New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-14

by the fact that among pieces of broken rocks
were found the remains of buildings which had
been undermined and fallen away. Probably &C
cess to the place was he'd only by means OF 1901
holds cut in the face of the cliff from below 1t 10
inconceivabe that anyone should ever have mace
an entrance to tho village from above The sum-
which only became visible from the bottom
of the canon at II o'clock In the morn
ing, did not shine upon this village
until o'clock in the afternoon, and three hours
later sank out of sight below the crest OF the west
ern cliff
The fortresske structure referred to consisted OF
long, narrow building one story in height DIVIDED
into many rooms or dwellings, opening into each
other, but having no communication WIN
the outside except through the towers when
stood at either end The largest OF these
towers-that at the southern end-was three
stories In height, with the joists for each OF the
upper floors projecting two three feet beyond the
outer walls. Holes thro 1gh the floors formed the
means of communication between the different
stories, while window-like openings from the Sec
ond story of the towers, looking out upon
the roof of the connecting one-story struc-
tnrs formed the only mode Of exit
from the fortress If such il An inhabitant or
one of the central apartments OF this building
wishing to emerge to daylight and pure stmos-
phere must have been compelled to pass throuah
the bedrooms and kitchens of all his ellow-ten-
ants upon one side into the tower then to climb
up through the ceiling to the second story OF the
tower swing himself by "a Wooden o b eaT wSss
upon the roof of his own dwelling and thence pass
by ladder down to the floor of the cave-the
If bis DUTY or pleasure led him TO greater dis
lance he still had the perious journey before him
down the rock ladder, 800 feet, to the bottom OF
Many interesting architectural des gins were noted
by the explorers which cannot be described here.
No evidence of the use or knowledge OF metals was
found stone implements fashioned all the mateIlas
out of wbIch the structure was built OF when Iact
the rough but careful chisellng of the stone gave
abundant evidence. Cross pieces were laid upon
the ioists for the flooring of the towers,
| and upon these pieces twgs about the diameter
of mans finger were arranged SIDE oy siue, Iut
| in series which formed curious mosalc OF angles
and squares. In the larger division OF the cave
and in the smaller DIVISION one OF the curious cir
cular structures whicn might have been the places
of worship. or perhaps OF ahusemehl' VI lho e"'0
The structures are common enough In that sec
ton of the country but these we're different In many
resnects from any before examined by the enibers
of tho party and especially different IN ther lhte
rior augmentation which was qule eiaporate. 10
cooIs ran entirely around the structure, resembling
n Greek fret, with narrower bands above ana pe-
low aud with TIE interior spaces hiled WIN CURIOUS
artistic designs the meanlng OF which none OF the
party could guess. Evidence vi the long use oi
these places for purpose was fGund In the IacS
that some seventy or eighty different thin layers OF
mud had been pastered upon the Interior each hay-
ing In its time borne its own ornainentstlon III
coors. The roofs of the buildings were gone ana
the floors were cove red with debris. ,
1t was at this village that the discovery OF skeo-
tons was made. J. Stanley Brown. who accom-
nanIeL Colonel Stevenson, was one n0rnlng cllinD-
ing over a portion of the ruins which had not he,
fore been visited. and observed some small r0und
poles projecting from the face or inc Dlu1, 10
which fact he called attention. BY scraping away
the debris human skulls were reached. and further
efforts disclosed entire skeletons regular outa
place of the ancients had here been broken INTO
rlafa olraiaf
were fou nd. Great care had evidently been taken
to place the bodies away in the manner best cscu
lated to insure their preservation. The place OF
their intermsnt was in shape like large oval bak-
ing oven. and the desciated reinains in sitting
posture with knees ana chin touching, had De 20
placed within. The contents OF the tomo were
carefully exhumed and are now on their road TO the
Museum Hair of n brcwulsh hue, which may.
however have been black at the time OF burial is
stiIl tound clinging to of the skulls while the
shriveled flesh aud SKIN. as had al stone, remains
upon SOME of the lower limbs.
Another village in this canon. OF equal extent ana
similarly situated, though in more advanced stage
of ruin, was visited aud some exceedingly lGteiest
ing discoveries were MADE: among tne "1 hnt 70
semhng nothing with which the present. occupants
of this territory familiar were found; az also
were portions of mating and OF garments MADE
from the fibre of the yucca. Evidences OF the great
antiouitv of some of these iuins are mixed win
those of later occupancy ID manner most conlns
ing to the archeologist. The Indian guide, eeoIge
in reply to an inquiry upon the subject, sald 'hat
the Navajo tradition went back twelve times tine
length of the life or their Oldest cOei no" cisu'
wears nf ace and that the ruins existed unoccupiod
then THIS carries one back about athousand years
but the evidence is hardly vauale; ,
The party travelled fifteen miles In the Cahon
del Muerte and discovered seventeen clif villages
or clusters OF dwellings, some OF which II seemed
impossble for pcoplcto have reached without wings
One curious snug little village of dozen or twenty
habltatons occupies place which must have been
cut into the cliff by the spray from an ancient tor
| rent which came down from above. The track OF
the stream is unmistakabe in the solid rocky crust
| above 1t must have done its work OF excavation
and dried up long before the advent or the cave
jewellers; for one would az soon think OF building
under the overhangng cliffs of Niagara ms OF build
| ing there when the waters were coming down The
place s now several hundred feet above the stream
v blch runs through the canon The number OF rn-
ined villages visited by this party Was forty SIX,
some of which, however, had been visited by the
same ca porers before.