The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-30

Nearly Buried in the Sands OF the
Colorado Desert.

AgAA the New OK AflNA4Es
San Diego, Cal, July 23.-The Colorado
desert is a land of mystery which no one
has ever explored thoroughly, because of
the cost and danger. All the roads are
lined with skeletons Of unfortunate pros
pcctors who have persisted Of thirst, and
at this season only the hardened desert
ARAB can endure the heat. -Four old pros
pectors who have Just returned from a
trip on the desert report the discovery Of
ruins OF prehistoric temple near the
Mexican line, with columns carved in
semblance Of rattlesnakes- Their find
promises to be the most important arch
geological discovery made In this country.
About month ago "Hankn Ferguson,
Theodore Price, Gus Anterior and
John Cline, at Yuma. started on a pros
pecting trip, and incidently to search for
the Peg Leg mine. They crossed the
Colorado and took a new course toward
the northern spurs of the Cocopah noun
talns. After several days they reached
a broken country of granite and por-
phyry formation that gave promise of bear
ing gold. They found a water hole, and
making camp, prepared for prospecting
the locality systematically. One day
ferguson came to camp and reported that
out on the desert he had seen through his
glass what appeared 10 be row of stone
NDAA AAAAAo "a Ogt uOlllB dDONC LLlC SdAtu oCf-
eral feet Next day he and Cline set out
for the spot. 1t was several miles away
and the sand was deep, but on arriving
they felt well repaid for their trouble.
What appeared to be bikes were finely
carved granite columns about eighteen
feet in height. On top of these were
huge rectangular blocks of cut granite,
weighing tons, Realizing the great his
torical value of this discovery, they re-
turned n ~ m n n nd INF Old thpir
rades Of the nature of their find.
Next morning the entire party went to
the ruins, They first endeaVOred to APP
proXimate the size, and as nearly as could
be ascertained from the pillars above the
sand the dimensions were AGO by 260 feet.
On one side, facing east, they found at
the top OF two curiously carved columns
excellent representations Of serpents'
heads, with huge capstOne lying across.
On the other side of this huge capstOne
was some curiously carved frieze, unlike
any pattern they had ever seen. The
granite columns were slightly curved in
modified form of the letter ;. The men
decided that this must have been the en-
trance to the temple, and all hands
fell TO clearing away the sand They
finally reached the foot of the columns
and found they7were made to resemble
huge rattlesnakes. There were tails
carved to represent rattles, and the huge
pillars or columns were horrible in their
sembiance, appearing to be huge rattlers,
eighteen feet long standing on their tails,
though, of course, out of proportion as re-
CARDS thickness. A search of the ruins
failed TO disclose anything but specimens
of unique ornamental pottery. The walls
have fallen ard lie, buried in the sand,
with the exception of a portion of the
north wall. Here was found a part Of
what had been wall between the col
umns 1t was built of large blocks of cut
granite, accurately joined, laid one on an
other, without any evidence of cement or
other adhesive material being used Dig
ging further at the foot of the pillars, the
prospectors uncovered three huge broad
granite steps, and had not yet reached
the bottom. How much of that once
magnificent temple is buried in the sand
cannot yet be told.
The prospectors divided intotwoparties,
one returning to San Diego and the other
to Yuma, with the pureose to enlist
moneyed men in the enterprise of I'M
covering the temple. The San Diego
party obtained the assistance of III. g.
Gordon and John G.. Gray, il, both rich
men, and these two finders accompanied
the finders to the desert; but the intense
heat and fearful sandstorm induced the
San Diegoans to turn back Meanwhile
party had started from Yuma with q
large supply of food and water, and fully
prepared to make excavations. Near the
location of the temple are the remains of
an old irrigating canal, running across the
desert for twenty miles, aud evidently
showing that there was civiliz alton CEN
turtles ago.