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rtfiou.Baleful Piasa Bird, Noted By' Marquette, Repainted By ScoutBy HAROLD D. ROW X SOX(I. X. K. Maff Cprni|lBlt;Mt)ALTON. 111.. Oct. II. — The baleful eye of the pirn bird again glowers down on the Father of Waters.The prehistoric rock painting on the cliffs of the Mlsstsstppi River near here, which terrified Indians and pussled scientists, has been reproduced in ail its pristine tearfulness by Herbert Forcade. an Alton boy scout.Defaced* by the arrows and rifle balls of fearing Indians and oblit-e rated by despoiling sfotte men. the piasa bird disappeared nearly a century ago. It was merely a fading memory until Forcade. a scout with a merit badge for painting, discovered Its tradition in scout lore. Following Father Marquette’s description, he re* paintqd the monster near the site of the original piasa bird, on the cliffs 100 feet above the mouth of Piasa creek.Origin of Bird UnknownNot even the earliest Indianswere able to tell who painted theoriginal piasa bird—or birds, forthere were two of them. The firstwhite men to* see the paintingwere the Jesuit, Jacques Mar*quette. and his fellow explorer,Louis Joliet Marquette wrote ofthem In 147S:, X - —~ ' : : —:t-:“While skirting seme rocks, which by their height and lengthinspired awe, we saw upon one If them two painted monsters which at first made we afraid and upon which the boldest savages dare not long rest their eyes. They are as large as a calf; they have horns on their heads like those of a deer; a horrible look, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a far*-somewhat like a man's, a bo«ftr severed with sealm and a tall so long it winds all around the body, passing abowsMhe head and goingback between the legs, ending in a fish's tail. Green, red and black are the colors composing the picture. Moreover the two monsters are so well painted that we cannot believe that any savage is their author; for good painters in France would find it difficult to paint so well—and besides they are so high up on the rock it Is difficult to reach that place con* veniently to paint them.*'The birds were really SO feet long and 12 feet high. Marquette having underestimated their sise because of the distance from which he viewed them. Their outlines were cut into the sandstone as well as painted.Indian tradition tells that while the Miarais and the Metchegmieswere in battle near the cliff the two birds swept down, carried off two Miami chiefs and threw their followers into panic. A great number of M lam la were drowned beneath the cliff and the tribe never recovered from the catastrophe..Other legeada describe the birds as the earthly embodiment of the Manltou. or evil spirit.' In such detestation were they held that Indians passing under the cliff in canoes habitually discharged arrows or guns at the painting.One of the birds had disappeared before the settlement of Illinois. The other “remained faintly visible until the winter of 1846-47, when it was quarried down and burned for lime.Hundred of boy scouts from Alton. St. Louts and other nearby cities attended the dedication of the new piasa bird on October 6.coiWants Mother Jailed For Keeping Her Son(By Internalknsal News Sere lew)NEWARK. N. J.. Oct. 18.—Is it contempt of court for a mother to refuse to share the custody ot her five-year-old son with its father?Vice-Chancellor Backes will de-cide soon, on motion of Milton Irvine, of South Amboy, who alleges his wife refused to give up the child, as she had agreed to do under a separation agreement signed two years, ago.
Newspaper Details
Miami Tribune
Miami, Florida, US
Sun, Oct 19, 1924
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 15 Jul 2024
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