THE COLORADE "STONE MAN" IN NEW YORK.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 928, 4 June 1878, Page 2

THE COLORADE "STONE MAN" IN NEW YORK.

(tfSW YORK TRIBUNE.) A so-called " petrefie-i man," from Colorado, whose journey through ..-S the country has been accompanied by the Western Press with much rhetoric, is on exhibition at. the 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 log is somewhat drawn up, and as the body lies slightly inclined on one side a short tail is perceptible 4o the careful observer. The features are of Indian type, and yet regular, although the cheek bones are high, and the forehead low and receding. The po&t-arior cranium, however, is . enormous. Muscular development is small for so large a figure. The outer surface of the body looks corroded. William A. Conaut, of Colorado, who ior the past two years has been the business agent at Colorado springs for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, claims that for several years past he has beea searching for geological specimen in various parls of the State, and that on 10th September, while" so engaged, his attention was attracted to a curiously-formed stone protruding from the ground. He began digging, and ex-

humed what he . now claims to be the petrified form of a human being. At the Aquarium last week opinion varied. Some things were noticed that caused doubts as to the body being a petrefaction. For instance, as petrefaction is not of course instaneous, the softer portions of the body—tile abdomen for example—while petrefaction was in progress, would cave in. But the body,showed no defect in that rsspect. A Tribune reporter measured, with a tape measure, the J left and right fore-arms, and discovered that the former was 17-1-iu. long, ands the latter 17-|tn long. Dr George K.. Smith, of Brooklyn, and Dr Erskine Mason, demonstrator of. anatomy to the College Physicians and Surgeons, measured the fore-arm with the same result. Another tried it, and not taking the measure in exactly the right direction, made the difference an inch and a half. Mr Gonant was not far away, talking v about his prodig)-. He was told that the difference of an inch and a half existed in the two fore-arms. '■lmpossible, gentlemen," he said. " The fore-arms are perfect in size and of 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 charitable institution in New York you' Vmay name if there is found a difference of an inch and a half in the fore-arms." "Measure it yourself," was the reply. He fouud that the left tore-arm .was an inch and a quarter longer than the right by his own measurement. '* A thousand dollars," was the 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 w*y," he said, "to show up tiie petrefaction is to cut a vertical section, ana then the bone cells if there ever were any, will be 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 woiild'nt have the body cut, even a toe, except by a man of national reputation who could settle the matter once for all. The reporter propos'ed 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 neik, where a hole had once been bored. It was now closed. The reporter took two pieces to Professor J. S. Newberry, of the Columbia College School of Mines " They are crystals of calcite," said the Professor. *' I have been studying souio accurate photographs of- the 1 petrefaction ' which have been sent me, and, although I haven't seen it, I think it js a fraud £>r saVeraj reasons. The flush of no animal has ever been preserved, and this petretaction is a figure, with &11 the jnte.

g-uments, and - complete. .1 look upon the whale thing as a Cardiff giant affair. The tlieatrionl portion, the finding, has beeuwell worked up, but the inoorigrutftaes.of Mio too striking. Those crystals could only be pie?ent in the.body whore substrncebad disappeared, and the vacancy had beeu tijled-.by the de- 1 position of lime by solution.