New-York tribune., 1907-01-27
HISTORY UNDER GROUND.
Collection of Nezg York Relics Made
by Gas Com pany.

1t is said that good share Of the history of
New York is Underground From the catacombs
under ST. Peters. the oldest Catholic church in
the city, to the bones Of smallpox victims dug
up in excavating for the new railway station;
from Minetta Greek. which within the memory
Of people now living persisted IN flowing into
the cellars OF houses in Tenth street to the
made land where the Collect Pond used 20 be.
and the grading down and grading up of subur-
ban lots, almost every foot OF the metropolis
has its history down TO point several feet be-
low the surface
Some Of this sUbterranean history un-
earthed by the New York Gas Company when
digging the mains in Harlem. and the relics
gathered in that process are now in a museum
al the Office OF the company The. battle OF
Harlem Plains strewed all that neighborhood
with souvenirs. which. under the pressure Of
many seasons OF rain and frost and growth ot
vegetation. have sunk deeper and deeper intn
the SOIL C. c. Simpson, general superintendent
OF mains Of the Consolidated Gas Company.
has taken great interest IN the making Of his
collection OF these relics. which. is still the
increase.
AS the settlement of the northern end OF Man
haitian Island progresses. the grading OF streets
and excavations for sewers. water and gas
mains and foundations. reveal more and more
relics OF tho Revolutionary period. Among those
at present included in the collection are British
officers buttons an ornamental British sword
HIT bayonet musket balls. belt plate. bear
ing figure which may be either 8 or 9 sons
bones and a beautiful. long. octagonal-barrelled
ffiltlock rife. all found near the fOot Ot Depot
Lane CFCrt Washington Point, the rifle hidden
In the rocks. camp chest plate and cannon
ball. from the site Of the Fort George CasiGoi
linchpin for gun carriage wedge for the same,
pewter spoon. lance tip. lance point horseshoe
horse BIT. pot hook. hammer. bombs. large ami
small: shoe buckle and bullets from Fort George;
twenty-pound bar shot probably from the Pearl.
and bullets found at Kingsbridge Road and
Dyckman street.
Bar shot. bullets and buttons seem 10 have
been sowed all over the old battlefield. Some
body's clay pipe turned up Dyckman street.
A Spanish coin which had been used for charm
ana bore the inscription. "J'traque Cnum. 174ls
Philip y d. C. Hispan. ct Ind. Rex, was found
at Cooper and Emerson streets The crown ana
the three plumes appear on most OF the buttons:
and BY the way, if YOU never saw IT, step into
ST. Paurs some day and look for the thres
pIunles away up over the pulpit. They are the
only Insignia of King George which escaped
destruction at patriotic hands when our fore
fathers got possession Of New York during the
Historians have figured out that fully thirty
regiments saw service at the northern end ct
this Island during the period OF British Occupa-
tiOn. The barracks OF Fort George We're abouc
line with 1920 street. Resimental buttons
record the presence OF the 18th Light Dragons
nth Foot 7th FusiIIers 45th Foot 5sd Foot.
14th Foot. fist Highlanders. SOth Royal Edin-
burgh Volunteers and the Tory regiment OF Ne"
York volunteers. II would be interesting 10
know how many descendants OF that Tory regl-
ment are now living in New York or elsewhere.
AT the end OF 2O1st street, the north sids
OF Shermans Creek was found the debris of a
long vanished camp, including buttons or the
10TH 26th and SD British regiments besides
some Continental buttons. At Fort Prince
Charles were found buttons of the list High
landers and Massachusetts regiment Ths
famous 4sth was among the regmentS on LauIet
Hill. About two hundred Yards north Of Dyck-
street. on the western side OF Prescott ave-
nue. an important British camp is indicated by
some OF the relics before mentioned and others
in William L. Calver's large collection Of rest-
mental buttons. The stump Of an old nasstar
There was very stubborn fighting IN the val-t
ley between Laurel Hill and FOTt Washington
1s7th street for half mile nOrthward. In this
short section was found a miscellaneous collec-
ton Of treasures Among them are grapesnots
musket balls. a button OF the 18th Regiment %
British Lancers. belt buckle marked 'G. Ne
b. gun nints. bayonets and lance tips. The lat
ter are all In a row. showing where the lanceFss
disrnOuntiny. struck their lances into the ground
and presumably .tetheredi their horses At ths
gas house on KIngsbridge Road. Just south
Of Dyckman street, found eighteen
pounder shot and the portion of a liHlber. Abotts
two hundred feet to the eastward on the plain.
were the bones OF many dead. buttons OF the
SSth Royal Regiment and the 71st Regiment
CFrasers) Hishlanders. AT the corner Of Sher.
man avenue and DycSman street upon bits OF
cloth clinging TO the wristbOnss OF huge skele-
ton. were link sleeve buttons made OF snas
Spanish coins bearing the inscription. M Vtra-
que ynum. NJ. 1771." At Dyckman street and
Post avenue a jackknife was found buried Tn q
pile OF oyster shells and with the spring in good
condition still The blade was much nickeds 80
II 1t had been used for opening oysters. On the
slope Just north OF Fort TryOn the bones OF
many Hessians were discovered ard skeletons
were also numerous on the ridge east or Kings
bridge Road. between 1S1th street and the gas
house.
The battle OF November 16. 1T16. becomes
very real 10 the imaginative sightseer as ne
handles these relies OF lOns-dead armies ana
pictures 60 himself their camp life their Dress
their munitions OF war and their advance upon
the American forces.
The study OF relies which help. us TO form a
mental picture Of our ancestors In their haniG
as they lived. to call up the ghosts OF the long
dead past so that we can see more clearly and
understand more fully the fOTceS which have
made our life to-day what. u is-thst i tna
work OF the true Antiquarian. Viewed in -thiS
light. antiquarian studies cease 70 De dusty and
dry and meaningless and become Instinct, vita
LIE and meaninE-Gas Logic -