The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-23

BUFFALO, Sept 22.-By singular CO.
incidence a most interesting discovery
was made at Galveston, Tex, just prior
to the great flood which devastated that
fair Southern city. 1t was made in con-
nection with excavations in which relics
were procured for the archaeological ex
hibit at the Pan-American Exposition, and
indicated that in some far distant age
when the lands bordering the gulf were
peopled by race long since persisted from
the face of the earth similar tempest
overwhelmed the unfortunate residents Of
the coast 1t must have destroyed them
by thousands just as people were destroy
ed when the hurricane and flood descended
upon Galveston in the recent calamity
which has aroused for the stricken city
the sympathy of its sister cities Of the
whole American Union.
The bones discovered in this search for
Pan-American relics are beyond a doubt
several thousand years old. They are
of prehistoric race and the character of
the people who occupied the coast of the
Gulf at this period is an interesting sub
ject for speculation. Whoever they may
have been and whenever they may have
lived, the remains found show beyond
question that some terrible outbreak of
nature caused the sudden death of thou
sands of these ancient people and their
burial in the strata where by chance they
were discovered and their existence re-
ported to archaeologists working in the
interests o. the Pan-American Exposition
at Buffalo lust few days before another
awful food submerged the city Of Gal
weston and swept to sudden and terri
Bile death thousands of its citizens, de-
stroying also millions of dollars worth
Of property.
1t was but a short time ago that the ex-
eavations were begun which resulted in
these singular and extraordinary discoY-
cries. The finding of the remains in the
first place was quite accidental. Mr.. H. ].
Simmons superintendent Of the Arizona
and New Mexico Railway, who is friend
of Supt A. l.. Benedict, of the PanAmer-
lean Exposition Department Of Ethnology
and Archaeology, was making excavations
along the lines of this railroad near Clear
Creek. Galveston County. for railroad pur-
poses. when bones were found in the earth
removed. On examination Of the contents
of the steam shovel skulls and human
teeth were noticed, and further search
led to the discovery o. skeletons of whole
families together with ivory beads and
other objects of human handiwork.
Realizing the valuable and scientific
character of the fiEd a systematic search
of the strata in the vicinity was made.
Biologists say that this whole section was
once covered by the Gulf OF Mexico. The
idea at once came to Mr.. Simmons, on
learning the extensive character of the
human remains. that in the far distant
past a tidal wave had occurred at the time
tie gulf covered more of that part of the
than at present. and that thess
bones were the remains of the thousands
of human beings who had been drowned III
the overflow of the waters of the gulf.
Evidently these people were not mere !
oerbarians. living scattered thinly over
The country in temporary abodes and hav- !
ing no permanent abiding places. The !
number of the skeletons and their close /
proximity to one another indicate that |
here existed here populous community /
and that in some PARKWAY age people |
devoted to the pursuits of industry and |
more or less skilled in the arts were here |
living in a city having its institutions of /
and social customs and some }
iegree of civilization. This could not I
laye been simply the site of a cemetery,
or the positions in which the skeletons
we're found prove conclusively that the
persons were NOT buried after n natural
leath, but were drowned and afterward
buried beneath tie debris of the convul-
zion or hurriedly and in wholesale by
heir survivors, as was done recently at
Galveston.
While all the skeletons were lying down,
ONE were face up. others face down, and
many on the side. There vas no regu-
arity in their burial at all. 1t was the
20 find one skeleton by itself.
Usually two and sometimes three and four
we're found together. in some instances as
many as fourteen being piled in heap,