Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-01-05

WONDERFUL DISCOVERIES IN NEW MEXf-
Co-NEw AND REMARKABLE TRACES OF
A PERIsHED RACE.
America, as well us Italy, has its Hercu-
laneum and Pompeii, if we may believe
the reports of Messrs Patterson and Mack
ley, two gentlemen engaged in mining in
New Mexico, who have just arrived at st.
LOUIS with remarkable specimens and
more remarkable sttLements. Some stu .
pendous ruins have been discovered al
Abo City, in the Manzana or Apple
Mountains, in Valencia county, about
twenty miles west of the Rio Grande
river, ana nearly the same distance from
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail.
road. The district was once very popu,
ious, but has now no Inhabitants We
learn from long report in the RepHbH
Gun that there is evidence of vast volcanic
whelmed 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 mount
aims must have been sixty long and from
fifteen 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 pinon wood, was a. sound as
when first cut.
These is on one side of the piece of tim
Der some rude figures, one of the All See
ing Eye, representing probably the sun.
o her figures are deeply indented in the
wood, as if made by anything but sharp
edged tool Mr. Patterson says that he
found stone hammers, 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 Il stone gouge. rhe
buildings evidently belonged to II style el
architecture anterior to the adobe and
dried brick period Mr.. Patterson incines
to the opinion that the locality was the
site OF one of the seven mentioned b., the
Spanish chroniclerS the author of which
traversed the country after the conquest
of Mexico, among which were the cities
of Camelone. Grand Cavra, Slnta Cruz
Puerto de Abo, the Abo, and the old
Pecos, and another situated Il few miles
west of Abo in the lava beds.
Another specimen is a human skull
evidently that of u young female, as
shown by the teeth, which was exhumec
about half IL mile from the church. Skulls
are quite plentiful among the old ruins il
the vicinity. About five miles from thu
Abo springs they have discovered some
ancient silver diggings.
The smelters were built of adobe or sur
dried bricks, and were elevated somt
twenty or thirty feet above the surface o
he ground. In digging down they founC
the remains of charcoal, which was useC
for fuel by the old smelters. There wer
also seen the remains of an aqueduct, il
which water was conveyed from sprns
three-fourths of Il mile distant, to IA dan
which diverted the water into the smelling
works. About five acres were covere,
with slab, which Mr.. Patterson has take
up for mill site. From the old furnace
Il trail was found, after considerable ex
ploraLion, leading directly from the smelt
ing work to the mine in the mountains
which here rise iu peaks to height c
10000 feet. The ancient trail pursues
Egzlg course, having length of tiv
mics, while, in an air line, the distanc
Is not much exceeding one mile. Every
thing was transported in those old minin;
days on men shoulders to and from th
mountains. There are now trees of th
'pinon' growing on the trail larger tina
II mans body, showing the antiquity {
the path. Mr. Patterson said he was tw
weeks discovering the mines after tindin
the smelling works.
The mine from which the silver wa
taken was concealed by fallen timber
some of which had taken root. 1t too
nearly fortnight to clear it away. =, |
was found to be seventy feet deep wit
several horizontal shafts. A lot of potter
was also discovered and also rich tut
quoise mine bore evidence of forme
working. The pottery consists of drinkin
vessels used by hese old inhabitants {
the country. The vessels are of varior
designs, representing several species
birds and antelope. Some of the specimen
are striped and spotted with black colo
ing. An old miner named Baxter foun
in digging down II chamber about ten fe'
square, having on one side Il fireplace
across which hung crane having a cln
hook, and at the end of the hook was
bone. On the opposite side was found Ii
skeleton of man in II sitting position
/ who was evidently watching the bor
, roasting for his meal, when he and h
, habitation were overwhelmed in ruin h
! sudden discharge of lava from the mouI
tain.