The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-22
DUG BY The ANCIENT NoRsemEN.
Description OF n Curious Lake on the coas,
Of Maine.

Boston Journa.
A friend of the Listener" who has
been down on the COST Of Maine, is much
excited over the discovery there of a lake
which is evidently of artificial construc-
ton, and tBe building of which he can
refer TO no other architects than the
NOrsemen, who must have constructed it
nearly five centuries before the landing"
OF Columbus. The Listeners friend
does not, indeed, claim TO have discovered
the lake. 1t already bears the name Of
Morse pond. and has attracted the atten-
ton OF the officers of the L. = coast sur
vey; but the description OF i which these
officers embodied in their recent annual
report is the only printed. account Of 1t
which has ever been published, and that
is by no means exhaustive. 1t IL c0mpar-
atively sR unknown wonder. This Is the
way the Listeners" friend tells the story
OF the pond:
at is located in the ousint and charm
ingiy picturesque town OF Cutler, on the
far coast OF Maine, between Machias and
Esstport and may vel! invite the investi-
CATION of those among Us who are inter
ested in our antiquities. Inc village OF
Cutler has been built around a beautiful
and deep inlet known to sailors as Little
river harbOr, but reaches Tor several miles
along the coast in either direction, and
extends far into the interior. -Four miles
to the northeast OF the village o. cutler,
near the coast, is q tranquil sheet OF the
purest fresh water, consisting of about
eighty acres, which AZ certain seasons Of
the year affords excellent shelter and iced.
ing ground for large numbers of water
fowl-a veritable sportsman's paradise.
This is Morse pond; between ltand the
ocean rises q large hill or elevation, while
behind is a second stretch OF high land.
The intervening space forms the bed OF
the pond Human hands az some early
period converted this inter-vsle into an
artificial body OF fresh water by damming
up a brook which flowed through t. A
massive wall OF over 600 feet in length
and of varying thickness has been con-
structed across the northeast extremity of
this space. The material consists OF iarge
and small powders brought from the
neighborho0d IRON quite distance
around. The scarcity OF small powders
and stones in the neighborhool of the
pond confirms this theory OF artificial con-
struction.
Considerable mechanical skill and per-
severance are displayed in this piece of
masonry. The query suggests itself, Who
built this wall and thus created Morse
pond? None of the early settlers of this
portion OF Maine ala II, DectuSs Outler
was settled by the grandiathers OF many
now living, and no living person has any
authentic tradition as 20 the real authors
of the mysterious structure.
The locality OF Morse pond bears no
! other evidence of early settlers, French,
English or Indians There are no argu-
ments in favor OF belief that the abor-
! igines designed and constructed the wall
Ii would be almost impossible TO conceive
of any necessity of their making artificial
ponds if they were familiar with the IN
] terror OF the country, which is thickly
| covered with lakes and ponds.
Besides, the present appearance Of the
wall tells a story of great are. 1t could
| not have been built within several CEN
/ turtles. IL bears every evidence OF having
! been put together by a people more or
| less civilized. Contrmatory Of the Morse
/ theory is the fact that few years ago the
remains of q vessel of undoubted Morse
construction were dug out OF the sand
near Grand Menan island, and directly on
the shore nearest Morse pond. Will not
some one who has a special knowledge OF
archaeology tell US what TO think about
| this mysterious stone wall?'