The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-10
CURIOUS
REL R
BEL
EXCAVATIONS IN new ORLEANS
UNCOVER MANY RARE OLE
WEAPONS AM cssIhs
WHICH DATE BACK
THE DAYS OF FT. sssss
CHARLES.

a
4 The laying OF sewer pipes. mon
the things found are four eaHras oa
Eballs, one six inches IN diam ter, one
four. and two about three Inches; 81
spade made of cypress, an uneSpiodsds
bo1nbsheIl, manac1e, a pecniIa look
nga spear, two handmade nails, all 81
/ two coins, says the orleanss
"Picayune.s One Of the coins Is about
The size of an American dc liar Or ssil-5
yer. and bears the date Il "a 2.s The
tention of Tom MI I'LL ken. the foremafsS
Tor bowdle & Nindettes Z, arc do
ing the work was ID rstS attracted By
certain wooden S tis,ict1ira 81 lsich ms
terfered with their work la tfa IL M
die of the second block hes III 81
sr. a series of posts were found
driven into the ground the ssrias
forming a straight line and fo1loWin
sery closely one upon the 81
bound together by strong beams fass
tened to them at right AMI hesa
were all driven with an incIne t1les55
tops leaning toward the wood
or ten feet further on they cam q tos am
exactly similar structure. except 4 thu ta
the incline was the other Ray Sc, Il that
Ehe tops of the two structures were
further apart than the bottoms.
was easy to perceive that they we're
the two sides Of a trench.
No more was found unit thes
reached the next block. is being the
first block on the street. where three
similar trenches were found
last was found just 81 few feet ava
from the car track at: the sooI 81 the
street, as far as the excavations have
gone, 50 it is not known Whefher al.
not there are any more nearer thesrfys
err.
1t was In these trenches tila taH
The six-inch cannon bal II has large
piece knocked out OF III as had
come in violent contact M th some
thing, but there IS no SnoWIedge on
any battle ever having occur at sss
that spot. The trenches can be
planned by the fact OF the Old TORT
st. Charles having once ocGupf ca his s
exact ground: his one HE
old forts that stood at the four Cor
ners Of the original eli ava b;se
in French and Spanish times. ths az h.
er three being at Canal street and he.
river, Canal and Rampant sfreets and 81
Esplanada Jackson algo H
known to have had garrison here
out5the relics seem to point back to-
period long before that time The rs
spear, for instance. could rexer
have been used 'ssss
men though evident ii
This perhaps
Ill the relics It is about fss feet
shaped end. to which is eEid entls
ended to be fastened very largs
pole or handle.
The point is shaped like an India
.rrow head, and there are three gfi tsg
bout three-quarters of an inch Ion
md eight inches apart d nearest
me being about ten inches from
,oint. It is fiat IN shape. quars
edges, about an inch de and hree-
,ighths of fan inch thick. It. appears
hat the pole or handle was scut so as
o fit on both sides, and fastened bN
lails being driven through wood
md the Sits IN the iron. ias nails
ave been used as recent
ivil war, but the spear and wooden
pade throw the w hole thin uyerS ii
entury further back be Is naeis
II in one piece The hans was
rollen in the course Of the exea- sss
ating work, but the imp efnen
state of perfect presersat alton ~ ss
tick OF dynamite was also found cal
ed, with two sheets Of copper syrap
ing on it. Mr.. hfil1iken struck
n the car track hard
reak it in tWo,S but tss8 elid MOI
lode-luck All these HI ngs we're
ound from eight to ten feet below
le surface. in the trenches &of hatS
as doubtless the old Fort s ts essItarIss
French and Spanish times
These relics are very interesting
istorically. Miss Grace sssss
ell known historian ana secretary ING
the Louisiana Historical, Sucistys
lough she was nots able I'd see the
lies, showed considerable crest
them, and took the address OF
ilHken. Previous to th d llisssss3
IN had been asked reports
hat he intended doing vii hem,
Id he said that he wished to add asSaSs
tem to a collection Of his own.