Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-08-10
TIDE LEAVES
WAR RELICS
OF OLD TOWN
Human Skeletons and
Utensils Are Found
Lying On Beach

The mystery OF a lost city arose
like a spectre from the past to
BATTLE Brownsville people today.
The story Of this city Is told IN
old sword handles. with names
carved on them. pieces OF human
bones, children's toys, a woman's
riding spur, and thimble. cannon
balls, old Misunderstanding bullets,
flint arrowheads.
These and other remnants OF the
past were brought to Brownsville
by Charles Hardin. aviator. para
chute jumper, who is with the
James-Dickinson company.
City Of Past.
He found them. and many other
remnants Of what appears to be a
lost city" IN Padre Island, about
IS miles up from the southern tin.
There he found remnants OF what
must have been a city or village.
The village covered what would be
about five blocks in a city today,
Hardin said.
The recent high tide along the
coast washed away the sand from old
Liling on which the buildings sat.
and left many Of the remnants Of
the old city or village, exposed.
Hardin brought the relics TO
Brownsville. and took them to the
Ct amber OF commerce here today.
He plans to leave them at the cham
Der later. although he will take
some Of them o to other parts
Of Texas in an effort to have them
identified. as to date.
The village or city must have
been a warlike locality, judging from
the swords and bullets left there.
including some cannon balls. There
were half a dozen swords, practical
~ all rusted away except the
handles, which were OF fancy carved
bronze and brass and did not rust.
Silver Spoon Found.
There was a silver spoon on which
Is the name Of the manufacturer. In
the opinion Of jewelers. who have
been consulted the manufacturer Of
this spoon went out OF business IN
1910. A photograph OF II has been
sent to New York jewellers by 7.
Dorfman OF Brownsville for further
description.
There were + rbles. indicating
that children's feet ran about where
low the silent piling stands. Rem
nants Of some other children's toys.
little toy pottery articles were also
found.
A Belgian coin. in fine state Of
preservation, dated 1913. is in the
lot. The coin appears TO have been
used very little, and apparently was
left on the island soon after 1t was
minted.
A piece of mould for making coins,
dated 1776. also is in the lot. Other
articles include a piece Of a pl,.e,
made in Germany. U. S. uniform
buttons. hinges, brass nails, and
other such articles.
Mr.. Hardin said there are many
other similar articles around the
place which he did not bring. He
found the old well where water fur
AAAG AOoN GllN NdS HCG4ACd- IlE d4ND
found pieces Of stoves and other
household articles.
Several pieces Of human skeletons
we're found. These, and the large
number OF articles apparently aban-
doned indicate that the city came
to a sudden termination.
City Date Unknown.
Hurried efforts TO place the colony
failed today.
1t was considered possible this
could have been the old Singer
estate. where that hardy seaman
established his family and a reg
ular fort back in the days before
the Civil War.
The presence Of United States
soldiers Is difficult 10 explain, in that
event.
Histories are being checked today
to determine II any army force
spent any time in the location. But
in that event the childTen's toys
and the women's articles are hard
ID explain.
Like the exact location Of old
Santa Cruz on Padre Island, II ap-
pears that much about this lost
city" will remain buried in the past,
like the tales Of buried gold on
T'adre Island.
Possibility OF an expedition to
conduct further historical research
en- the site was being discussed to-
A.. -. IIo~Itva o~I Ersa~A-