The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-30
STONE WALL MYSTERY.
remarkable Structure in Missis-
sippi Whose Builder is
Not Known.

Remarkable Structure in Missis-
sippi Whose Builder is
Not Known.
One of the scientific puzzles of the
state of Mississippi is the "Brandywine
Stone WALL" says the New Orleans
Picayune. 1t has long been a problem
that is yet unsolved. Some time ago
Thomas Watson of Hazlehurst sent Gov.
Longino pencil drawing of an immense
pile of stone in the southeastern portioa
of Claiborne county, suggesting that the
stone might be utilized in building the
new capitol. In letter which accom-
panied the drawing Mr.. Watson stated
that these stones, piled high on each
other, cover an area four miles square.
Each stone is feet long, feet wide and
feet thick, and they are Joined together
with an excellent quality of cement. No
man knows how they came there. They
may have been there for thousands Of
years. The builders, the Jackson News
thinks, were some prehistoric race--it
could not be otherwise. This structure IS
supposed to be continuation of the great
'ChineSe WALL which seems to begin
below Raymond, in the southern part OF
Kinds 1t county, and which is traceab!e
through Copiah. 1t is broad enough to
accommodate two or three wagons
abreast, and is one of the wonders of the
world.
Mention Of this remarkable exhibit"
says the Hazlehurst Courier, ''has elicit
ed no little comment-in fact, has brought
a letter to Mr.. Watson from the warden
Of the United States penitentiary at
LeavenWorth, kas., and also a letter to
DR.. I. B. Birdsong from another dis
tinsuished source, it being known that
the latter some years ago investigated
the matter. Mr.. Watson, however" says
the Courier, has given the subject more
patient thou ght and gone over the ground
more thoroughly than anyone else and to
him the Courier is indebted for the fol-
lowing interesting facts:
He calls it the 'Brandywine Stone
WALL and says this wonderful and mas
slvc structure OF PARTS OF structure of
stood the ravages of time for perhaps
many thousands of years. still stands all
enduring relic of prehistoric civilization
and a knowledge Of the art of building
not inferior in many respects to the pres
ent day. These stone buildings lie, fer
southeastern portion of Claiborne county,
and lying against the Copiah county line.
on the slopes overlooking the valley OF
the BrandyWine creek from the west side
"Ihese walls run from northeast to
southwest. They are built Of white or
graylsh white stone Vi immense size,
weighing from two to three tons. measur-
three feet wide by two feet thick. These
blocks or slabs are laid in very fine
quality of cement and as perfectly as
brickWork. The joints are perfect and
very close.
AT one place the top of the wall is ex-
posed by the earth being washed away
to? width Of sixty feet and a length of
ninety feet: this exposure has the an
pearance OF brick hearth.
AT another place the stone has been
Quarrled for domestic use to a depth of
three layers of slabs, which is six feet,
length of twenty-five blocks, or $50 feet.
The length of this wall as indicated by
the groupings is about 1000 feet.
AT another place about 500 yards
away from the place just mentioned is a
wall jutting from under a slope for ii dis
lance of nearly 1000 feet. This stone
work is exposed in a great many places
over an area OF four square miles.
"Ihc sides and angles Of the blocks of
stones are so perfect that they resemble
pressed brick. The tops of these walls
are perfectly horizontal and without re-
gard to the unevenness of the earth's
surface. The seams between the tiers
are perfectly straight, and each block Of
stone is perfectly horizontal in position.
and these blocks are smoothly dressed on
the edges and ends. while the broad sur
faces are rough, showing broken sur
face brought down to a level plane, but
not dressed. They are held so firmly to-
gether by the cement that it is with great
difficulty that they are broken up
"A personal inspection of these great
structures as they lie partly buried in
the earth would relieve the minds of the
most skeptical of all doubt of it not be-
ing the work Of the hands of man.
I'm all that is above mentioned in con-
nection with numerous cavings-in of the
earth's crust, which represent the ex-
istence of underground caverns, album
dant evidence is found to bear out the
theory of the existence of great buried
city in that locality.
"rhe information above given is
vouched for by other parties who have
visited the scene in recent years. and
bears out the theory advanced by Mr.
Watson. Truly, there is work for the
scientist here