The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-07-23

with stone. and are constructed in
very substantial manner. Some o
the reservoirs, which are from six Il
eight feet deep, are cut in two b,
walls of masonry extending from sid
to side.
sTRANGE RUINs-WHAT WAS IT
On the bank of Gila River, or abou
ten miles below Florence, are thu
ruins Of d most singular structure
building 81 by 81 feeT, built OF adobe
/ which is now so hard that pick car
not be driven into ii. There are two
wallis bnilding within building
which are separated about ten OF
twelve feet, and which are between
twenty to thirty inches thick al
the base. IN the walls up about nine
feet, and extending entirely around
fhe Structure. was placed at the time
the building was put up, row OF
cedar beams. which probably served
/ to brace and strengthen the building,
The ends Of these tim mbers, which are
still in 3 fair state Of preservation,
show that they were consumed by fire
! up TO, and IL some instances, part
way thra the WALL There are
now three stories Of the wall still
standing in enc place. The windows
are long and narrow, and seem to have
been placed where thay were needed,
and withont regard to external SYM
metry. The doors are at the corners.
At the top of the inside walls are
several round holes about the size of
hat. The art of plastering seems to
have been perfect in those days, as the
inner walls are still smooth and per-
feet, and of a yellowish white color.
What this building was used for
can only be c0njectured, as it stands
in an open space surrounded by the
same class of ruins as those above re-
ferred to. It is probable. that it was a
church, or, if that people did not wor-
ship Ged, Idols may have received
alteration there.
Near this building, and at other
points among these ruined cities, are
still standing rows of cedar posts, set
ON very accurate lines. The upper
ends of these posts look old, and have
been worn by the elements, still they
are in good state of preservation.
The portions that are in the ground
are much larger, and are very little
affected by age.
OTHER RUINs-wHo WERE THE INHAB-
ITAEs?
The same class of ruins described
above can be found ali over southern
Arizona, New Mexico Territory, and
the northern part OF Mexico, wherev-
er there are fertile valleys and flowing
streams. Little or nothing is known
of the people who built these cities,
knA fFhn TaAsano
say that long ago the inhabitants of
these places were summoned of to the
South, and engaged in q battle in
which they were all killed. They
probably derived this story from the
early Mexicans, or Americans, who
visited this section, and, seeing the
ruins, concluded that they were for
merly occupied by one of the semi-civ-
ilized tribes with which Montezuma,
the Mexican King, made war, and
burned them. This is simply conjec-
ture. IL these were the facts, as Mon
tezuma kicked np his troubles about
36O years ago, we would probably
have had some account of it. And
such pottery and household imple- |
nCHbS III DACA4CO9 cS nNFCs OCOA 4OAAA /
in the Arizona ruins.
The theory that the wanderers
Asia, about 1000 or I,500
wears ago, crossed Behring's Straight, |
and made their way down the Pacific
coast of this Continent into the tenn
perate aud torrid zones, may, and I
probably does, come nearer to offering |
an explanation. But what has become |
of this race and its history Were
both blOtted ont at once, and if so, by I
whom? Now that the bloody Apach-
IS are being subjugated and extermin-
ated. fine opportunity is offered for
Academies of Natural Science, and I
men with money to expend for the
of mankind, to eueour-
age and aid in exploring these ancient
buried cities, and to bring to light
what has long been enveloped in mys-
tery. Who will be the first to move
N this matter?