Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-12-06
INTERESTING DISCOVERIES CONCERNING THEM
MADE AT KINGwOOD.
Their Skulls Were Different From Those o.
Latter-Day People and They We're
A Race Of Giants Some Fine
Old Relics Found in West
Virginia Mounds.
peaal TELEGRAM to DE Register.

race? Or, were they fading race OF
giants leaving their footprints behind
that other races might know they exist
ed. Their history was not written In
books, but builded in their mounds,
which held their works OF art, imple-
ments OF war, and working utensils.
The forearm and shin-bone OF the
Negro are longer than that OF the white
race, and it is said he cannot jump as
far as his white brother, other things
being equal because his heels leave the
imprint further back than the white
mans. These things we know are dis
tinctive OF the African race.
Had the Mound builder as defined an
anatomical distinction?
Were their skulls. as rule, formed
differently from ours?
These questions forced themselves
upon my mind when / examined a skull
found in the Castle Mound which con-
tanned five WORKMAN bones, and heard
the history connected with the mound.
This mound is on what is known rs
Castle Farm, about five miles south OF
Kingwood, w. Va, and was first opened
in 1884, by Hon. James c. McGrew and
and others of Kingwood. They found
peculiar shaped stone pipe; stone relic
in the shape of al hour-glass, which was
neatly and mechanically made, and, no
doubt, had been used for the purpose OF
recording time.
Wiley's history says Of this hour-glass:
at might be captured and placed in the
mound for safe keeping by an Indian,
as the mound builders is supposed TO
have left Egypt when the sun-dial was
used, and before the invention and In
PRODUCTION of the hour-glass.
In 1881 an exploration OF the mound
was made and in the bottom was a layer
bones, men, women and children having
been buried, in a sitting posture, in
circle, with their feet out. Bits OF char
coal scattered through ashes, also the
bones showing to a greater or less ex-
tent the effects of fire, tell plainly the
story that they burned their dead-were
cremationists. Above this layer
couple of feet, is second layer, buried
IN the same manner as the first, ana dl-
rectly above it, in the top are found
other remains.
Every skull found In this mound by
Mr.. Wiley and others, contained Wor-
milan bones, /. e., extra bones iound In
the sutrues OF the bones OF the Uranium,
and named from CLANS Wormius, who
is said to have first discovered them, al
though they had been noticed by ply
stefan Of Strasburg, G. Andernach, be-
fore Wormius described them. they
are generally found on top OF the skull
and are quite rare. Occasionally
skull is found containing one or two,
but the skull seen by the writer had five
of these extra bones on the top sutures
Of the skull.
A great many skulls were found In
this mound, but they were so brittle,
from the effect of fire, no doubt, that
they could not be taken out without
crumbling to pieces. The top OF every
skull showed the Wormiana.
The skulls were long and narrow, with
low foreheads and long narrow faces.
The wonderfully large bones found In
terspersed through the bottom layer
show that there were giants among
them, at least seven feet high, whilst
the majority would indicate heights OF
five feet eight to six feet.
II it is speculation then, TO say that
they were fading race of giants with
these data, what OF the scientific men
who construct whole skeletons, even
giving us the contour in outline, OF pre-
historic animals when they who have
one or two bones TO start from?
The Mound builder sought warmer
cline i'm the sunnie South, likely forced
to do so by the on-coming Of the Indian.
T.. NJ. Heermans, Of the Preston
County Journal, Of Kingwood, W. Va,
has a few pieces OF incinerated bones,
some arrow heads, Indian matches, etc.
that he found in a mound on the farm OF
Isaac Elliott two miles East OF King
wood.
DIR. Tippett, OF Kingwood, has a very
fine specimen Of the Indian Ratchet. II
is made OF the hardest granite, beauti-
tifully bespecked and very smooth,
found on the RidenOn farm, Portland
District, three miles from Kingwood.
He has an arrow head OF white flint, al
most perfect I'm form, which was found
few days ago by Master Charles Nor
ris. on the Morris farm, Cheat river bot
tom. one and one-half miles South Of
Kingwood. The doctor also owns a
very small arrow head, about the size OF
a mans thumb nail. II Is exceedingly
sharp. and the most perfect ever seen In
this country. II was found in a cave
about fifteen miles west Of Kinwwood.
1t had a film Of something on II when
found, that was bitter and puckering to
the taste. which required an acid solu-
ton 10 remove. This Is thought 70 be a
poisoned arrow.
William Braham, tenant OF the Hon.
c. NJ. Bishops, two miles east OF King
wood. found on the farm on which he
lives, the smallest specimen OF an Indian
Ratchet the writer has ever seen. IT Is
about two inches by one. made OF gran
lite. and was given 10 DR.. Trippett and
is now in the Trippett-Heermans collec-
ton.
Mr.. Braham also found and exceed
ingly large spear head Of dark flint. on
tie lower end OF the Morris farm,
spoken OF above, known as the Old
Ferry place.
Many years ago there was three
mounds on the Andrew Golf farm, seven
miles above Rowlesburg, on the B1lti-
more & Ohio, Preston Co., w. Va. Two
Of them have been torn down, but one
yet remains.
There is another on the old McGill
farm three miles east OF Fellowsville,
Preston Co.. and another close 70 King
wood, which will soon be explored.
Unable to Rescue the Crew.
QUEBEC. December 5.-The steamer
Wasp has been unable 70 reach the crew