Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-11-24
WHOLENO. 277S.

cloth, and pieces of common twine
! have been found in these caves, and
which were preserved in the same
manner.
To-day we discovered a new cave
which no white man had ever seen be-
fore; it was evidently the Gibralter
OF this ancient city-the name OF
which to US is forever lost. Upon en-
tering the great front room, in every
direction were seen little rooms where
inches in the rocks had been built up
with lOOpholed walls, forming, as il
were, eounterscarp galleries, as inte-
rior lines of defense, impregnsble to
any enemy except starvation. Lead
ing from here are numerous passages
which have lot vet been explored
One passage led down into a great
chamber, at the lower end of which
stream of water was found, evidently
a branch TO the outlet to the WE'LL
Owing to the poorly improvised torch
that we had, il was not deemed pru-
dent to explore any of the passages
leading from this room.
These caves are a strange place to
live in; some of them are up almost
perpendicular walls of rock to con-
siderable height. And under extreme
difficulties, with an incredible amount
of labor, they have carried great rocks,
immense timbers, and other building
material, where it is almost impOssi-
bic for q man to go.
Remains of graneries and waterwOrks
in which they kept their supplies, are
found in nearly every abode of this
character.
Now it must not be supposed that
the entire population were living in
these caves, for in every direction that
you may 90 in this territory and West
ern New Mexico, ruins of towns are
every where to be seen, in every val
ley, ON every mesa, and on nearly all
small eminences are remains of forts
which they have built for protection
against some common enemy which
eventually exterminated them.
Stone, metals upon which they
ground their corn, acOrns, and mes
quit beans, pieces of broken ollas in
which they cooked their food, and
pieces of pottery, painted and glazed,
are found everywhere. 1t seems as if
every inhabited place teamed with
life, and that this country was once as
densely populated as any of the East
ern States of the Union are to-day.
The most perfect of any of these
ruins, and which is in the best state
of preservation, is in a cave on Bea-
yer Creek, about one mile and half
from Camp Verde. 1t is in a perpen-
dicular wall of rock between two and
three hundred feet high; the lower
entrance is over one hundred feet
above the valley below. 1t is four stO-
ries in height, and, like all of the
others, has its interior lines of defense.
The floors are elaborately constructed
of small timbers covered with straight
sticks placed closely together, and
upon this is placed the cement for
flooring, usually six inches thick
The upper floors seem to have been
constructed entirely for defense. A
crenated wall breast high Overhangs
the whole structure, from which can
be seen the entire surrounding country
and from its giddy height stone can
be thrown into the river, one hundred
and fifty feet below.
The excellent state of preservation
of the wood and materials used in
these caves is due to their sheltered
position, and the dry, hot climate of
the country. Were it not for this,
nothing would have been known of
these people, as everything perishable
which has been used in the eOnstrue-
ton of these houses has deeayed
wherever it has been exposed to the
weather.
Much has been said of these ruins,
and many speculations have been
made as 10 the buildings, but it is all
speculation, as no one knows who
they were. A volume might be writ
ten on the subject and still leave it
unfinished.
After spending the whole day st
the well and among its caves and ru-
ins, we returned at night to the post,
feeling satisfied that the day had been
one of profit as we'll as pleasure. e.
B. H, Cor. Cleveland Herald.