The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-08-04

BILE one Of these was tho %tantalus, u
great bird OF the wader sort that made
its appearance in what biologists
call the cocene period-the period
called the Tertiary, and under which
are portions Of q tusk and fragments
ofteeth found In the sandstone which
resemble those OF a mammoth, and
make II possible that these are grouped
the eocene, miocene and pliocene-the
age OF mammals, then OF the glacial
period, aud OF man. Some OF the
scientists contend that the bird tracks
arc those OF some gigantic birds that
belong to the period Just before the
gocene, that is, the Cretaceous, in which
birds with teeth abounded, some OF
which we're like the hesperones, an
animal about five feet long, which
lived in the way Of the penguins, most
ly in the water, and visited the shores
probably only for breeding purposes
this great fossil bird has been found in
Kansas, In fact, it was through the
Kansas fossils that the fact was estab-
lished that birds with teeth formerly
existed.
Now comes the most interesting part
OF this, subiect-that pertaining to man.
Are these Impressions in the solid
rock really mans footprints? Is 1t
possible that man lived in those rec
mote ages? II he did, how did he live
and wherel And is the evidence more
than simply conjecture, or IS 1t all mere
guess work?
Dr. Charles @. Abbot several years
ago, writing OF the men Of the stone
age, said; 1--WE rightly speak OF the n
tiquity OF the Indian; but, remote as is
his arrival on the Atlantic coast, it Is
modern indeed in comparison with tho
antiquity OF mar In tho same region.
We can think Of it and perhaps family
realize II Ns time relative but in no
wise determine it as time absolute.
The periods OF plants, reptiles and
great mammals had succeeded each
other. "lhere were giants in those
days" says the Bible, and whom Europe
was passing through the stone and iron
age the chosen children from whom
sprang Moses and David were in al adj
vanced state Of civilization. With great
animals to combat it was necessary
there should DO great men. And sone
Of the "glants OF those days are sup
posed to be found here in the bed OF
maidstone in the shadow OF the Sierra
Nevada mountains.
These human relics are Of two kinds.
They are, first, numerous prints, tracks,
or impressions, in the rock that are
believed to be footprints OF some pre-
historic giant. Then, secondly, there
are several implements which have
been found near by that seem to belong
10 tho men or beings who left their
tracks indelibly imprinted upon the
everlasting rock, Tho implements arc
shaped like canoes. are about six inches
In length, are Of stone, and were used
to sharpen arrow-heads.
The footprints are numerous and
distinck. There are indicated twenty.
live marks, which are said to be human
footprints. They are not all together.
Sixteen are in one place; there was a
break or fault In the excavations OF the
rock, and iu this trail" several have
been lost. The other trail" shows
nine distinct and separate foot prints.
Mingled with these are numerous tracks
of tho bird supposed to DO us large as
IN emu, or cassoWary.
Aside from the diagram, and Of more
practical importance to the skeptic, are
two companion slabs or sections OF the
| Nevada quarry In which those supposed
human footsteps occur. The slabs are
about two and q half feet long and about
one.third ne wide by from nine to ton
inches thick. They were cut out OF the
solid quarry aud brought here to show
on what these prehistoric claims really
rested. The footprints are nineteen
inches long; there arc two feet three
! inches TO the step as measured in the
quarry; the pace is four feet six inches,
and the straddle is from twelve to six
,oen inches. The specimens that were
shown at New Orleans at the exposition
nearly nine years ago showed that the
length of the foot wa about twenty
three inches. These would indicate,
measuring men as they are generally
meatured nowadays, that the person
making the imprint was from nine to
ten feet In height.
Two plaster casts were taken from
these impressions by Professor Hank.
ness, and were better specimens than
the stone slabs shown here. They
showed that the foot was eighteen in
ches broad. The outlines OF these two
feet are given, aud there seems to be q
reasonable ground tor affirming that
the impression il from a human foot.
SO many Of these ao.called human feet
exist that there appears to be no ground
for rejecting the combined testimony OF
Professor darkness and Mr.. Gibbs, and
the evidence which they adduce IN the
way Of photographs, fossils, etc.
For years II has boen contended that
there could readily be found on the Pa
citlc coast skeletons OF the extinct race
| which would show there we're giants
in those days" An old Californian, A.
A. Wilcox, who resides near San Fran.
cisco, aud was a commissioner from the
Golden Cato State TO the New Orleans
exposition in 1885, said the other day at
the Worlds Fair that there were known
to exist several skeletons OF giants on
the Pacific coast; that that was no now
thing to old Callfornians, and that the
find" at Carson, Nevada, was quite gen.
orally known, believed in, aud under
stood on the coast.
1t 10 to be regretted that at loast ono
or two Of these giant skeletons did not
find their way hcre to DO placed side BY
sido with the prehistoric exhibit. That
would have been o demonstration and
would have required no argument.
Largo number Of mummios arc Oh OK
hibition in tho Anthcopological build.
Ing from Colorado. Utah and elsewhere
throughout tho west, but tho mass OF
thon arc tho romans OF q race OF COM
%paratively small people. II tho giant
whose footprints are traced In the sand
slono Of the ooceno could only DO dis.