River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-30
An AMERICAN POMPEH.
Wonderful Discoveries in New
MexicO-New and Remarks able Traces
of Perihed Race

Wonderful Discoveries in New
MexicO-New and RemarIs able Traces
OF "A Perihed Race.
America, as well as Italy, has its He.
culaneum and Pompeii, if we may be-
lieve the reports of Messrs. Patterson
and Mackley, two gent emen engaged
in mining in New Mexico, who have
just arrived at St. Louis, with remark
able specimens and more remarkable
statements. Some stupendous ruins
have been discovered at Abo City. in
the Manzana or Apple Mountains, in
Valencia county, about twenty miles
west of the Rio Grande river, and
nearly the same distance from the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa 70 Rail
road, The district was once very pop
ulous, but has now no inhabitants. We
learn from long report in the Repitb-
licaa that there is evidence of vast
volcanic eruptions in the vicinity.
which overwhelmed large cities and
buried them and their inhabitants in
hot ashes. There are lava beds fifty
miles in extent, and at one time the
crater of one of the mountains
must have been sixty long and from fif-
teen to twenty miles across. The re-
mains of a temple, with walls sixty feet
high and ten feet thick. and covering
an acre of ground, were found. The
timber, which is pine wood. was as
sound as when first cut.
There are on one side of the piece of
timber some rude figures, one of the
All Seeing Eye, representing probably
the sun. Other figures are deeply in
dented in the wood, as if made by any
thing but sharp-edged tool. Mr. Pat
terson says that he found stone ham,
mers, but nothing in the shape of the
sharp-edged or steel tools. There are
small burrows seen in the wood, as if
plowed out with stone gouge. The
building evidently belonged to a style
| of architecture anterior to the adobe
and dried-brick period Mr.. Patterson
inclines to the opinion that the locality
was the site of one of the seven cities
mentioned by the Spanish chroniclers,
the author ofwhich traversed the coun-
try after the conquest of Mexico, am
ong which were the cities of Camelone,
Grand Cavra, Santa Cruz, Puerto de
AbO. and the old Pecos, and another
situated a few miles west of Abo, in the
lava beds.
Another specimen is a human skull,
evidently that of a young female, as
shown by the teeth, which was exhum-
ed about half mife from the church.
Skulls are quite plentiful among the
old ruins in the vicinity. About five
miles from the Abo springs they have
discovered some ancient silver digg-
ings.
The smelters were built of adobe Of
sdn-dried bricks, and were elevated
some twenty or thirty feet above the
surface Of the ground. In digging down
they found the remains of charcoal,
which was used for fuel by the old
smelters. There were also seen the re-
mains of an aqueduct, in which water
was conveyed from a spring, three
fourths of mile dist" Mt, to dam which
diverted the watel nto the smelling
works. About five acres was covered
with slap, which Mr.. Patterson has
taken up for mill-site. From the old
furnaces trail was found, after consid-
cradle exploration, leading directly
from the smelling work to the mine in
the mountains, which here rise in peaks
to Il height of 10000 feet The ancient
trail purSues a zigzag course, having a
length of five miles, which, i'll an air
line, the distance is not much exceed
ing one mile. Everything was trans
ported in those old mining days on
mems shoulders to and from the noun
tains There are now trees of the
pinon" growing on the trail larger
than n mans body, showing the anti
guilty of the path. Mr. Patterson
said he was two weeks discovering the
mines after finding the smelling
works.
The mine from which the silver was
taken was concealed by fallen timber,
some of which had taken root. 1t took
nearly fortnight to clear it away 1t
was found to be seventy feet deep with
several horizontal shafts. A lot of pot
terry was also discovered and also a
rich turquoise which bore evidence of
former working. The pottery consists
of drinking vessels used by these old in
habitants Of the country. The vessels
sevarel species of birds and antelope.
Some of the specimens are striped and
spotted with black cOloring. An old
miner named Baxter found in digging
down chamber about ten feet square,
having on one side fireplace, across
which hung crane having a clay,
hook, and at the end of the hook was
a bone On the opposite side of the
fireplace was found the skeleton of n
man in sitting position, who was evil
IDENTITY watching the bone roasting for
his meal, when he..and his habitation
were overwhelmed i'll ruin by a sud
den discharge of lava from the noun
ta in