The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-30
PREHISTORIC ARIZONA.
Evidences of a Civilization Older Than
That or Egypt.
FROM The San Francisco Chronicle.


FROM the San Francisco Chronicle
That Arizona was inhabited before the
dawn OF history and by a people, perhaps
two races Of people, well advanced in the
arts of civilization. is beyond question. The
traces OF their occupancy are of the clearest
and most unmistakable character, and
while the period in which they possessed 1t
and the cause and manner Of their expulsion
are shrouded in an impenetrable mystery
proofs OF their presence for perhaps thou
sands of years are to be found in the caves,
mounds, ruined cities, and canals which
abound along the Salt and ella rivers from
the point Of their inception TO their con
fiuenoe. with the Colorado. The Little
Colorado, the Verde and the San Pedro
also show many traces OF a people we'll in
formed IN O certain civilization aud who
have for at least 1000 years been extinct
The peculiar dryness Of the atmosphere
has had a wonderful effect In protecting the
ancient relies from she ravages of time. In
the mounds which are scattered through the
country, and which represent ruined houses,
may be found ollas filled with parched corn
and beans in as good state OF preser walton
as they were the day they were hidden
from the elements by the fearful sand storm
that must have prevailed when they were
buried.
IL
Pompeii were preserved on the same prin-
ciple The fine sand Of the desert must
have drifted over everything. and they
were thus preserved as the mute historians
of a vanished race. Their erection OF con
crete buildings throughout the country
shows these lost people to have been well
versed in the construction of edifices adapted
to the region and its climatic changes
by far the most interesting remains OF
At 10
which prevail through the valleys of the
territory. The longest is the one tapping
the Gila river, and which supplied with
water the ancient city, now only marked by
one standing building. This is the Casa
Grande, about which so much has been
written and which has excited so much in-
terest among arch9ologists during the last
ten years. This canal was So miles in length
and for most Of the distance 20 feet in
width, with depth of 10 feet. The volume
of water taken out of the river must have
been immense, for it supported both the
animal and vegetable life of a valley con-
tanning millions of acres. In places this
canal has become filled with drifting sand,
but for the most part its course is easily
traced.
One Of the most notable specimens OF
these canals is in the Salt river valley, and
only three miles from the present city of
Phoenix. 1t taps the Salt river opposite
Tempe, and for two miles runs almost par
allel with that stream. The old headgate is
partly standing, and for this distance the
ditch is perfectly open, and all that would
be necessary for it to supply the country
with water again would be to open the
headgate by removing the stones and con-
crete with which it is filed. Two miles
from its bead the engineers who located
the Maricopa canal made use of the old Az
tee ditch, and to-day the water runs over
its pebbly bottom just as it did 1000 or 5000
years ago; hut how different is the conii-
tion OF the people it supplies.
The ditch was only nine miles in length
and not 30 large as the one on the desert OF
the Casa Grande, but IL ran through the
heart OF a CITY with population of no less
than 500 600
For miles and miles the mounds, In per-
fectiy regular order, tell the tale OF houses
destroyed by the ravages of time aud Of a
maguificence not exceled to-day. Mr..
Cushing directed bis attention principally
TO excavating In this section during his re-
searches for the New England Historical
Society, and he was rewarded by unearth-
ing many stone axes, vessels and even skel-
etons. His conclusion was THAT the people
must have lived In the stoueAge, long be-
fore the infancy even Of Egyptian civfliza-
tion."
Phoenix was built on the ruins of this
ancient city, hence its name, and not
month passes but some one picks up a stone
knife, ak or some other relic, but they are
dumb as to the history of their former.ow
ers. The only hieroglyphics the lost race
have left are those on the painted rocks
across the Salt river from Phpnix They
cover the mountain side for acres, and they
have always puzzled the student and
scientist. The nearest apparent conclusion
that has been arrived at is that they tell OF
the martial exploits Of their painters and
are history Of their tribal wars
One thing Is apparent to the student of
things ancient when he looks on these canals
and ruined cities permeating both this
country and Mexico, and that is that the
civilization of Egypt was only in its infancy
when these people had been exterminated.