Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-05
PREHISTORIC RUINS.
An Interesting Account Of the Condition
of the Casa Grande.

a Washington Telegram says: Secretary
Noble has transmitted 10 the Director II
the Geological Survey report by Special
Agent Morrison on the condition Of the
Casa Grande (Great House, RUNS. ~ Pinal
county, Arizona, with instructions mat the
necessary steps be immediately taken 10
repair and protect the ruins. under the au-
thoritv granted IN the act Of March 2. 1889,
apprOpriating % 900 for that purpose. Spe-
cial-Agcnt Morrison whowae sent ont 20 cX-
anime into thecOnditlon of the ruins. IN ms
report states that these yenerabl" relics OF
prehistoric America stand in a great undu-
lating plain about midway between thesta-
tion of Cash Grande and Florence, seven
or eight miles from the CHA river. lie SAYS
that the front of the main building meet
sures siXty-siX feet and the width forty
three feet The height of the first story IS
thirteen feet. the second nine feet, ana
the third and fourth stories are eight feet,
respectively. The greater part OF the
upper story has disappeared The walls
are between four and five feet thick md
the material of which they are constructed
Is almost indestructible concrete. made OF
fine gravel, sand, and cement closely re-
scmbllne the granOlvthlc now used IN
Washington. This was land in the walls IN
Great blocks: ono of these measured seven
feet three inches in length. four feet three
inches in width, and two feet SIX
inches i'm height. The walls. both in
side and ont. We're plastcrcd with
cement. which vet clings TO them
with wonderful tcnacity, that on the
inside being as smooth and glossy as tho
host hard-finifhcd interiors of the present
day. All Of the rooms. Of which there are
four now intact. are of q uniform huh col
or. which IS very pleasing TO the eye. The
largest of these rooms j, AX9 feet. The cX-
trcmc height OF the building Is nearly forty
feet. The lower story is filled MP with
crumhlug d@]1S and the drifting sand OF
the plain 20 the height of thirteen on four
teen feet. The holes in which ,he ceiling
tlmbers were placed are plainly visible.
but every particle Of wood has been car
ried away by rclic-huntcrs, aud the disiu-
tcgratIon of the walls has been so rapid
of late wears that II measures are not
Immediately taken % strengthen them,
the entire mass VIII soon fall into "a
-hapelcss ruin. The report SAYS that
for miles around tic mysterious Cl-a
GrHndc many great mounds, now hardly
distiuguishable from the desert sands. bear
W6Isputablc evidence of having been at
some tar-remOte period the abode al nuoy
industries. Mr. Morrison says that hc IS
convinced that the CASH Grandc was not
used either for religious or warlikc pur-
poses. csuperoiIty of ITS architecture
IL haviue 0utliVcd an the other structures
bywhicE II WAS surrounded the numerous
small apsrtmeute mtowhich 10 was divided.
and the elegance of the interior hnlsh-all
point TO the conclusion that It was the
palace Of the King or chlci who governed
the primitive Americans who inhabited
these vast domains ages before the Azirc
or T0ltec. The most ancient of the
traditions of the PiWas and Pago-
MI, HtHt whore Itf
fathers have lived tor centuries allude
to them ms "the ruins The earliest h.s-
t0ric record We have of Casa Craude WAS
given by the famous Spanish cavalier and
explorer. CabcZa dc Eaca. who d' covered
ID during ms tourney across the continent
about 1887. few years later the famous
explorer, Don Francisco d. Coronado,
Governor IF New Gahcia. Who led al eApe-
ditiOn into New Mexico. describes the ruin
as being four stories high, with walls SIS
feet IN thickness. A. q proof of ITS great
antiauity he ststcs that the Pima Indians
then Nhree hundred and fifty years ago.
had no KNOWLEDGE of the origin or history
of the town which they believed had cN-
listed there. IL had always been ruin to
them and 10 their ancestors. Fathers
Kinc and Mango, who visited mere III
1884. found the remains Of the great editlcc.
They also gave an account Of twelve other
ruins in the vicinity. Father PCtro fout
in l777 found them in much the same CON
dltion He describes the main building as
an oblong square facing the cardinal points
OF the compass. The exterior walls cX-
tended from north TO south 40 feet, and
from east 10 weet 300 feet. We thus .co,
says M Morrison what havoc the storms
OF one hundred and ten years have made
and the necessity for immediate action t.
save the remnant from complete destruc-
ton. The ruins are regarded re one of the
most interesting remains of the prehistoric
AGE 10 be found on this continent.