Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-31
INTERESTING DISCOVERY.
Shark Skeleton Found in a Well-Mine of
 Other Curlosities.

Other Curosities.
 Choctaw Herald.
 We are informed that while digging well in the southern part of the coun- ty recently MT. F. F. keener unearthed
 the skeleton of a large shark at the depth of of something over 90 feet from the surface of the ground. The bones of
 the skeleton were all in the proper place and were in a state of perfect preserva- tioD. Mr. Keener has some of the teeth in his possession, which are of immense size. The entire neighborhood is puzzled for a reasonable theory as to how the 1 bones of the monster of the waters got to such a depth under the ground. Our informant also stated that the well was dug 9S feet before reaching wa ter, and when water was struck it rose in the well at so rap i'd rate that the man who was dig- ging it had to abandon it as quickly as possible to prevent the water from com ing over him. At depth of 40 feet the water began to drain out through a crevice in the side of the well, thus pre- venting a further rise. In order to cre- ate inquiry and the settling of the won der expressed above, we would add some more curious finds in this county, pre- missing the facts by saying there is no doubt that at some day, far in the past, this part of Alabama was on the border oI great ocean. Just south or EutaW and towards the east in the high lands on the Warrior river basin, and extend in northwest in the direction of Mem phis, there runs a line where sharks teeth. mollusk shells vertebrae of ex- tinct marine monsters and phosphate remains of shell fish are banked up in a strata from 3 to 10 feet in thickness The sharks teeth are in great numbers or quantities. The backbones of sharks
 or other marine monsters also. Some years ago a young gentleman found in Tubbs' creek, between Clinton and Gainesville the bones of some huge anil nal, supposed to be a mastodon. From the skeleton he broke out tooth, all be- ing in form of solid rock, weighing eight or ten pounds, part of 1t being lost Such things ay be found anywhere to the south and southwest of us in these mari beds. But the most wonderful find of that or any other kind was made here In 1859 in excavatng the cut under the
 bridge on the southeast edge of the town limits. MT. Erasmus Ball, citizen far
 up in the 70's, was the superintendent of
 the force, and on Thursday last recapit-
 ulated the particulars of the find about
 as follows:
 First, there was taken out great
 quantity of sharks teeth. Secondly sev-
 eral joints of the spinal column of some
 huge marine animal Thirdly, a tusk
 which weighed twenty-seven or twenty
 eight pounds, perfect, except where
 broken at the point by pick in digging.
 The cavity at the end of the tusk was
 about 1A inches in diameter.
 Fourthly, a glass tube about 16 inches long and E inch in diameter, with
 shoulder at one end and the remains at
 the other of a broken knob-like head. all
 these being 15 to 20 feet under the surface
 and in a bed of mari several feet thick.
 Fifthly, a great number of wooden
 screws, from IF to 2h inches in length,
 and from A to S of an inch in diameter.
 Tn the head of each screw was a slot sim
 liar to those in the heads of our common
 metal screws.
 Lastly, was a piece of cypress timber,
 petrified. about feet in diameter at the
 butt the bark still on it for about 2 feet;
 above that the bark appeared to have
 been scraped or peeled off to the top by
 some tool At the top of the timber,
 which was about IS feet long, the diam
 eter was 16 to IS inches. The screws, glas stube, etc., were in close proximity
 to the petrified timber, which had the
 appearance of ship mast, or a part of
 it. rather. The piece of timber or rock was raised out of the cut and rolled away from it and covered up by rock or mari, dug up about it. and still remains there, but hidden by several feet of the cover ing thrown on 1t. The screws, tusk, glass
 tube, sharks teeth and bones were packed in box and shipped by the late Judge w. c. Oliver to President Gar land of the University of Alabama and were destroyed when the buildings were burned by Wilson's raiders in 1865.
 MT. Ball informs us that later in the summer, when labor can be had, he will
 help find and take out tho timber and ship mast and make a further search for more of the screws and other possible remains which may be in the same mari bed.
 If any finds are made they will be cared for and placed either in the university