The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-09
STONE GOD DISCOVERED.
Believed to Have Been Worshiped by
the Aborigines.

Believed to Have Been Worshiped by
the Aborigines.
Tonawanda, N. Y. March SIN a
cavern a few miles south of this city
has been found a giant image of pre-
historic origin. The strange looking
idol is of solid rock, and it has aroused
an unusual amount of interest in sci
entific circles The inhabitants of this
become intensely interested in the stone
god, as it is called, and people are
focking from a distance to get a look
at the curiosity, which is thought to
have existed before the advent of the
red man.
The stone god Is the property of
Palmer Cummings, of Akron, and it is
now in the library and reading room OF
the Cummings summer cottage. For
many centuries the strange object of
worship was concealed from the world,
and it was only by the merest chance
that the opening to the underground
chamber was revealed to Uriah Cum
mings and a number of workmen.
While mining limestone in a part of
the estate that had received but little
attention in past years the laborers I'M
covered the entrance to the cavern in
which the stone god was found. The
underground chamber is of immense
size, and it appears to have been at one
time meeting place for a race of men
of prehistoric existence. The mound
builders may have inhabited the east
ern section of the continent This would
foreground cavern and its strange oc-
cupant.
If the cave was a meeting place for
race of men in bygOne ages it was also
a place of worship. The stone god was
found at one end of the cavern, lying
fiat on its. face and broken into two
pieces at the bust. When it was re-
moved from it's resting place the lower
part of the body crumbled to pieces, and
was allowed to remain where found. The
shoulders and head of the strange image
also began to crumble, but they are suf-
f1ciently well preserved to retain their
symmetry of outline.
A large hole in the left side of the
face shows the effects of oxidation dur
ing the centuries in which the stone gCd
was shut out from the light in the I'M
dergrOund chamber.
The location of the underground cav
ern is no secret to the townspeople, and
many of them have visited the chamber
IN Which the strange idol was found.
From the dimensions of the head and
shoulders of the stone god it may be
inferred that it stood 10 feet tall when
intact. The exact measurements of the
parts that are preserved are as follows:
Girth of head, 80 inches; length of face,
Is inches; width of face, II inches; cir
conference of neck, % inches; breadth
of shoulders, 80 inches; weight of head
and shoulders at the present time, 1913
pounds
Most interesting of all is the fact that
one side of the giants face is Wreathed
in smiles while the other side is cold
and stern. The left side of the head is
terrible to look upon, and the left eye
may be well called the evil eye. 1t is
piercing and sharp in outline, and sends
a cold chill up the back of the spectator.
Time and exposure have had no effect
on the upper part of the face. The fore
head is as perfect today as it was CEN
turtles ago, and it seems that the oxida-
ton of the body began at the lower ex-
tremities and worked gradually up
ward.