Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-04-24
,ual area under irrigation, while the

every hand. In the canons of the
northwestern part OF the territory,
f! too, are vast ruins which must have
sustained q heavy population. In
one OF these, Chelly canon, have been
found upwards OF 800 clusters OF cliff
dwellings, while smaller ruins are
found i'll every other locality.
The question how long time has
elapsed since the depopulation of this
territory is OF secondary interest only
to the causes which led to that depop.
ulation. Opinion varies on this point,
and while some are disposed to assign
no very great antiquity, comparative
ly speaking, others believe that the
semi civilization of Arizona and New
Mexico antedates the Aztec civiliza.
tion OF Mexico and Central America.
However that may be, one strong
point i'll favor OF a very remote anti.
| guilty is found in the great natural
changes that have evidently occurred
since the depopulation and abandon
ment OF the country. In numerous
cases the prehistoric system OF irriga
ton occupied higher levels than are
now possible, the rivers that supplied
the water now occupying beds far be
low the sources OF the old canals. In
some instances there has been volcanic
action since the construction OF the ca.
mails, and those waterways have in
places been crossed and obstructed
by the flow OF lava from vol.
canoes long since extinct. No
stronger proof of the immense age OF
these works could be found than this.
Earthquakes have evidently been the
cause OF many changes, both in the
parent streams and in the artificial
waterways, while the tremendous
cloudbursts or floods, to which this
region is subject, have also been po-
cent forces for destruction Lakes
which were once undoubtedly the
source OF supply for much irrigation
have been drained and artificial reser-
voirs have been destroyed. No one
who has not witnessed the tremendo GUS
force and appalling suddenness OF one
OF these floods can have any idea OF
the complete destruction which it
works, and having witnessed those
effects one can readily find support
for the belief that herein lies the true
solution OF the depopulation OF this
region
Originally the canals were supplied
With water by the diversion OF the
streams from their beds by means OF
tiimsily constructed dams OF brush or
sand. Indeed, these could hardly be
called dams, but were simply obstruc-
tions OF an ephemeral charac-
ter that served to change the
course OF the flow OF water. But
when the mighty flood or convul.
sion came that lowered the beds oi
the rivers many feet below their form.
er level and that caused the lakes and
reservoirs to break their banks and
contribute to the destructive floods
the skill OF the people did not prove
sufficient to devise means for again
obtaining supply OF water, either by
the construction ofdams or otherwise
Indeed the most massive dam that
could be devised would not withstand
the wild rush of water caused by one
OF these cloud bursts, and as the skill
OF the canal builders was limited to
the throwing up OF earth embank-
ments or the excavation OF channels
in the soil or in the rock, it followed
that with the lowering of the streams
they are entirely without means Of
procuring the water necessary for the
irrigation of the vast area under cul-
tivation. Under these circumstances
to remain meant starvation, and en-
igratlon was the only resource.
Cne can imagine the futile attempts
that were made to provide the water
essential to prevent the vast gardens
and fields from relapeing into their
former desert condition. the gradual
drying up OF the soil, the death OF all
vegetation, and the despair that pre-
vailed when it became evident that
flight to more hospitable region was
necessary in order to preserve life.
In what direction that flight occur
red must remain q profound mystery,
unless, indeed, it be that the inscrip-
tion on the rocks found in number
OF places have some beuring on the
subj .ct, and that some ingenious stu
dent shall be able to decipher their
meaning. The race went as it came,
leaving no trace of its origin or its
destiny. All that is known as a GER
tainty regarding 1t is the ruins OF their
dwellings and the canals by which
only was existence made possible in
this desert.-San Francisco Chronicle.