Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-15
A PETRIFIED MAN
Found North Of Hot Springs
About Ten Miles.
A Wonderful Curiosity.

A Wonderful Curiosity.
When it was reported few days
ago that petrified man had been
fonnd out near Wind Cave people
smiled and called it fake to draw
crowds 70 the cave. But there's no
fake to it. They have this most won
derful piece of petrifaction out at the
cave, where it is on exhibition at Is
cents an exhibit. The STAR man went
out Tuesday night to view what many
were free to term "a Cardiff giant
fake" We were fully repaid for the
trip, for it is curious sight TO see a
petritied human being. The form is
perfect in every way. and one feels,
when viewing It, that they are in the
presence of corpse. The features are
all perfect and distinct, even the eye
brows being plainly dlscernable. The
finger nails, and in fact everything
about it is as natural as though it had
been buried but dav. The color is
of dark yellow, and one might at
first be suspicious that it had been
moulded from clay, as in color 1T some
what resembles burned brick, but
upon examination one is forced to be-
lieve that it is the true petrifaction of
human being. Three or four ply
sicians have examined the form and
pronounce it a genuine petrifaction Of
humanity. The following description
ny Mr. Arthur Vagg is entirely correct:
"It appears that while traverslng
the bank of the creek they saw what
looked to be fossil of some sort, sim
liar to those found in the Bad Lands
and upon closer examination, they saw
that it was the shoulder of man.
They at once proceeded to excavate
and succeeded in bringing to light the
perfect petrifaction now to be seen at
the cave, and which was purchased by
Mr.. Bronte. The specimen is probably
that of young man from twenty. five
to thirty years of age, we'll formed
aud fully developed physically, even to
sex. In height it is SIX feet one and half
inches, and belongs to the dolicephals
or round headed race of human beings,
the head is 2la inches in (horizontaD
circumference, and 27a in tyerticaD
circumference over the crown, ears and
under chin. The forehead recedes
very much which indicates low mental
ability, the nose is Slightly aquillne
and broad, the lips are rather thick.
the chin and cheek bones are we'll
formed, the neck is 16 inches in Cir
cumference the chest So! inches, the
hips 3S!1., the biceps is l3i inches, and
length of arm from shoulder to
elbow is Is, and elbow to middle of
digit is 2Oaa. making the length of arm
to 36a inches. The hand is long and
narrow and resembles a ladys. the
middle digit is 4aa long. The leg at its
junction with the body is 2laa inches,
knee II. and calf Is. the foot is log long
and 1Oa in circumference at instep
From the foregoing description it APP
pears that whoever he may have been,
he was not accustomed to a laborious
occupation. That the foot, the left one
(the right one is gone about three
inches above the ankle) musthav worn
a boot, as the big toe is very much com.
pressed inward, and the toe mails
pressed fiat on the top, the contrary te
those wearing no boots. The left arm
is brought down the side with the hand
resting on the abdomen. The right
arm has disappeared about three inches
from the shoulder, and it certainly APP
pears to have been lost prior to inter-
ment,for while the left hand is secure
ly cemented to the body from the wrist
to the finger ends, there is not the
slightest trace of the right hand IN any
way having touched the trunk, now
with the right foot it is the reverse, for
the heels have touched each other, and
with the disintegration of time the
right heel has carried with it a portion
of the left on the extreme end. The
calves Of the legs are securely cement
ed together. The lips and eyes are
closed, on the left arm extending four
inches above and three inches below, is
what appears to be huge scar, proba-
kly caused by an ak or cutlass, and un-
der the left ear is small incision of
an inch and half long, which looks as
if caused by knife or dagger. The
skin is perfect in its minute lines, and
except a few pock marks probably
caused by insects is absolutely perfect.
1t appears that the specimen is one Of
the Anglo-Saxon race, as all the char
acteristics of an Indian are wanting.
There can be no Doubt but it is one Of
the most perfect petrifactions ever dis
covered, and it will we'll repay any
lover of the wonders of nature to go 10
the Wind Cave and examine it as
have done"
We are informed that Mr.. Bronte
paid $1,000 for the petrifaction, but
the names of the discoverers could not
be ascertained The body was found
about three miles north of Wind Cave,
by two men, who dug it out, brought
it to town, where Mr.. Bronte soon dis
covered what they had and pur-
chased it.
Mrs. Ben. Bobidoux, Of Omaha, is
here bathing for her health, accom-
panied by Anne Trulaud. one of the