New-York tribune., 1882-04-23
IMPOTENCE or cHAey1rS DIscorERT.

4 rono,tor of THE TRIBUNE. III an interview with
Nr. Rice, Editor oi The N9th dmC1ca4 hfrscT, ~
ferd9v. obtained some additional paricrlaIs Ielat-
inc to the discovery by Mr.. Ch1rnaY oi me Ihan-
tom CITY" in Guatemala. Having neen askeu III
what sense the term lhantom CITY Is TO eve, uC I un-
dcr.tood Mr Rice replied that the moSt sa'l'iaC'oN
answer TO the question would be an account "i the
way in which this city was liist Drought lhto ""-
:" Inward Of fortv years ago said he when the
6istincpished American traveller John /. stephens,
visited fhc village of Santa Cruz dc QWche, GUae-
maa, he learned # the eNiscncc 2l a erSat or llaU a.
itcA city in the Sierra de Guerra Iand OF war; tne
region ln the northwestern part OF GNa'emala 0ccl-
Mel hv Tie Candones or Iacandoncs. ulhe oi
people said to this day to peIPe'uHhtte Hte
of thcir Maya forefathers. Though nomlnaIly
subject 10 the laws of The Republic oi .Gnatem3Ia
the acandOneS are IN fact absolutely lhdcpchQent
and ipalouSly refuse white men entry INTO tntlr
Settlements. Stephens thought that force OF 900
men would be necessary in order TO overcome the
resistance of the natives 10 the intrusion ot an cN
nlorinp partv. Whether Mr Charnay. the chie1 OF
the expedition, had to employ SO strong Iorce rs
this, cannot Of course say nul II euen lqlC1 Hrs
having been given by the Government TO ne com
maudants Of the scvcra garrlsons to eiurnlSh MN q
sufficient escort. But 10 return 70 ,.ic PhantOm
CITY, Mr.. stephens was assured bi the cGTG or
narieh priest of Ouchc. that tie hlmpli, Whlle ell
a voung man ard living n the NlEt@c OF ChaJuI
had ciued to the summit OF bare inu loIty peak
of tbe nrighborng sierra, and bad then at height
of ten Thousand or twelve tn"uSanO leei iooHcL
over an immense plain, extending 10 fncatah ana
i
distance he saw a large city spread oyer consider
able space. with turrcts white f'ld gllstrnlng
in the sun. This place Lace, Wf', accoTdInS IargS
and nopulous' From other sources Stephens
learned that from the Sierra larg ruined CITY was
visible; while others who had climbed 10 'he Saihe
elevation had seen nothing, OWING to dense
clond resting it, Later writers pretty generally
rceCate this city to the class % Phanto'us ., ana
nnrapes or Of fables. Yet IN lsclt the cara story
is in no wise improbable, for there are throughout
that entire region, in Guatemala, fucatan, Chlapas,
Tahasc0. etc, 70 he seen IN rIlIs IL i iIle, nun
trcds of places cities which, WhIle they h"utlsHeu
rnust have prescnt4d Just such an appearance as
that described by the old card. And 1t Is worthy oi
note that Stephens-an embodiment OF common
sense an explorer who had never a pet theory 70
s,,nuort-Saw no reason 10 doubt the truth OF the
rafre's story. And now Nr. Charnay has found
Tins city though OF course, we ;Ia Gamot as yet ali
What special significance attaches TO th's dls-
coveIyW
most the identical words OF Stephens II that city
IS still inhabited then place Is left where Indians
and an Indian city exist as COrez ana AlvarddO
found them; there are sillhVhg men VINO cai! solVe
the mystery that hangs over the ruined cites oi
America perhaps who can go 10 COpan ana read
the inscriptions on the monuments. lou know
what absIIr ties have been published about the
arc nj these nihnum,nts these cities. BrasScur do
Bourbourg makes them antcdate the Flood, and Dr
lie Plonceon is satisfied tha' some OF them are at
least II 900 years old Nj. Charnay has stubbOrnly
maintained that The oldest Of them date from a
period not anterior to the eleventh century, that
many of them are of still later origin, and that
nearly all OF them were tourishing at the time OF
the Spanish invasion. 1t concerns every student oi
American history to have this yeXed question set
tlcd beyond dispute, and Mr. CharnaYS discovery
promises to supply the missing link which con
meets the founders OF these Central American clies
with the present indigenous populations oi the
same region" ~
when do YOU expect to receive detailed ac-
| count of Mr.. Charnays discovery
/ a. Mir Charnays journal, in winch he notes every
stem made in pursuing his explorations, is doubties,
! now on lis way from Guatemala 10y courier and
| post"