Evening journal., 1921-05-20
DIG Up BONES
OF ELEPHANTS
Gigantic Beast Lived in
Texas 100000 Years
Ago Says Biologist
TO RECONSTRUCT
THE SKELETON

SAN LEON. Tcxas-Positive proof /
that elephants Of gigantic size. with /
bodies probably covered with long /
hair. once roaihod the coastal plains /
of Texas has been obtained hy the |
unearthing here OF the skeletons Of |
one Of these prehistoric animals |
The period of its life dates back any
where from 100000 TO 100000
years. according 90 II G.. Chandler.
assistant professor of biology in Rice
Institute of Houston who assisted 300
removing the remains from the hard
bed OF sand and gravel
II will take some time TO recon
struct the bones and form the skele-
ton as IL originally existed. and un-
til this is done measurements cannot
be accurately taken. The fact. how
ever. that the tusks are each more
than twelve feet long indicates the
great size Of the pachyderm.
The skeleton was discovered by +.
/ r. Roy, Of Houston. who called Mr..
| Chandler TO his assistance in un-
earthing a. In speaking of the
| discovery Mr.. Chandler said.
Before Noah collected his ami
mails In the ark and before Adam
and Eve ate the disastrous apple in
the Garden of Eden this beast, per
haps attacked by a murderous sabre
toothed tiger a huge beast which
also roamed through North America
at that time. laid his great carcass
down on the sands of the beach and
died. The seabirds Of that ancient
time no doubt dined sumptuously for
many weeks on his great body. and
what was left by them was picked by
/ the microscopic animals Of the bay.
"The waves of the ancient bay
/ rippled over the bones of the fallen
monarch. carrying sand and gravel
until finally the entire skeleton was
buried deep under a mass Of de-
bris.
Centuries passed and the land
slowly raised TO its present level
some ten feet above the water level
Year by year the waves Tapped con
tlnuously against the bank. eating II
away, until finally tooth was
brought to view, probably som,
500. 900 years after Il had been drop
ped from the jaws Of the great beast
There are many who. while ad
mitting the evidence Of their eye
that an elephant did live and die on
the shores of Texas. will question
statements OF scientists as to tn
great expanse Of time since the ami
NAL existed.
mo very accurate estimate can h
made IL is true. but that II exceed
100000 years and may approach /.
100000 years there is no doubt il
the mind Of any person who ha
made study OF the past life on IN
earth. Such estimates are base
on the time required to deposit sedi
mentary rock. TO erode valleys and q
wear away rocks. No one coul
judge the age OF this particula
specimen alone. but It's age is estl
mated on the known occurrence q
the animal i'm company with othe
animals IN rocks or deposits wher
the age can be roughly estimated an
its absence I'm deposits which are &
more recent date.
Had there been game hunters
the pleistocene period North Amer
ca, rather than Africa. must hay
been their favorite hunting ground
Scientists state that during that pei
iod over the same plains which thos
elephants roamed numerous othe
long extinct animals. whose descend
ants now live i'm such distant plac,
as linda or Central Africa. were lii
ing I'm abundance.
"As the strms and waves gradual
eat away the eravelly bank Of th
bay at san Leon the remains q
camels. extinct horses and pcrhaI
other prehistoric animals will
brought to view. thus furnishing ms
terial for another page i'm the az
count 0f that long distant periC
1t when centuries and not years wei
le used as the unit in the mesuremei
he of time"
m