where after a detour they ter
minated near several large sepulchral
mounds Three of these were six feet in
height and covered each nearly an acre.
was quite twenty feet in height.
In the vicinity are unfinished mounds, one
of them twenty-five feet high, and already
containing the remains of many dead.
There are the remains of several wells, now
partially filed with stones and debris.
From these mounds parallel walls extend
over two miles to the river.
The total length of embankment, with all
detours, is given at twenty miles, and in
many places the ruins are several feet high.
The ruins in the Muskingum valley are
no less interesting than those already de-
scribed At the confluence of the river
with the Ohio there We're extensive works
before encroached upon by the rapidly
growing city. In the early history of the
city there were two large Enclosures and
large conical mound. The largest inclo-
sure contained forty acres and the smaller
twenty. The embankments were from six
to ten feet high and thirty feet broad at the
base. There were three gateways on each
side of the large inclOsure. A sort of COW
srt way extended between parallel walls Of
earth 231 feet apart from the large inclosure
to the river, and the way was so graded
hat these walls were twenty-one feet high
on the inside and but five on the outside,
which made the cut OF the grade about six
teen feet
Within this Enclosure was a mound
whose summit was reached by a graded
ascent The other Enclosure had a gate
yySy in the middle of each side and at the
corners, each defended by mound. There
was within conical mound, lis feet in
diameter, 30 feet high, and surrounded by
ditch and embankment. There were also
excavations that could have served no
,ther purpose so well as for reservoirs for
he storage of water.
Near Newark, in Licking county, an ex- /
ensive succession of forti6cations existed. /
on the westerly side of the
works there was first circular fort con-
aiming twenty acres on one side Of which /
TODD an elevated observatory constructed /
# earth and stones, beneath which there's APP !
lears to have been 3 subterranean passage. /
rhis circular fort is connected by parallel /
walls with an octagonal fort containing /
orty acres. The walls of this fort are ten /
Get high and contain eight gsteways, each |
defended by a mound on the inside extend /
NJ across the opening. Thence extended |
yvo parallel walls protecting 4 graded de- /
cent 20 the waters Of Raccoon creek, trib- !
ltaTy OF the Muskingum, and then IN /
,eaTly opposite direction into the country /
lack of the works for several miles, toward .
he Hooking river.
Two parallel walls also connect the oc-
aEonal fort with square fort Of twenty /
ores which. in turn, y connected by sim
AR walls with circular fort of twenty
tx acres. surrounded with an enbsnkment |
twenty-five fcec high. From the square
ort protected way leads to the water
,aiCh formerly flowed much closer 10 the
FORKS. arr &c banks were protected by
! gh SUnEaI-6Meut. To the east, on an ele-
ared plsteaTl. stood several sepulchrsl
pounds, making a cemetery where many
Aeie5ons have been found. On the whole
--se wcrs>s are the most expensive and
81. pllc&tsG Ia ihe valley.
GEoEGE : MCDOWELL
Count Punch-TSur-Nose.