Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-08-21
GETTING NEAR THE sun.
A Mound Twelve Hundred Feet High
Built by Old soils Worshippers

Built by Old SOILS Worshippers
Charles j. Wimple, one of the wealth
lest miners OF Mexico, is a recent arri-
val in San Francisco. To a representa-
tive OF the Cdu Of that city he told the
/ following wonderful story; "You have
asked me TO give an account Of the in
tereSting mountain my friend. JeSee ID.
Grant, and myself saw during our trip
through Mexico en- route 10 this city.
Well, that mountain is at once one of the
most gigantic exhibitions Of mans handi-
work and something almost beyond ere
dence We're we not already familiar with
/ the works Of the AztecS. just imagine
la valley forty by thirty miles in area,
and from its centre rising a mound over
I POO feet ia height. Then you can
realize the first effect created upon our
minds when we came before the hill
ann TO describe. Ny foreman was with
us and had partly prepared us for the
surprise, but We had treated his story
with incredulOuS remarks, and had by
no means suspected he had but given .
modest description OF the mound.
I'VE gazcd 10 the top, and allowed
I our ewes 10 follow the windings OF II
road down 20 the base We went around
/ the base and cOnjectured 10 was about
one and half miles in
circumference. Then we started
for the summit. The roadway
was built Of solid rock clear TO the
/ pinnacle. and 10 was from thirty TO
forty feet in width. \ wall OF solid
rock formed a foundation and an inside
wall at the same time. The outer edge
of the road was ungarded. These stones
weigh an the way up 10 a ton each, and
are not ccmented. The roadway is As
level as floor, and is covered with
broken pieces of earthcn ware and water
vessels
"Half way up the mountain is an al
tar cut in solid rock; i'm the niche IS a
boulder which must weigh al least six
tons. The boulder is of different stone
from that used in the walls. The rocks
Tim the walls are dressed by skilled work
men, but are not polished. We saw no
Inscription; in fact, We Lad no time TO
spare in making searching inveStiga-
ton. We did look for arrow heads or
other warlikc implements 10 satisfy
Yourselves that the mound had not been
used for defensive or offensive purposes.
Nor was there any evidence to prove
that the roadway had been built
for the purpose OF witnessing bull
fights and other sports in the valley. /
could only conclude that the Aztec sun
worshipperS expended years of labor on
the hin i'm order that they might have
am appropriate place TO celebrate their
F..--ffrruf. fnuErnrHrh the
roadway was Strewn with broken earth
enwarc. and those SciOnS OF bygonc
land notable race were known 10 carry
at sunrise large quantities Of water in
earthcnware jars 10 an emiuencc, and
there pour out the liquid and smash the
vessels.
..Wheu we descended We brought with
us number OF small sea shells which
had pctriied, and il You look at these
Ion my table YOU will see how they have
lbecn perforated by the Indians. We
lagain took a long look at the mountain
and saw il was oblOng, I'm shape. and
'that theupward road commenced on the
|eastern side. ! have travelled ON both
sides of the mountains from
I British Columbia 90 Central Amer
.ica. and ON either side of the
sierra Madrcs where the cliff
jewellers have left such remarkable me-
lmcutocs of their skill and customs, but
IN have never witnessed anything So
wonderful and maguifcentaS the mound
which l have been telling You about.
The valley is about six hundred feet
Iabove the sea level, and is about sew
Ienty miles from the coast. 10 is Situ-
lated in sonora. between the cities OF
Altar and Magdalena. and near the
'Nagdalena river. We called the curl
.osity Palisade Mountain, and IL is well
named.