The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-03
A MAMMOTH TOOTH
Was Found I'm Ohio and Weighs
More Than Nine Pounds.

From the Scientific American.
Three miles south of Lake Erie, near
Amboy, o.. is a gravel pit which from
time to time has proved rich in relics
of the glacial period and of the man.
malian age, despite the fact that relics
of mammoths are not as a rule found
below the fortieth parallel. This pit
is in the midst of what was few
years ago a gravel bed of fifty-five
acres, but which is now being ex-
hausted by railroads depending upon it
for ballast supplies. Prior to the up
heavals of the early period, which
caused the lay of land to change and
the water to recede, this gravel bed
was undoubtedly swamp near the
lake banks, while the present site of
such lake cities as Ashtabula and Con-
neaut were then the bottom n Lake
Erie. Amboy is to-day 100 feet above
the level Of the lake.
In this gravel pit, among the relics
unearthed, have been found tusks eight
feet in length; also a giants tooth
weighing pounds and ounces. hav-
ing a length of one foot and cir
conference of twenty-six inches. At
this depth, too, have been found nu-
merous timbers laid side by side, much
resembling a corduroy road. Geolo-
gists have visited the spot from time
to time and have found much food for
reflection. The tooth heretofore mem
toned is a molar of the Elephas prim-
igenius, commonly known as the NAM
moth, the most perfect specimens OF
which have been found in Siberia. Ten
thousand years ago these animals,
now extinct, roamed over Europe in
herds. The tusks found at Amboy
are curved instead of being compare
lively straight, which would imply
that they were those of mammoth
rather than of mastodon.
No unusual discoveries whatever
were made at Amboy until depth OF
thirty-five feet was attained. At thir-
ty-five feet the so-called corduroy road
was uncovered. Immediately the the
DRY of this being the work of pre-his-
toric man was advanced, but received
no credence from authorities, who at
once pronounced ii relic of the glacial
period, and in this decision is also, I'M
doubtedly the solution of the finding
of the teeth and tusks of mammoths.
It is reasoned that during the glacial
period huge glaciers coming from the
north brought with them portions of
felled forests, and lodged them in the
swamp territory where is now the
gravel pit The fact that the logs were
cedar rather than the wood generally
found along the banks Of Lake Lrie
lends weight to this theory. The relics
of the mammoths also undoubtedly
came down with these glaciers, these
great animals being inhabitants of
colder climates.
Another less reasonable theory
which has been advanced from time to
time in connection with the finds at
Amboy, is that the glaciers, on coming
from the north, felled the trees in Am
boy swamp. Then, a chance of climate
causing the glaciers to melt, the guam
titles of gravel which they carried
were deposited, thus covering the trees
to a gIaet depth Advocates of this
theory further say that the mammoths
were browsing in the swamp when the
glaciers felled the trees about them. If
the relics found were those of a mas
todon, this would not be so improbable,
for relics of mastodons have often been
found south of the fortieth parallel.
However. besides the difference in the
tusks before mentioned, 1t was noted
that the big tooth Is comparatively
smooth, while the tooth of mastodon
is covered with projections.