Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-02


The buried city of Palenque, Mexico, is
beyond question the most interesting ruin
in America, if not in the world. The very
race and language Of the people who built
it are lost, and no one has yet interpreted the
hieroglyphics which cover its massive walls.
Perhaps the strangest thing connected with
this extraordinary place is the fact that, al
though the engineering skill indicated in
its ruins is in many respects akin to that of
the ancient Egyptians, antiquarians and
Psychologists have never investigated the
ruins or sought to interpret these craven
records of long-forgotten race.
In 1850 party of Spaniards were travel
ing in the interior of Mexico. They had
wandered in search of things strange and
new into the region north OF Chiapas, when
they suddenly came, in the midst of vast
solitude, to innumerable ancient stone build
ings, the remains of vast city still embrac-
ing from Is to "a miles in extent and known
to the Indians by the name Casas de Pie
dras. The Indians themselves could give no
account of its origin. Two exploring parties
were aiterward sent out by Spain, without,
however, attaining any appreciable results.
A third exploration was made in 1910 by
American travellers. They found the ruins
oyergrown with so dense a forest OF gigantic
trees and tangled underground that person
ten wards distant in any direction could not
be seen. As the travellers had no axes, picks
or shovels, but only the machete-the short,
broad-bladed sword of the Indians-with
which to clear away this accumulation of
centuries of iuxuriant vegetable growth,
and make systematic observations, but little
could be accomplished. A vast number of
fine buildings, however, were discovered,
constructed of stone, with mortar Of lime
and sand, the outer walls of which were COW
cred with stucco and painted in pigments of
various colors and Enthusiastically ornamented
with figures in bas-relief and with intaglio
inscriptions in hieroglYphics. Interspersed
with these were palaces, pyramids and tenn
pies, and there were also the remains OF an
aqueduct by which the city was supplied
with water.
One of the BUILDINGS, which was in course
of construction. stood on pyramid Ito feet
high. 1t was 76 feet long, % feet deep and
about so feet high. 1t was very richly orna-
mented externally, and on the interior walls
were tables of hieroglyphic Inscriptions
carved in symmetrical lines out of stone.
One was only about half finished when the
WORK was aTEeSteu IOTSNGE w the uuhuOWn
catastrophe that CO .le like thief in the
night" and obliterated the race of builders
and all knowledge of their literature.
The solution OF these inscriptions would
in all probability reveal things that are
more interesting and important nom
an eIhnic poin: of view than the dis
coverieS at Herculaneum and Pompeii.
Only one statue was discovered-that
OF temale figure, ten feet six
inches high, and more resembling
Egyptian portrait statuary than anything
else found in this new "Old Word" But
it can safely be regarding as an indication
that there are other statues and monuments
in the forest around. Where these great
mouolithic idols came from, how they were
taken from the quarry, how transported and
erected, with what instruments they were
sculptured, and the thousand and one points
connected with the origin and mode of lie
of the designers and builders Of the massive
structures round about are questions, the
solution of which would be received with
the keenest interest, and they offer field OF
investigation of the utmost value from an
clinical standpoint; but unless the probe of
science be soon applied, these treasures of