The sun., 1891-07-05
BONES FOR UNCLE SAM.
a MOST AMAZING COLLECTION or
PREsHTsroRrC ANfMALS

Beasts wish Bsskseres Fan OF Not Ais
sna Separate nrsins 20 Was Their Tails
wAth-Reptiies 100 Feet In Length, sas
Fiyine Drsgons Extrsovainsry-ssovs
.nent Diegings In the Mines or the West.
wAsHrNoroy. July A-Four weeks from now
will be started for Washington the most
extraordinary procession OF animals ever seen
on tho face OF the earth. one upon which
the ghosts OF Barnum and Forepsueh might
aaze with ss wide-eved astonishment rs ever
the spectacle Of their own united shows excited
in the innocent minds OF rural adolescence. In
this wonderful parade will be gigantic reptiles
as big as eood-sised houses some OF them 100
feet In length. flying dragons with 25-foot
spread OF wings. huge birds with teeth. mann
mails two or three times ss big as ele-
phauts, sharks as large as the hugest
whales. other fishes clad In mighty plates OF
armor. and countless specimens moro OF equal
strangeness and enormous dimensions, such
rs actually inhabited the world before man
arrived In II. For nine years past tho Govern
ment has beon digging up and putting to-
Rsther the skeletons OF these strange crea-
lures, and now the vast collection at present
stored In New Haven. Conn. is preparing for
shipment By rail to the National Museum. The
whole fit would occupy fully ono-half OF that
institutions building bore. and 30 only por-
ton Is to DO forwarded Immediately. tho rest
to follow 40 soon as quarters have been sstab-
lished by Congress for its accommodation.
The business OF digging for these tremendous
fossils IL carried on pretty much like any other
mining. In various parts Of the West there. are
great deposits Of them. into which the SCI
entific enthusiasts eagerly delvs for reics OF
epochs Thousands of centuries old. Ono OF
their chosen hunting grounds is the region
between the Rockies and tho Wasatch Noun.
tains Ages ago the uphsaval OF these hills BY
geologic action cut OF the portion OF what had
been sea between these ranges from tho ocean.
and the water thus shut away formed many
big lake. typical one Of this sort existed In
Wyoming. and around It tho mighty antedi-
luvian mammals gathered In herds to crop
tho succulent and luxurlant vegetation OF
what was then tropical climate in
that region. They died natural Deaths
or became mired in the mud whom they
went to drink, and the sediment elowly de-
posted In the water covered up their bones
and preserved them from decay. This sedt-
mont reached mile in thickness. holding be-
tween its layers these ancient skelstons. dis
trIbutod like currents through q cake. At
length the water draining OF. left tho land
dry. and in the case OF the Wyoming lake re-
ferred to. subsequent floods washed away
much Of the sediment previously deposited.
leaving what are now called bad lands"-
picturesque with cliffs. peaks. and columns
carved out In fantastic shapes and OF varie-
gated colorin9.
Through such region a. this tho scientific
explorer travels with his eyes As wide open for
fossils as the gold hunter keeps his for the
shining metal. II from the face Of some rocky
olln hs chances to see bone project. exposed
by tho action OF water that has out away the
hillside. he sets party Of men to quarryinG
with drill. blast and plcka1e. until whatever
is there iu the way of remains has been taken
out. Possibly some great deposit Of prehis-
toric monsters may AZ 6e struck in thi. way. in
seysI' sess a. away i rival tais would
fS ns snd o 'f
Marsh. who directed the eathertng OF tho Gov
bs Hi Ss a t. hs: uss Inss
sM to E5d5 & 9S as GE
valley hs knew. OF where relies Of the ancient
mossssuEus were 60 plentiful that passnS;
eiehty ieei Ia ienatG n sisht At one time 'a'A
psadss Il ss Hes Ss: SSsd ssVs bssa %
nSsxHi, nssIz ,.ase:Iss ss:n i sss:iS!fy s5l::sd
and any that are broken or spllntered are
ps .pnen a SR ss s b ssfSs
Of ded its seng up
ing in q, museum, A new reptile was
Il has nyamed
tosaurus 1t was 80 feet long. stood Is feet
Ts ss rse yf from sna xSs SEsS :fsn
sa sas Ssry ysa ss sss Psns Ss
tail. In the same, ,neiahborhood Also has been
called the t.icsratops. which had an enormous
bony frill AROUND the back Of its neck; This
Mas Tor ~ s1
y H. hSss hssS a. TSs ssII%sIS, I though u:
had sharp and horny beak. not to mention q
he latter II ~ az % fess Tn Ia iens.h. ' ~ 40 'oA'"u'
In Colorado have been found great deposits
o. TIE sba
i iess long ana stood % iset hiah w6sn erect
'pon their hind legs. Instead Of browsing. ss
eordsrs thss Ted upon tho oisss ns srsss aa on
as as "a shs
,S TaTsS Saa :ss ss s Hs +: pssSs
In the mesozoic spooh. or,%,Ags Of heptilos..
'ther similar herbiyorons animals were. tho
,iggest Of the beasts One Of them, the atlan-
many 81 which have, have been found %sasurIng me-
Trough. They had various methods OF pur:
suing existence. Some won't on al fours and
With warm afr from their lungs. which served
hem as aoaIs while they walked in the sea
packs extending their l9ne pseks t4 crop t6s
eighty, feet In lengtn; Others
lad ENORMOUSLY. long hind legs, on which they
'saweeds, and were provided with not fewer
vas the mighty kanaaroo.iiES hydrosanrHs.
YET other species dwelt on land like he tricera-
ops, ind these were provided usually with
,rmor and horns for defence.
1t would seem as II such monsters az are
described need have feared No living
oss, but in fact they were q common prey 70
lies. smaller in size, but Of tremendous ac-
gta1I n MIR tanka