The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-08-23
THE RUINS OF NEW MEXICO.
4 Visit to the prehistoric Public
Buildings OF ChacO Canon.
from the Rocky Mountain News.

From the Rocky Mountain News.
Having completed the work assigned
me among the pueblos and ancient
ruins of New Mexico, | will ettempt
briefly to give YOU n synopsis of the re-
suits Upon the elevated table lands OF
Northern New Mexico, end about mid
way between the Tunecha and the Jen-
arr mountains, are the famous ruins of
the ChscO canon, first brought before the
world by the report that Lieutenant
Simpson in lS49. As they are tar of
from all the common routes, in the midst
of an arid and forbldding country, they
nave been bu. seldom visited by any
white people, and if | mistake not, no
critical examination has ever been made
OF them since 1913. started from
Juuez the 7th of May with one poor
animal TO carry all our supplies. TAX
lug pc eral northwestern course over
the country, at the close of the third day
we arriv ed at the first of the ruined pue-
bios, plainly seen while yet five or SIX
miles distant A close inspection did
not lesson cur first impression fits noble
proportions. 1t is not large building
by any means, the rectangular portion
measuring but 2l7 by la feet, but the
,oEdy built wall in places are still 80 o
40 feet in height, and ITS isolated prom
lnenCe upon slight rminenCe OverlC ok
Ing the low rolling country round give
it prominence denied other larger ruins
under the walls OF the canon further
down Commencing with the first ruin,
or the Pueblo Contado, as it is called,
there are ten others along the canon Of
the Chaos, two OF them upon the bluffs
overlooking the canon and the others in
and manifestly the work one people.
They are remarkable in being dissimilsr
and immeasuraby uperiOr TO any OF
the ruins yet discovered in America
The large ruin in the Canon de Chiefly
l. Of the same class, and is probably con-
temvoraneous with them. The largest
of the ten is the sixth Ms we go down the
canon, called the Pueblo Bonits by Si,np-
son, which its $40 by 80 feet. The
smallest is the ninth, which is regular
para telegram, - by 81 feet, With but
two exceptions all are built around three
sides of rectaugle, with an open court
facing south, and inCiosed by SEM
circular Will. One of the exceptions to
this regular rectangular plan was the
last one down the canon, the Pueblo
PeusscO Blanca, of perfect ellipuctl
shape 496 363 feet in diameter, and the
other. Pur bio Bonit:, already mentioned,
was a perfect half oval, or Of an egg
SHAPED divided along its greatest diameter.
In all the ground plan could be made
out with perfect distirctness, and In
nearly al an elevation through three or
four Of their stories. A marked feature
was the large size of the rooms. On the
second floor of the Pueblo Pentado the
rooms averaged twelve by twenty feet,
some being AS large as fourteen by
twenty-five, and twelve feet in neieht.
In the Peublo Penasco Blanca the aver
age length of the rooms on the second
floor was twenty feet, some being rs
large as twenty-eight feet. In the other
pueblos the average height between
floors was ten feet. This Goes not apply
10 the trst or ground floor, which was
subdivided INTO much smaller apart
ments These were evidently Tor
storage purposes, rs is the practice with
the Pueblos at the present time. In five
Of the ruins we found entire and perfect
rooms, preserved from destruction by the
length OF the regss or rstters supporting
the floor soove them. These we eX-
ahmed with much care and interest, and
regretted that we had not the means OF
digging into others which were intact
beneath the debris of fallen walls In
all the rooms there was notable neat
ness OF finish, particularly of the ceiling
which in the case of PenascU Blanca was
covered with thin boards of pine some.
what larger but of the thickness of an or
dirsry single. All the larger beams,
I 10 10 ii inches through, were cut of
square and smooth. Some OF the rooms
were plsstered perfectly white, probably
with the same yeSo the PuebloS and Mex
leans now use. There were at least two
doors or windows in every apartment of
an average SIZE of 26 by ~ inches. These
were plumb 10 square, of equal width top
J and bottom, and in forming them the
: builders seem to have given their great
est care and stter ton. A prominent fes-
ture in all these ruins were the circular
rooms, or the "Estu'ss' there council
halls, or secret places tor the practice of
their ancient religion. The number Of
these in each pueblo varied from single
one up 10 as many as twenty-five. Their
average size was % feet in diameter, the
largest being trifle over 60 teet, and the