The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-06-29
MEXICAN RUINS.
Some Unique and Wonderful Relies.

northwest OF Ine village OI MuIllpeC, Ill
the State of Guadalajara, Mexico, there
Is one of the strangest, most unique and
grandest ruins of the Western World.
| it covers level plateau Twenty-Five or
| Cnlrty acres in area, elevated five hun
| dred feet above the eireumjacent eoun-
4 Try on the east, south and west, an
| hemmed in on the nOPtn by the pufi =
propylaa Of snow-mantled Sierra Madfe.
| Among these everlasti ting ru ms huge
\ pyramid, five hundred ieet square and
one hundred and lorty hlgn, is most
4 PROMINENT. Its architectural outlines
are admirable i'll their symmetry and OF
4 imposing granAear, hardly surpassed by
\ tue ruins Of Thebes and Persepplis.
Captain Richard Stewart, Of Texas,
who recently traversed the State OF
| Guadalajara. says that on the eastern
front OF the quadrilatcral pyramid there
\ is broad doorway; ;j2I teet wide and 80
leet in height, crowned with "a perfect
arch. ,Ou each side of this doorWa!
stands a monstrous sphyEx, hall man,
! lr;,t beast, Z feet high ana 10 feet in
\ length, deity carved tolIt OF granitic
| sandst one. Their psdest tals are books
/ Of marble, feet hiSA and ~ teet wide,
elaborately adorned with unaeelphered
| uieroglypAics. These spAiAXes guard
| the entrance TO labyflnths below, as did
| dragons the gate way TO the garden o.
| tue Il esperlles. In front OF each sphFnX
are twp marble pillars, 40 teet hlgh aud
| 5 leek in rdiameber. Tle ouLllnes OF a
nude figure 7 leet high are carved on
each pal AT. s,... str# IFI .t.
| The features, geleariy defined, ave
pleasing, anu ,heiF expression iIl OF he
| nigaity. The dress and decorations oil
Lnese Ii lures are most elaborate aild fam
C ful. The male, AS repr esenied, holds Il
| scepter in his right hand pointing up
ward; tine woman wand petntlng to the
entrance Uo the temple. lhe pllars are
adorned from base 10 capital with hero
glypAIcs. TAe main room OF this temple
| is fifLy-three leet Wlae and ninety iii
| Length. Tue interior walls are covered
wlLn sculp pIured figures aud hierog.yph-
les in Strong relief, and traces oi tue
culorlngs with which these cal we'd stones
were emnellished are still visible.
The ceiling, Of even height with the
door, is supported by marble pillars, SIX
uu either side OF the aisie,. adorned win
strange designs carved iii strong relief.
| La tnis spacious apartment a marble
| tablet is fixed in The wall, ON wnica is
! engraved lne figure OF haii.recumbenJ
woman OF exquisite symmetry OF out
| line. Above 10 a presentation OF the
sua. On each side OF Ghis tablet are four
columAar series OF hieros lyphics extend
ing from floor to ceiling, which some
Cnampoilion should at once 'declpher.
The TABLET is fourteen feet wide and
Twenty live IN higut, its strange letter.
lngs perhaps teatding humble devotees
wno worsniped there the sacred my SER
lies OF the 10, gotten farm of n forgotten
race. A block OF marble, cOncaYe on
top, eight feet square, three high, ana
covered with Fhieroglyphies, stands i'm
med iately in front ot The tablet. 1t is
IduuuLleSS the altar on winch sacriticial
loderings were lmmolated. There are
ltour dours ieAuing from this larser into
|is mailer aptlr tments used. ii seems. as
|idcpositories lor dead bodies. Niches
uol lowed out OF the walls wlih1n contain
10 .hing Dut dust .s..l! t...
fhe very bodes of the dead have been
lresolved by chemical processes OF time
Into impalpaDie powder, put strange III.
| Iscriptions, perfect as wDea Written, elo.
lnuent aud poetlcal and sad enougl when
1lnsc fbed, are yoiceless rs tue ashes
within, aud tell no story OF priests Or
lpeopie or kings. Capt.. Stewart counted
one hundred and twenty Of tnese tombs,
each eleven feet long and three leei
wide. He inferred, as every p0cuiiarlJy
OF the grand structure indicated, that
Tue OccupaHts OF THESE catacuinDs were
4 Of giganLic jprOportiOns.
| A traditional belief OBJ btaihs among the
present Inhabitants Oi The counGry that
Inc pyramid builders were wnHe and
| gigantic. rGlgantes," tile Mexican
guide said, "dwehed here. They toilee
ldustriously, built many clties AM
| Temp es, wore w0olen anu silk iabrio>
(louud in their tombs }, and were ad.
dlctsd 10 agriculture, as attested by
fallen walls that inclosed "broad acfe6.'
/ canals which they dug may still b.
traced, truyersing tue valleys and plains
In all directions, and Unese at Multipet
may not be. the gran dest ruins of tenn
PIES reared in Mexico by the prehistoric
| race. -.-sss-
i Our traveller tells that the doorwayt
on either side OF the sanctuary led to :
flight OF Steps descending INTO subter
fanean chambers. whien, because Oi tneil
Il depth, darkness and noisolne exhaIa
tions, were uDexplored. 9..p t5gu
There are no halIowed memories OF
saddenlng associations Connected will
these venerable ruins. History is gar
ruIeus at the gateways of Rome ant
| Athens, and dreamtiy matinderfng be
4 side ssthe worlds great mistress in the
Egyptian plainY but the eilence tha
reixned here WIS deep and iAtn emf es.
Us depths beneath these temples ant