The Red Cloud chief., 1901-01-25
BY UNKNOWN HANDS.
Mississippi's Great Stone Wall q
Puzzle to Archaeo logists.
wonderful ssA Massive Structure
THAI Has withstood the Ravssss
of Many Thousands of Years
IN CIaibosrne County.

One OF the scientific puzzles OF the
state OF Missouri is the "Brandywine
Stone Wall" II has long been a prob
lem that is yet unsolved. Some time
ago, says the New Orleans Picayune,
Thomas Watson, OF IIazelhurst, sent
GOV. LONGING a pencil drawing Of an
immense pile Of stone in the south
eastern portion Of Claiborne county,
suggesting that the stone might he
utilized in building the new capitol.
In n letter which accompanied the
stones, piled high on each other, cover
an area four miles square. Each stone
is six feet long, three feet wide and
two feet thick, and they are joined to-
gether with an excellent quality OF ce-
ment No man knows how they came
there. They may have been there for
thousands OF years. The builders, the
Jackson News thinks, we're some pre-
historic %race-it could not be other
wise. This structure is supposed to be
"a continuation OF the great "Chinese
wall" which seems to begin below Ray
mond, in the southern part OF Kinds
county. and which istraceable through
Copiah. II is broad enough to accom-
modate two or three wagons abreast.
and IL n Of the wonders OF the world.
Mention OF this remarkable exhib-
IT," says the Hazelton Courier. has
elected no little c~omment-in fact. has
brought a letter to Mr.. Watson from
the warden ofthe United States peniten-
tiary at Leavenworth, Kan, and also a
letter to DR.. T. b. Birdsong from an
other distinguished 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 thought than
anyone else, and to him the Courier IL
indebted for the following interesting
facts:
"He calls IL the 'Brandywine Stone
Wall and says this wonderful and
massive structure or parts Of structure
OF masonry done In stone, which has
withstood the ravages OF time for per-
haps many thousands OF years, still
stands ar enduring relic OF a pre-
historic civilization and "A knowledge
Of the art OF building not inferior in
many respects TO the present day. These
stone buildings lie, for the most part,
buried in the earth in the southeast
ern part Of Claiborne county. and
lying against the Copiah county line,
on the slopes overlooking the valley OF
the Brandywine creek from the west
side.
These walls run from northeast to
southwest. They are built Of white
or grayish white stone Of immense size,
weighing from two to three tons.
measuring from SIX to eight feet in
length and three feet wide by tive feet
thick. These blocks. or slabs, are laid
In a very fae sushty Of es1oat. and ms
perfectly as Sriok work. TNe jsiats
are perfect snd very olsse.
AT N place the top sf the wall is
exposed by the earth being washed
away to . width Of 50 feet and {. lewgth
Of - feet; this exposure has the ap-
pearance Of a brick hearth. At aa-
Othor place the stone has been quarried
for domestic use 10 a depth of nh rec
i"N''s va si"DV' VIZ IN III lttl. u
width OF -. or eight blocks. and a
length Of IS blocks, ar $50 feet. The
length OF this wall ~ Indicated by the
groupings is about 1000 Fact. At an
other pisoe aboWt S0s yards away from
the place just mentioned is u wall jut-
ting from under . slope for n distance
Of nearly $3.50 feet. This stsne work
is exposed in a great many places over
an area Of four square miles.
THE sides and angles Of the blocks
OF stones are - perfect that they re
semble pressed brick. The tops Of oh csc
walls are perfectly horizontal aud with.
out regard to tho uneveness Of the
earth's surface. The ~ ms across the
tiers are perfectly horizontal ia posi-
tisn, and these blocks are smoothly
dressed on the edges and ends. while the
broad surfaces are brought down 10 a
level plano, but not dressed. They are
held % firmly together by the com en-
that it is with great d insulty that they
are brokss UP.
"A personal iuspsotis. Of these great
structures as they lie partly buried in
the earth would relieve the minds al
the skeptisal Of all doSbt OF il
not being the work Of the hands 81
man.
in all that is above sntisae al n
connection with numerous cavingsis
OF the earth's surface. which repre-
sent the existence 81 underground oav
erns. abundant evidence is found u
bear out the theory Of the existeso.
Of a great buried city in that locality.
THE information above given Il
vouched for by other parties who hav,
visited the scene ia recent years, anC
hears N the theory advanced by Mr.
Watson. Truly, there 10 work for tn