THE COLORADO "STONE MAN" IN NEW YORK.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2835, 16 March 1878, Page 4

THE COLORADO "STONE MAN" IN NEW YORK.

(HEW lOKK TBIBT7NJJ.) A so-called "petrified man," from Colorado, whose journey through the country has been accompanied by the Western Press wilh much rhetoric, is ou exhibition at tho Aquarium. It is the stone figure of a man in a supine position, seven and a half feet high. The weight is said to be about 6001b. The right arm is thrown over the chest, one leg is somewhat drawn up, and as the body lies slightly inclined on one side, a short tail is perceptible to the careful observer. The features are of Indian type and yet regular, although tho cheek bones are high, and the forehead low and receding. The' posterior cranium, however, is enormous. Muscular development is small for bo large a figure. The outer surface of the body looks corroded. William A. Conant, ot Colorado, who for the .past two years has been the business- agent at Colorado springs for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Ilailroad, claims that for several years* past he has been searching for geological specimens iv various parts of the State, and that on 16th September, while so engaged, his attention wasattractedby acuriously-formed

slpue protruding from the ground, lie began diguing, and exhumed what ho now claims to be the petrified Ibrin ol a human being. At the Aquarium Inst week opinion varied. Some things were noticed that caused doul ts as to the body being a petreiaction. For instance, as petrefaction is not of course instantaneous, the softer portions of the body—theabodmen for example—while petrefuclion was in progress, would cavo in. But the body showed no defect in that respect. A Tribune reporter measured, with a tape measure, the left and right fore-arms, and discovered that the former was 17^in. long, and the latter 17iin. long. Dr George K. Smith, of Brooklyn, and Dr Erskine Mason, demonstrator of anatomy to the College of Physicians and ! Surgeons, measured the fore-arm with the same result. Another doctor tried it, and not taking the measure in exactly the right direction, made the difference an inch and a half. Mr Conant was not far away; talking about his prodigy. He was told that a difference of an inch and a half existed in the two fore-arms. "Impossible, gentlemen," he said. "The fore-arms are perfect in size and of the same length. This thing has been measured too often to have any difference discovered." Then he became excited. " Gentlemen, I will give lOOOdols. to any i charitable institution in .New York you may name if there is found a difference of an inch and a half in the fore-arms." " Measure it yourself," was the reply. He found that the left fore-arm was an inch and a quarter longer than the right by his own measurement. "AlOOOdoI." was the general.cry, but Mr Conant said that an inch and a half difference had not been proved. " There is no evidence that the difference results from dislocation or decayed bones," said Dr Smith. A measurement was then made of the entire arms; they were of the same length. " The sculptor measured from shoulder to finger tip," said one physician, " but forgot to measure the forearm." Dr Wm. A- Hammond was present, and laughed at the discovery which had been made. " The cleanest way," he said, " to show up the petrefaction is to cut a vertical section, aud then the bone cells, if there ever were any, will bo visible." The reporter proposed to Mr Conant to bring up two of the most prominent physicians in the city in order to test the matter by examining a vertical section. Mr Conant, however, said he wouldn't have the body cut, even a too/ except by a mau of national reputation who could settle the matter once for all. The reporter proposed the names of several men of national reputation, but Mr Conant would not consent. Mr Conant displayed some crystals during the afternoon, which he said were taken from the body, in the neck, where a hole had once been bored. It was now closed. The reporter took two pieces (o Professor J. S. Newberry, of the Columbia College School of Mines. " They are crystals of tialcite," said the Professor. " I hare been studying some accurate photographs of the. ' petrefaction ' which have been sent me, and, although I haven't seen it, I think it is a fraud for several reasons. The flesh of no animal has ever been preserved, but this petrefaction is a figure with all the integuments, eyelids, lips and nostrils complete. I look upon the whole thing as a Cardiff giant affair. The theatrical portion, the finding, has been well worked up, but the incongruities of the manufacture are tod striking. Those crystals could only be present in the body where its substance had disappeared, and the vacancy had been filled by the deposition of lime by solution.