Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-11-06

- v
I great deal Of labor and al imtnihcn,
peril, owing TO a thick growth Of wafer.
plants Slich foated upon the surface,
and extended some twenty feet from the
shore, and through which II was next ~
an impossibility 70 swim; by greht eStr.
lions the difficulties were overcome and
the souudings made, which, in the drep.
est place, was eleven fathonls. 10 a..'ss
4 Around the well were massive walls
OF masonry, ,yupon which time had made
! such. fearful havoc that il was almost i'm.
i possible TO tell any thing of their inner
construction; but it Is certain that they
were intended as much for defense as for
haLitation. They were like the feudai
castles OF old-their fortifcations and
their homes.
I All around tho well, in the high walls.
were caves, which, too, had once besn
occupied, aud from their sheltered posi-.
tion, all remain nearly as perfect today
as they were when Abandoned, probably
hundreds Of years ago. Tire openings
are built up with masonry. through which
are left entrances and loopboles for lpro.
lection. The walls overhead are black
eBed with the smoke Of their fires, now
so old that it will not rub off. The plas.
tered walls show the prints of their
hands as plainly as if they were made
but Yesterday. Corn-cobs, pieces 7of
goards, Gescal and seeds, are found in
the plaster, which is conclusive preot
that they were an agricultural people:
and for a similar reason it is believed
that they were manufacturing people,
as good article of cloth and pieces of
common iwine have been found in these
caves, and which were preserved in the
] same manner.
To-day We discovered q rev cave,
which no white man had ever seen be.
| fore; it was evidently the Gibraltar OF
! this ancient city, the name of which 10
us IS forever lost. Upon entering The
great front room, in every direction we're
seen little rooms, wheru inches in the
rocks had been built up with loopholed
walls, forming, as it were, counterscarp
galleries, as interior lines of defense, i'm.
pregnable to any enemy, except starva-
tion. Leading from here are numerous
passages which have not vet been ex-
plored. One passage led down into a
| great chamber, at the lower end of which
4 stream OF water was found, evidently
branch Of the outlet to the well. Cw-
ing to the poorly-improvised torch that
we had, 1t was not deemed prudent TO
explore any of the passages leading FROM
the room.
These caves arc strange place TO live
inj some Of them are up almost perpeu1
dicuiar walls of rock to considerable
| hight. And under extreme difficulties.
with an incredible amoant of labor, they
have carried great rocks, immense tim
6ers, atid other building material, whers
1t is almost impossible now for man
10 go. r -. as.. le1-.s. ~.
Remains of granaries and water-works
in which they kept their supplies, are
found In nearly every abode of this
| character. .......g
| Now; 1t must not be supposed that
the entire population were living in these
caves, for Ill every direction that YOU
may go in this territory and western
New Mexico ruins of cities and towns
are everywhere TO be seen, in eyery7yal-
ley, on every mesa, and on nearly all
eminences are remains of forts which
they have built for protection against
some common enemy, which eventually
exterminated them. f-,
Stone, metals upon which they ground
their corn, acorns and tnesduit beans,
pieces OF broken olas in which they
cooked their food, and pieces of pottery,
painted and glazed, arc found every-
where. 1t seems as if every iuhabnable
place teemed with life, and that this
country was once as densely populated
as any of the eastern States ef The Ubion
are to-day! moo su- .stsnt
The most perfect of any of these ruins,
and which is in the best state of preser-
vation, is in a cave on Beaver creek.
ore Hff'e and q half from Camp Verde.
1t is i'll perpendicular wall of rock be-
tween two and three hundred feet Ri
hight; the lower entrance is over one
hundred feet above the valley below. 1t
is four stories in hight, and. like all of
the others, has lis interior lines of de-
tense. The floors are elaboratelv con-
structed of small timbers covered with
straight sticks placed closely Together,
and upon this is placed the cerieht for
flooring, usually six inches thick. The
upper floors seem TO have Been con-
strncted entirely for defense 4 crena-
ted wall breast high overhatigsthe whoEs
structure, from which can lie seen tho
entire surrounding country, and fiumits'
giddy hight a stone can he thrown into
the river, one hundred and fifty feet
below. -E.f' eEi'f.r-E -.=02+-
The excellent state Of preservation Of
the wood and materials used in these
caves is due 20 their sheltered position
and heldry, hot climate of the toaht,y.,
Were it not for this, nothing would
have been known of these people, an
everything perishable which has been
used in the construction of these houses
has decay ed whercverit has been expos.
ed to the weather. 7't 'A'i'
Much has been said Of these ruins,
and many sPeedlations have been made
as to the builders; but it is all specula-
tion, as no one knows who they We're.
! "A volume might be written on this sub