Cardiff giant; Geology -- New York (State) -- Onondaga County
The unsettled point of what it is, undoubtedly furnishes an additional
attraction regarding the mysterious stranger, as every person wishes
to see for himself and become judge in the trial of Statue versus
Fossil.
In this connection an interesting letter is subjoined from the Hon.
George Geddes.
To the Editor of the Syracuse Standard:--I find a notice in your
paper of this morning of the "Stone Giant" at Cardiff, in which
the fact that I visited it yesterday is stated, with the remark
that you are told that I believe it to be a petrifaction. Allow
me room in your paper to say that this is stating my views a little
stronger than I desire. I have formed no opinion as to the origin
of this wonderful thing. I was not allowed to make an examination
of it beyond the privilege of looking from over a railing into the
pit where the giant lay, and this pit was shaded by a tent, and
the railing surrounded by double and triple rows of people, all
anxious to see. I do not complain that I was not allowed a more
perfect examination; there were too many to see to allow the
descent into the pit of any one. All questions by me of the
gentlemen in charge were politely answered. My impressions were
decided that I saw before and below me the figure of a giant in
stone of some kind, but what kind I could not tell for in that
light and position it did not resemble any rock that our system
has in it. I thought it was quite unlike our limestone or our
gypsum formations; and that if it was sulphate of lime, and the
work of human hands, that it was more likely to have been built up,
than hewn from a solid rock. But as I have said, I had no means
or liberty to make a close examination. I wish to say in addition,
that I have traveled far and spent much money to see things of
not one-tenth the interest that this stone giant was to me,
and thought I had made good use of time and money.
Respectfully yours,
GEORGE GEDDES.
Oct. 20th, 1869.
WHAT IS THE CHARACTER OF THE SURROUNDINGS
OF THE IMAGE?
The spot is perhaps twenty-five feet below the house. The soil on
the surface is a loose one, half sand and half muck (dark.) The
spot has undoubtedly been filled in to a considerable extent from
washings from the hills around. Mr. Wright, the former owner, says
that the spot used to be covered with water, and that he had at one
time a bridge constructed over this very point, in order to reach
the higher land beyond. Even after the water failed to stand there
constantly, he was obliged to use the bridge, as the soft muck was
four or five feet deep, and was impassable for cattle and teams.
The Onondaga Creek was within twenty rods of the spot, and at some
seasons of the year overflows it. Some suppose the channel of the
Creek was once there. The place had been a regular swamp for years.
Mr. Newell has owned the farm for three years, and has occasionally
ploughed around and thrown in dirt, to the depth of at least a foot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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