The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-18

ROCHESTER,. Pa, July IA blast IN
a quarry on the Stewart farm, half mile
east % this place. has just brought to
Light q cross which bad been beneath the
eartf's surface since 174s. The place of
burial was ground where limestone was
ST important factor, and The result Is that
the cross IS completely petgifed.
When the matter was first called 10 the
attention OF IRA ". Logan. the owner Of
the quarry. he was greatly puzzled 10 ex-
plain The singular formation Of stone. but
investigation has made The history Of the
sacred emblem clear. and al the same
time recalled the marvellous energy and
;ireiess toUrneyings of the most famous
OF the Roman Catholic clergy. the Jesuits.
Mr. Logan communicated the news of the
discovery 20 the authorities Of the Smith
sonian institution az Washington. IN re-
Spouse. Dr.. w. De Hass. OF the institu-
ton. visited Rochester and carefully ex-
amined the cross. His report has not yet
been made public, but Il is likely TO be OF
vivid interest when it is finally given pub
licatiou.
The cross itself Is twenty-four inches
high, the cross-piece being eighteen inches
in length. Time and the limestone wash
ings. the combination that petriied Ii. also
fastened Il securely in Il bed OF limestone.
1t Is considered rather remarkable that
the blast which tore IL from its bed twenty
feet beneath the earfh's surface did not
mar its beauty. but if it had been ex-
humed in the most careful fashion il could
have been no more perfect than ii Is 1t
is hard 10 realize witt our observation how
really beautiful II has become through
petriEcation. IL seems to have a luster or
radiance, and when the sunlight striker it
fairly, beams sciEtillate from it of pris-
matte hue the whole forming a most
charming spectacle
The history Of this cross, which care
ful investigation has shown. takes US
back 10 the Old days when Western New
York was little better than a wilderness
and Pennsylvania was as free from The
touch of the white man outside OF the large
settlements. as virgin soil is from the
cultivator. At that time the French sol
dtery and Roman Catholic priests were
particularly energetic in penetrating the
country in ali directions. one seeking 10
establish the dominion OF the state, the
other that of the church. II was the
century in which this combination
achieved the most with which it has been
credited. La Sale. Marquette and others
had made their names famous already.
The woods all along the Canadian border
and nearly as far west as the Mississippi
river had become familiar places to the
Jesuit priest.
In the spring of l7i9. a band of French
soldiers, voyageurs and others left La
chine which is situated near Montreal.
fer a trip through the section of country
which as yet really belonged TO no one.
The leader of the company was Capt.
Celeron but associated with him Nj.
Decontrecoeur. who in later years became
a commander OF that famous Pennsyl-
vania post known as old Fort Duquesne,
the site Of the present city of Pittsburg.
From Lachine the party journeyed down
through Canada into that portion Of New
York state just north of Buffalo.
II was a periious journey at the best.
While the Indians were supposed 10 re
friendly 10 the French. there were rred2-
tory bands OF redmen whose love for
scalps and plumber often led them to for
get the alliances their chiefs had made.
They would pitch upon expeditions like
the one described. and often was il the
case that the first news the friends OF the
white men would have OF their fate.
would be the report of a scout who had