Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-16
RELIC OF THE PAST
FLOOD UNcovERs RUINS OF AN.
GENT BUILDING.
MAY GE A CENTURY AND A HALF OLD
The Structure and Some of Its Con.
tents Indicate That 1t Might Have
Been Jesuit Monastery of the
Eighteenth Century.

Eighteenth Century.
Knoxville, July 15.--A remarkable
discovery was recently made on the
Helen G. Ayres farm, one and half
miles northeast Of Ora Dell. The late
high waters covered all the farms of
the "old river bed section to a depth
of from two to ten feet For upwards
of two weeks strong current swept
across the tongue of land enclosed by
the old river channel, denuding the
surface of vegetation and wash
ing the sandy soil off to a depth of
from an inch or two to more than a
foot.
On the southeast quarter of the
= southeast quarter of section 30, Red
Rock township, directly opposite
Beaver Island" and not more than
SO feet from the waters of the old
river basin when at a normal level,
the rude outlines of prehistoric
building Of large Dimensions were laid
bare. The foundation, which is par
tally exposed On the north and east
sides, or to be more exact, at the north
east corner, is composed of sandstone,
the individual rocks varying in size,
just as they do in modern building op-
erations. The largest stones probably
weigh 60 or 80 pounds. Nothing like
systematic exploration of the ruin
has has yet been made. It is on a
knoll slightly raised above the surface
of the surrounding field, but this fact
may be accounted for by the walls re-
tanning the sand and accommodating
other deposits while the surrounding
field has been washed away. In this
connection it might be we'll to men,
ton that the soil, which covered the
ruin prior to last month, has been cul-
tivated for years.
Exploring Party.
On Monday of the present week a
party from Knoxville drove to the
scene and made superficial examina-
ton of the ruin They were ably as
sisted In the work of exploration by
Messrs. O. B. Ayres and T. ]. Prickett,
the men who first discovered the foun-
dation and recognized it as the remains
of human habitation. The Knoxville
exploring expedition was hastily orga-
nized and was not provided with in
struments for taking measurements,
etc, but a rough estimate places the
area enclosed by the foundation at
about 60x40 feet The stones are red
OF white or red and white combined,
which has suggested the idea that they
We're brought from the Red Rock
bluffs, three and half miles to the
southeast. The more reasonable idea
is that the red color of the stones re-
suited from heat at the time the build
ing was destroyed as there is every
evidence necessary to prove that the
superstructure was burned The
quadrangle area enclosed by the walls
is 1ncrusted with charcoal, ashes and
burnt clay to a depth of several inches,
to say nothing of what must have been
washed away by the waters.
Since the Moundhuilders.
In the foregoing reference. where
the ruin is mentioned as prehistoric"
the intention is not to lead the reader
to the conclusion that the walls were
built by the "Moundbuilders." or 9TH
er persons who inhabited this section
prior to the official discovery of the
continent by Columbus On the con-
trary, there is indisputabIe evidence
that the place was once inhabited by
white men. Bullets, beads, rusts
blades of hunting knives, broken glass,
buckles of both silver and steel and
numerous other articles which would
suggest civilization of the European
type We're found. The bullets, which
are OF three sizes, were cast in moulds
and some still have "necks" attached
The beads are of various sizes and
of four different colors. red. blue. white
and black. The two hunting knives
found on the foundation site, and
which are in the possession Of Mr.
Prickett, We're so badly rusted that
nothink like manufacturers names
marks or numbers could be seen. The
broken glass was evidently the re-
mains of bottles, drinking utensils
vases, etc. The steel buckles are of a
curious type, chased and highly orna
mental, with forked tongues and an
extra bow working back of the cross
bar. The uses of this latter auxiliary
are not very clear to a person &C
quainted only with buckles of modern
pattern. The two silver buckles were
perfectly round, about the size Of q
silver 25-cent piece, with the tongues
bent around fattened place In
the outer rim and extending entire
z ly across the space enclosed by the
circle.
Many Curious Finds.
Among the numerous other arti
c1es" referred to in the foregoing are
nails of the handmade kind, of all
sizes from tacks up to spikes six OF
seven inches in length. That these
latter articles are not rusted or corrod
ed to any considerable extent is ac
counted for by the fact that they were
all more or less burned. Only two
or three dozen nails were found; those
which were not burnt have probably
all been destroyed by rust. Only two
buttons were found both of which are
the property of Mr.. Prickett One il
small affair, scarcely larger thar
pea. 1t is of glass, set deep in {
brass cup and held On place by pro
jeeting rim. The other is the mos
interesting specimen so far discovered
1t Is of bronze, oval in shape, with s
loose link Of brass still in the project
Ing metal eye. This button probabl,
has about the same area as the sur
face of a dime. The center bears TIL,
hgure of a crown sslrmounting Goa
OF arms, the whole, surrounded by !;
wreath or chain of minute projections