The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-16

cairn..' Many of the stones show signs
of fire, and under the cliff are similar
burnt stones which were probably
taken from the mound years ago.:
This portion of the hill either was
leveled off to the clay before the oval
work was made, or there was no
black soil upon the hill at that time,
as none was used in the construction
of the embankment, nor left below 1t.
The same is true of the serpent itself.
Nine feet from the eastern end of
the oval and partly enclosing it Is a.
crescent-shaped bank II feet wide.
From the extren1ities Of this crescent,
jaws of the serpent, formed by banks
| II feet wide and 81 and Sc feet re-
spectively, in length, measured on the
inside from the point Of union with
the crescent to their point of meeting
from the convex, or eastern edge OF
the crescent. The open jaws are
shown as if the serpent's head was
turned upon it's right side, and the
crescent embankment seems to have
been designed to express this by unit
| ing the open jaws across the mouth,
| indicated by the triangular space.
This design was also carried out by
1 making the northern or upper jaw
the longer Of the two
The head Of the serpent across the
1 point of union Of the jaws is thirty
feet wide and five feet high. From
this point the neck extends eastward
| more than 100 feet, with slight
curve to the north. Then begins what
may be called the body of the SER
i pent, making a graceful curve to the
south, then winding to the east ano
north, then again to the south. then
| winding westward down the declivity
of the central portion of the hill
where another graceful convolutior
is made up the opposite ascent te
nearly the same level as the head
here it folds around in another full
convolution, and the tail follows with
a long stretch to the southwest, ter
minating in a triple coil.
The end Of the tail points acros:
the deep gully in the hillside to the
western end Of the oval, which i
496 feet distant in an air line bu
1,34S feet if measured from the west.
Z. the serpent, and then along the dor.
sal ridge to the tip Of the tail, follow
ing all Of the curves. Measured from
the tip Of the upper jaw to the enc
of the tail, the serpent itself Is 1,254
feet in length. The average widtf
Of the body is about twenty feet ane
it's height along the head and body
is from four to five feet. From the
beginning Of the tail it gradually de
creases in width and height until j
terminates in a bank about foo
high and nearly two feet wide.
The graceful curves turnout thu
whole length of this singular eff1g!
give it a strange, lifelike appearance
as If huge serpent slowly uncoiltns
itself and creeping silently AM
stealthily along the crest Of the hill
: was about to seize the oval within
its extended jaws. Late In the after
noon, when the lights and shades ar,
Z brought out in strong relief, the eff
feet is indeed strange and weird; AMI
this effect is heightened still NOR
} when the full moon lights UP tn
scene and the stiffness is broken onl.
!, by the "whoo-whoo-ho of thu
4 unseen night bird. What but a re
> ligious motive could have inspired thi
I great work?
I At Newark, on the Licking river
t are to be seen earthWorks which Wer
4 designed for Notifications.
], Near Miamisburg in Miami count,
/ I is located the largest mound In tn
t state. It is 68 feet in height and TIL