The Portland daily press., 1893-04-22
A PREHISTORIC TEXAS RUIN.
A Twenty-Mile Wall of Unknown Origin

| A Twenty-Srile Wall of Unknown Origin.
A Texas correspondent writes to one
of the scientific departments of the
government of a strangely interesting
prehistoric wall discovered on the from
tier of the Lone Star State. This mar
Vicious ruin surpasses in interest all the
other wonderful remains hitherto found
of the people who once inhabited the
whole Mexican plateau and attained a
high state of civilization. 1t passes
through Milano, and has a total length
Of about twenty miles. 1t is built of
solid masonry, ten to fifteen feet high.
and as many feet thick. Its height and
thickness are thus almost as great as the
famous Chinese wall on the north of
China. The direction is northeast and
southwest.
1t is for the most part under ground,
and this is one of the curious things that
puzzle those wise men who are supposed
to know all about prehistoric remains,
1t is undoubtedly very old. One might
suppose it to be the sure foundation of a
gigantic fortress which rose above the
ground many feet. The towers and other
means of defence with which it might
have been provided have had time to
crumble away in the years that have
passed. The long fortress imay have
been pulled down by the conquering in
vaders. As the people died out from the
land the debris of the old wall would in
either case cover it's foundation.
The Aztecs probably built this wall.
They have left some inscriptions on fl:
but since their language is essentially
lost no scholar can ever hope to decipher
them. One covers a space of eight feet
square. The characters are kindred to
Indian inscriptions, but not. SO closely.
allied that their mystery can be pene-
trated. There was undoubtedly a. popu-
lous village or city in the vicinity, for on
high hill near Milano the remains of a
mighty temple of worship are found.
This was supported by more than two
hundred lofty pillars. Some of them are
still standing. They were made of CLAW
which was we'll burned. This gave them
the appearance of stone. In this temple
were placed many idols, broken parts OF
which are preserved. One shaped like
an owl is preserved entire. Human sac
rifices were made to these, as we'll as sac
rifices of birds, beasts and reptiles.
Skulls and bones have been preserved in
the clay. Some of these belonged to very
large animals. Some are petrifed, and
it is thought that these early Aztecs may
have understood the art of assisting pet
llfication and thus preserved the bones of
their sacrifices. The idols are all curl
ously marked. Around each pillar small
stones are piled in circles or squares, and
inside each circle, underneath the pillar,
there is centre of foundation stone,
fashioned to represent the Godhead.
Near the wall there are also furnaces in
which the natives smelt iron.
The locality and direction of the wall
are not easily accounted for Perhaps it
marks the boundary of certain tribal ter.
ritory which was exposed to. the attacks
of the enemy. An enormous amount of
labor and material must have been rel
quired for its construction if built above
the ground on the same gigantic plan as
the foundation. Although there were i
toward million people then living in
that vicinity, the work must have ex-
tended over a considerable period of
time Unless this has some strategic
point it is difficult to understand how but
a few thousands could be interested in
its construction.
An old tradition says that the Aztecs