The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-10
AN AMERICAN POMPEII.
Hundreds of Miles of Canals and DitcheS-
Ruins of II City 1000 Years Old With
a Population of 10000.
[Cor. st. Louis Rrpuhl!can.j

Cor. st. Louis Republican,.
MARICopA WELLS, AriZ., April s.
Here the valleys Of the Gila and its
principal tributary, Salt river, are one.
\ line run in Il northcrly courS" across
the valley through Maricopa and Phm-
nix would be nearly one hundred miles
long from mountain to mountain. This
valley land is, so far is the eye can dis
Germ, as smooth and level as the surface
of Il lake. There are hundreds - square
miles of it in this Immediate nci ghbor-
hood. Each Of the two rivers abOva
mentioned hats It's much watcrin it here
ut this time It's the Rio Grandc has at
III paSo. The beds of the rivers are not
more than fifteen feet below t:.e plain,
so that nature has provided bountc-
ously for a past and no doubt for fu-
ture large agricultural community.
Fifteen miles southeast of Phoenix,
but only three miles cast of the Phr
nix branch railroad, is Il spot III the
plain called by the McNicanS Los
Muertos" (the dead.) This is the sites
of the ruins of the once populous, i'll
dustrious and
ENTERPRISING ZUNI CITY,
which Mr.. +. II. Cushing has been cX-
pl0ring for more than Il year. Mr..
Cushing has named his camp scamp
Hemenway' in honor Of Mrs. Hemcn-
way, the Boston lady whose public
spirit and national pride impellcd her
to take the necessary steps and provide
out Of her own ample fortune the
means to secure to posterity all the in
formation and relics Of this ancient
American race that could be collected
before the reckless curiosity-hunter and
vandal should begin the completion of
the ruin begun by earthquakes and the
elements between 1000 and 1000 years
ago. As your readers generally know,
Mr.. Cushing began the acquaintance
and study of the living remnants Of the
Zuni race several years ago i'll the vii
lagos in southern Colorado and north
crn Arizona He lived among them
almost constantly, learned their lam
guage, gained their confidence, waS in
itiatcd a member of the tribe, and
finally admitted into the high secret
council of the wise mcl of the tribe.
This was done in due and ancient form
an entitled him to knowledge of all
secrets and ancient traditions of the
tribe. When he went to Los Muertos
he took two of the tribe with him.. He
had scarcely begun work when they
discovered that the builders and Occu-
pants of the ancient town were their
ancestors. The evidences were simply
innumcrable and indubitahlc. They
We're Zunis.
Your correspondent reached Mari
c0pa with Prof. Edward :. Morse, :,
well known American cthnologist, who
learned his first lessons in natural sci
encc from Louis AgassiZ. Prof. Morse
has come to assist Mr.. Gushing for 4
week or two in his most exciting hunt.
y visit to the camp disclosed 4 dozen or
fifteen tents formed around q square
placita in the open, shadelcss plain.
Two able assistants, Il secretary, Il SYM
pathizing and helping wife and wifc's
sister, constitute Mr.. Cushing's party,
together with a force of perhaps Il dozen
laborers. Mr.. Cushing's reception was
most cordial. His manner, movements
and style of conversation are those of
an active, earnest and busy man. His
costume is Il broad top Scotch cap, dark
brown corduroy suit, legyings Of the
same material and moccaSinS. The
Headquarters, or laboratory, consisting
of two large connecting tents, WAS oc-
cupied by long, rough board tables,
filled with pottery and other eNhumcd
relics, while beneath and about were
boxes and 4 few chairs. The placita,
surrounded by rope, is checked off with
twine into perhaps 200 two-fcct squares:
Most Of these are occupied with stone
hammers, metals, etc. Stuck in the
ground III each square is wire with
label attached. Among the ruins may
be seen corresponding labels.
After several hours of conversation
on the all-abSorbing topic and Il hearty
dinner visit was made to the neigh
boring ruins, Mr.. Cushing leading tho
way on horseback. These are in
groups, but the groups are near each
other. Mr.. Cushing estimates the
AGGREGATE POPTLATION
of the town or city to have been nearly
or quite 2O,OO0 souls. The houses which
are of adobe, are small and their Situ>
is generally detected by the changed
character of the vegetation or by the
ancient bitches and reservoirs, ncal
which the subdivisions ot the city were
always located. The ordinary dwelling
has Il Fireplace about four feet inside "J
and Immediately in front of the front
door, the better to get the draught
This Fireplace is 4 hasin-shaped de-
preston some fifteen inches in dame
ter and surmountcd by Il spreading
hood made OF small sticks plasteTcG
over with mud, this hood being not un
like what may sometimes bc seen ovcl
Il blackSlnith's fire. The fuel was char
coal. Occasionally :; hole. say four feet
l