Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-04-14
Ruins of a City in Arizona.

Coi. ROBERTS led party 0i advehursfs,
miners and explorers, last SEASON into the desert
and unexplored regions Of northeastern Arizo-
ma, southeastern Utah, and southwestern Cole
RADIO. For miles on miles, further than the eye
can reach, barren wastes stretch away in con-
tinuous succession of desert table-lands and
yawning chasms. 1t is a wild, dreary, inhos-
pitable, boundless waste. n very embodiment OF
desolation. For II days the party lost their
trail in the desert, and nearly perished with
thirst and hunger, at one time going 80 hours
without water. One day, while travelling in
one Of the impossible gorges seeking place
where they could scale Its craggy sides, Roberts
discovered the ruins of what was once a large
and populous city. Suddenly emerging on the
top Of mesa, he was amazed at finding him
self among the extended ruins Of a great city,
untrodden by foot of man for centuries, and
spreading out miles before him 1t covered an
area Of about three square miles, and was
enclosed by wall cf sandstone, neatly quar-
ried and dressed, 10 or II feet thick, and which,
Judging by the debris, was Is Or 20 feet high
before its fall. In most places it had cr,imblei
away and fallen, and was covered with sand,
but in many places it was still standing six or
eight feet above the sand banks which bad drift
ted around IL. The entire areh inside of this
had at one time been covered with houses, built
of solid sandstone, which showed excellent ma
sonry in their construction. This city is sitli-
ated in Arizona, about 90 miles from the boun-
Diary line between Utah and Arizona, and the
same distance from the western Colorado line
1t has the appearance of being an old Aztec ci-
ty that has been deserted for Hundreds Of years
and fallen TO ruins. 1t is entitely of stone. and
II OF stick of worked timber is to be seen
among the ruins. Nothing bht the walls are
standing, and none of them are left now more
than eight or ten feet above he sand, which is
eight or ten feet deep. Col. Roberts is conf
dent from the appearance OF the walls that ma
yarh IF
but there was not enough of them left standing
to enable him to judge accurately Of the style
Of architecture adopted by the ancient builders
of this city. Col Roberts estimates that there
were at least 20 900 houses IN the city. 1t was
laid ont in plaz2as with paths or small streets
from one TO the other. There was evidently
one main highway extended through the centre
of the city. This has been cut down by the
winter torrents into yawnihg eliasm, GOO or
800 feet deep, and 800 feet " de. 1t is evident
that this chasm has been washed out since the
city was built, because the walls of many OF the
houses are overhanging the trnk, and il is noI
reasonable to suppose that city would have
been built on each side Of such chasm. The
walls still bear many traces of hieroglyphics
cut deep into them, show ing various Indian GUS
| toms anu superstitions. There are also tho
| ruins of stately monuments, built of square
blocks Of sandstone, well qanied, and show
lug good masonry, which are worked with
notches and crosses cut into them al regular in
| tervals. The ruins are covered with sand,
which Col. Roberts says ht is confident las
blown from the desert, short distance to the
sonth, since the city was deserted. lie thinks
this was fertile tract Of country when the city
was built, and that the inhabitants were forced
to desert the city on account of the high winds
which blew the sand in there after the waters
with which it is believed the desert was once
covered, receded. This sand has become pack.
v IA almost
hard as sandstone. There Is large ditch, now
partly filled up, rlinnin, away back flom the
city in the hills, 10 to II miles from the city
and it is believed this was made for the purpose
of conveying water to the dity for irrigating TIL,
ground and other purposes The walls of Tho
houses are rough and worn by the storms o
centuries, which have worn into the soft place
in the sandstone, even in the walls oyerhangin!
the precipice. The sandstone does not bea
any marks of fire, and Col Roberts Is confiden
that the sand.storms which have nearly burie,
the city rendered 1t habitable, and compel
led its ancient inhabitants TO desert it. N
bones, implements or relics Of any kind wer,
found, with the exception of some pieces o
pottery Of dark color. These wee embel
lished with paintings of flowers and ornamen
tai figures in blue colors. The colOrng inatte
is Of blue mineral substance Of some kind
which the chemist Of Santa Fe, to whom SOM
of the pottery was shown, could not clearly de
fine. 1t is perfectly indelible, and pieces of tn
pottery, which have been exposed to storm
ihac have worn away the splid masonry of TIN
city, show the color to all appearances as fresl
and bright as when new. The pottery itself ha
been ound TO be perfectly fire-proOf upon tria
in crucibles and furnaces, md if the secret O
its manufacture could be discovered IL would b
worth millions cf dollars 10 the posssessor, an
the material would be invaluable for the livin
of safi and similar purposes.