Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-09-01

b1F1.--.xfaIs'fg ees,-5ys.t whole earth No
-. sts4-ssc ,,ss11 II It was about
to divide asunder; aud there were ex.
eceding sharp lightnings, such as never
had been known In all the land. .
And there was great and terrible dcs.
tuciion in the land southwark. But
behold, there was a more great and ter.
iible destruction in the land noflhward.
Tor behold the whole face Of the land
was changed, because OF the tempest,
and the whIrlwinds, and the thunder.
ings, and the lighinings. and the exceed.
ing great quaking Of the whole earth;
aud the highways were broken up, and
the level roads were spoiled, and many
smooth places became rough, and many
great and notable cities were sunk, and
many were burned, and many were
shook I'LL the buildings thereof had
ALLEN to the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof were slain, and the places were
leh desolatc; and there were some cities
which remained. but the damage there
Of was exceedingly great, aud there
were many in them who were slain;
and there were some who were carried
away in the WhiflWnd aud whittier
they went no man knuwcth. save they
know that they were carried away and
thus the face ul the whole earth became
dtiofmvd, because Of the tempest, and
the thundcrings, and the lightnngs, and
the quaking OF the earth"
Thus II was, more than q thousand
years before Christopher Columbus was
born, that the great historian Of pfchis'
toric America gfaycd upon golden
plates his brief account Of the most ter
ublc uphraval the Western Hemisphere
has known, and OF which, occurring
four centuries before his time, he had
learned from the records OF his fathers,
except as he might have seen the dc.
icued ruins OF some Of those cities he
describes, and which remain 10 this
day, a solemn memento OF the outbufst
Of Almighty anger against the wicked
ness vi men.
Within the area OF country TO which
this American historian referred as the
land northwatd" Is embraced what Is
now known as Central America, and In
Guatemala, Honduras, lucatan and
ncighburng localities the evidences OF
this terrible visitation still remain, OBJ
jects OF wondcrment, mystery aud awe
10 the vcnturcsumc explorer IN arch
geological fields. The date Of this ap.
pallng event, so briefly told by the
historian, and which filled lbs desiruc.
tive mission in about three hours time,
Is disclosed IN the opening words OF the
record Qu0tcdi thitty-thfCg years and
three days alter the Sayiur's birth, or
somewhere near April q, A. ID. 90, ac'
cording TO our reckoning. Six centuries
before this the scene hau been viewed in
vision by the great Prophet Of medieval
American history Who says. 81 saw a
mist OF darkness ON the face oil the
land OF promise, and ! saw lighluings,
and / heard ihundtrings, and earth
quakcs, and all manner OF tumultuuus
noises; and ! saw the earth ard the
rocks that they rent, and ! saw noun
tains trembling TO pieces; ana ! saw the
plains OF the earth, that they were
broken up; and saw many cities, that
they were sunk; and | saw many, that
they were burned with fire; and saw
many that did tremblc TO the earth, be.
cAnse OF the quaking thereof" Aud
now In this latter age OF earth's exis.
ience, when q new civilization is over
spreading the American continent,
comes the uncoverlng OF many OF the
mighty ruins that Tor nearly nineteen
centuries have been hidden from the
eyeoi man.
There mas been discovered, and Is
now being unearthcd great city which
probably was one Of those buried 1860
years ago. on the day when Christ was
cruCiiicd and the Savior Of the world
was nailed ON Calyary's cross. This
buried city, which llourishcd on this
continent ere the birth OF the Maya
0uiche civilization that elected the adj,
mlratlon Of Coflez aud his coadjulors
and immediate successors. Is distant
but about three miles east from the
Ciudad Vieja told city, OF the early
Europeans In Guatemala dc
los Cuhul.eros, the first capital OF the
modern state. The new discovery Is on
The POmpell plantation Of Manuel ],
Alvarado, on the slope Of the Nolcan dc
Aqua (wa,ery volcano). The plantation
acquired lis name from the ancient
RUNS which exist on II, and regarding
which the natives have many interesting
traditions,
or the new discovery, however, there
Is no tradition among the natives now
residing In the locality which connects
It with the present age, So far as the
people there are concerned, It's record is
wholly obscured Ia the dim and distant
past The result Of the earlier inyesti'
cations we're noted In a NEws editorial
a few months ago, the details OF further
development can be given now. 1t was
under the orders OF Senior Alvarado that
the excavations now going on were
commenced. lie had found few relics,
and determined to make further search.
At one place, at depth OF twelve feet
below the surface oil the mountain slope
he has taken out many rare and inter
esung objects, such as flower pots,
cauhen vessels for domestic use, an.
clent glazed ware, large vases OF eN'
Ceedngly hnc manufacture, covered with
engrayings and with pictures In brilliant
colurs painted upon them, domestic
utensils, such ms are discovered among
The Indian relies in Utah; axes, ham.
mcrs, tomahswks and war clubs Of stone,
knives and daggers Of obsidian, with
sharp points and edges; lances and
lancets OF the same material; idols OF