Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1881-09-30
MisGfllameoms.
The Ancient City of Gran Quivera.


The curiosity-sccker need no longer
visit the Valley of the Nile, the deserts
of Asia, or the moss-grown ruins of tho
ancient cities of the Orient to find mon
uments of the past hoary with age. We
have them here on our own continent.
America. as we know, is young in civ
ilization but she was old when Europe
was young.
In New Mexico are to be found the
ruins of cities, of cathedrals and pal
aces that speak in unmistakable language
of II people that lived and aourished 0
long ago that no history or legend tells
who they were, whence they came, or
whittier they went No one can tell
their name, or by what wonderful law of
Providence they have been completely
wiped from the face of the earth. II is
conjccturcd by some antiquarian that
even before ancient Thebcs existed there
dwelt upon the plains of New Mexico a
people whose power and splendor were
unrivalcd among the nations of the earth.
That there were cities here, and large
ones too, is wcll-settled fact; but it
will only be when the earth gives up its
dead that their history will be revealed.
About 100 miles southeast Of Albu-
querque is Gran Quivera, one of those
interesting relics of the past. 1t is in
the midst of a country as barren as the
desert No streams of water flow near
it, and the surface Of the country shows
no signs of vegetable growth whatever.
The whole region is deserted, whilst in
the midst of it stand the ruins Of an
ancient and large city. For centuries
the forces Of Nature have been at work
upon its crumbling walls, and the winds
have brought showers Of sand until the
walls are covered 50 that nothing can be
seen but the tops of the highest walls
The streets are filed up with debris and
sand until they are levoled up with the
roofs of the houses. There is one build
ing that towers above the rest, and that
can be seen for fifty miles in approach
ing the city. Its walls arc four feet
thick and eighty feet high. The build
ing was 100 feet long and from eighty to
one hundred feet wide, and had base
ment the entire length Of the structure.
The first floor was evidently a council
chamber, where sat the solons Of the
long ago. Doubtless laws were then
enacted that governed this people; and
perhaps questions we're discussed and
speeches made that, if preserved, would
be models Of eloquence and learning even
in our day This floor was supported
by very large timbers that still stretch
across from wall to wall and are we'll pre-
served. The ceiling is not less than fifty
feet high, aud the timbcrS that support Il
still remain, with bracket.supports cx-
tending out from the sides Of the walls
These timbers are larger than any
growth Of timber now 10, be found any
where in this region Of country. The
carving and holdings on these old brack-
cts speak Of the workmanship of that
people, and show that they were skilled
in art and in architecture. The art dis
played exhibits taste, culture and the
skillful use Of tools, and demonstrates
that they had tools, Of good quality, il
not machinery. The walls were con.
siderably above the ceiling, aud show
that the building was very high one
These timbers have been preserved be-
cause Of the dryness of the climate.
There is very little rainfall, and there
fore nothing 10 occasion decay The
walls are built Of small layers Of slate
imbedde1 In cement. The slate IL thin
in many instances not an inch thick.
Where this slate was brought from IL a
question; and where tho cement WINS
procured puzzles the curious No such
things arc now known TO exist anywhere
IN this region Of country.
This building was not erected by the
Spaniard, because he built Of adobe, and
did not use cement The oldest Spanish