The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-28
THE NAVIGATING PIAsA.

\
All that now remains Of the weird old
Piasa-one OF the most remarkable relics
| in the VESTS a crude painting. This
picture is owned by an o,d-time resi-
dent of Buffalo says the Alton, Ill. cor
| respondent OF the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
J The Piasa was an ancient creation-half
| paintea. half carved-which stood ont IN
! on cliff on the Mississipp; river. a
short time ago this cliff was demolished
By quarrymen, and thus one OF the most
| antique relics in the West has gone
! Even the Indians knew nothing definite
! concerning the origin OF the Piasa IL is
! probable that the queer carving dated its
origin back 10 the time OF the mound
builders. Father Marquette speaks OF
having seen it as early as June. 1913, and
it then had the appearance of being very
ancient.
| According TO the Rev NJ. Peck. presi-
dent of ShurtleT College. AT Alton. in
| 1850, the meaning of the word piasa in
| the Indian language was the 'Devouring
| bird or Destroyer" He stated that
| Captain John. Kickapoo chief, told him
the tradition of the BIRD in the year lSl0,
at St Louis He related it to John Rus
sell, one OF the pioneer editors os Illinois.
who wrote the legend as in 1886. II is
as follows:
mo part of the United States, not even
! the highlands of the Hudson. can vie in
| wild romantic scenery with the bluffs OF
| Illinois On one side of the Illinois river
often at the waters edge, a perpendicU-
| lar wall of rock rises to the height Of
some hundred feet. Generally on the OPP
posite shore is level bottom, or prairie.
of several miles in width extending TO q
similar bluff that runs parallel with the
| river.
rOE of these ranges commences at Alton
and extends, with few intervals, for many
miles along the left bank Of the Illinois
In descending the river TO Alton, the
| traveller will observe. between that town
and the mouth of the Illinois, narrow
ravine through which a small stream
discharges its waters into the Missis-
sippi. That stream is the Piasa. Its name
is Indian. and signifies. in the language of
the lllini, the bird that devours men.
Near the mouth of that stream, On
the smooth and perpendicular face of the
bluff, at an elevation which no human
act can reach. is cut the figure of an
enormous bird, with its wings expanded.
The bird which this figure represents
was called by the Indians the piasa-and
from this is derived the name of the
stream.
THE tradition of the Piasa is stiIl cur
renty among all the tribes of the Upper
Mississippi and those who have inhab-
tied the valley of the Illinois, and is
briefly this: Many thousand moons be-
fore the arrival of the palefaces, when
the magalonyx and mastadon. whose
bones are now dug up, were still living
in this land of the green prairies there
existed a bird of SUCH dimensions that he
could easily carry off in his talons
full-grown deer. Having obtained a taste
of human flesh, from that time he would
prey upon nothing else. He was artful
as he was powerful; would dart suddenly
4 IL
him off TO one of the caves in the biuff,
and devour him. Hundreds of warriors
attempted for years to destroy him, but
without success. Whole villages were
nearly depopulated. and CONSERVATION
spread through all the tribes of the
lllini.
eat length, Onatoga, chief whose
fame as a warrior extended beyond the
great lakes, separated himself from the
rest OF his tribe. fastened in solitude for
the space of a whole moon, and prayed
to the Great Spirit. the Master of Life.
that he would protect his children from
the Piasa. On the last night of his fast
the Great Spirit appeared to Onatoga in
a dream, and directed him to select
twenty of his warriors, each armed with
bow and poisoned arrow, and conceal
themselves in a designated spot. Near
the place of their concealment another
warrior was to stand in open view as a
victim for the Piasa, which they must
shoot the instant he bounced upon his
prey.
when the chief awoke in the orning
he thanked the Great Spirit. and return
ing to his tribe. told them his dream.
The warriors were quickly selected and
placed in ambush as directed. onatoga
offered himself as the victim. He was
willing to die for his tribe. Placing him
self in open view of the bluff. he soon
saw the piasa perched on a clff cycling
his prey. Onatoga drew up his form 10
its utmost height. and. planting his feet
firmly upon the earth, began to chant
the death song of warrior. \ moment
after the Piasa rose into the air swift as
the thunderbolt. and darted down upon
the body of the chief. Scarcely had he
reached his victim when every bow was
sprung and every arrow sent to the
feather into his body.
THE Piasa uttered a wild, fearful
scream, that resounded far over the op-
posite side of the river. and expired.
Onat was safe. Not an arrow not even
the talons of the bird, had touched him.
The Master Of Life in admiration Of the
generous deed of Onatoga. had held over
him an invisible shield In memory OF
this event the image OF the Piasa was
engraved on the face Of the blum.
Such is the Indian tradition. or course
| do not vouch for its truth. This much
however, is certain, the figure OF the large
bird cut into the solid rock is still there
and at a height that is perfectly mac
cessible. How and for what purpose il !
was made leave for others TO determine: I
even at this day an Indian never passes [
that spot in his canoe without firing his I
gun at the figure Of the large bird. The I
marks of balls on the rocks are almost /
Near the close or March Of the pres I
ent year I was induced to visit the bluffs 4
below the mouth Of the Illinois and above /
that Of the Piasa. My curiosity was
principally directed to the examination Of I
a cave connected with the tradition. as 4
one of those to which the bird would car
r. his human victims. Preceded by an in /
teiligent guide who carried spade. ] set 7
put upon my excursion. The cave was
extremely difficult Of access. and at one 4
point Of my progress I stood at an ele-
walton Of more than one hundred and
Fifty feet on the face OF the blur with 4
barely room to sustain one foot The IN
broken wall lowered above me. while
below was the river After a long ana
periious clambering We reached the cave.
which was about hfty feet above tbs sur
lace OF the river.
BY the aid % long pole placed on the
projecting rock. and the upper end touch
lg the mouth of the cave. Ne succeeded
n entering IL. Nothing could be more i'm
'ressive than the vigw from the entrance
Z the. cavern. Tho MISSISSIPPI. was roll /
ns IN silent grandeur beneath Us, high
1ver our heads single cedar hung It's
branches over the CHI, on the blasted top /
z which was seated 4 bald - gle No
ltaeT sound or sign q life was near rs.
/ Sabbath stiilneEs resteel or the scene-
Got q cloud ass in fhe heavens rot =
breath q air sas stirring The broad
liver lay before Is calm and smooth a.
lake The landscape 7resentas5 The same
yiid aspect rs e did before II had set
net rrs .T-s ~ fha White man