The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-01
nISSOURrS NEW CAVE
Abode of Prehistoric Man Found
Near Arkansas Line.
VALUABLE RELICS UEEARTHED.

VALUABLE RELICS UEEARTHED.
Most Important niscoyery Is That Of
-Four Human ke1etona-Profesaor
G. n. could Pronounce. the Cave
the greatest Find Of ITS kind on
the Continent
Professor @. n. Gould returned re-
Gently from southwestern Missouri,
where he has been engaged fl an In
spection Of cave which promises to I
be Of much archaeological value, says |
a special dispatch from Norman, Okla,
70 the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat Mt
Z. II. Jacobs, an areh@ologist Of Ben
tonville, Ark, discovered the cave and
wrote TO Mr. W. J. Moorehead, curator
81 the archaeological department Of
Phillips academy, Andover Mass.
Professor Aoorehead sent for Or.
Charles Peabody Of Cambridge, Mass,
and Or. Holmes Of the bureau Of eth
nology at Washington and other spe-
clalists in archaeology. He also sent
FOR Professor Gould Of t diversity
Of Oklahoma to pass on the geological
formation Of the cave. The cave is
four miles north of the Arkansas line
ana twelve east OF the Indian Terri
tory line. The cave Isl seventy feet
long, a hole dug out Of solid rock. The
bottom is covered with a coat Of ashes
three feet deep, estimated in all at
some 5000 cubic feet. The only plau-
sible theory in explanation Of this Pc
culiar formation is that the cave was
formerly inhabited by cave dwellers
and the ashes are those left BY the fires
they built.
out Of the debris Of and clay
have been dug four imr skeletons,
together with bones Is, The
arms are unduly long and legs
unduly short. which argues that &
skeletons belong to an ancient period.
Flint instruments Of all kinds, knives
spearheads. drills, as well as bone and
stone instruments, are found In great
abundance
The surface Of the cave is Of lime
stone worn perfectly smooth, probably
by long generations Of use by the cave
| dwellers. Or. Peabody tells Of a Sheep
fold at AIycene Of similar limestone
worn smooth in a like manner BY long
use BY the sheep.
Along the back wall of the cave the
water pouring off the limestone has
formed huge stalactites, which Pro-
fessor Gould says must have been IN
| process Of formation for thousands ot
years. AS these stalaetites have formed
above the coat Of ashes in which the
human skeletons and other relics o.
ancient times have been found th'
cave must be one Of extreme age.
The most interesting discovery, q
course, is that Of the human skeletons
Only four prehistoric skeletons hay
ever been found up to the present
i time. three in Europe and one in Amer
lea. The one found in America was
dug out number Of years ago il
California. OF those found in Europ'
one was the Engis skull, near Engis
Belgium. the second the Neander
Thai skull in Germany, the thiri
the Alanof-Spy skull, near the villag
OF Spy. These skulls were all foun'
along the lower Rhine valley. The,
are all characterized by the low fore
head, thick skull and other marks Of
degenerate race Up to the last yea
anthmpologists have found no posltiv
proof Of the existence OF a prehistori
race of men on the American cont
nent. Last year, it win be remem
bered, skull was reported to hay
been found near Lansing, KAN an
many theories were put forth as to it
probable age and Importance in solE
ing the problem of prehistoric unan 4
| America. From later evidence 1t
probable, however, that this skull wa
not Of ancient origin
] AS far as known, the discovery Q
these four skeletons in Southwestern
| Missouri ~ the frst positive discover
Of a cave man in America. Their al
: tiqufty is yet to be proved The stala'
] tites. however, the three foot coatin
Z Of ashes and other evidences Of lik
| kind seem to prove that the discover
: is indeed an important one. Professe
e Could was the only geologist preseI
t dit the investigation Of the cave, an
. as almost the whole question Of al
: tiquity must be settled by study {
S the geological formation his opinio
{ in the case Is of great value. Pr
fessor Gould Is Of the opinion that u
: cave is the greatest find Of It's kin
I ever made in America OF course 4
q work Of excavation has only begu
/ and the greatest discoveries are vet
:, be made iii all probability. He thinl
L there Is little question as to its a
L tiquity and that the discoveries beiI
q made id the cave Will be Of inyaluab
q aid In solving the problem Of the pr
e historic race Of man which inhabit'
J. thp American continent az enc time