The morning times., 1896-10-27
FOUND A LOST METROPOLIS
New YOrker'S Reported Dis
cOvery in Mexico.
GREAT WEALTH DISCLOSED
william Niven Writes Home That
His Find Is One of the Most Re
niurkubie Ever Made Wealth of
Pottery, Bones and ReIics-Ruins
of Twenty Temples.

New York, Oct. 26.-Another Aztec city,
ali III ruins, has been discovered by u
piucky New Yorker, who Is determined
tu let the world have the bcHefit of his
work. The professors OF the Museum of
Natural History believe thaJ-thc discovery
VIII be OF great value. They are aware OF
the work beng done, ana have been PROM
lsed photographs OF the ruins.
FIVE years ago William Niven made a
trip to Mexico and while there satisfied
himself that he had discovered the ruins
Of oIce great city. He returned home
aIier one years absence, and cIidcavUred
through the newspapers ana other sources
10 get enough capital 10 follow up his dis
co'cry. For four years he failed i'll his
attempt. All OF the time lie was here in
New York i'll business with DAVID Proskey
OF No. S53 Broadway, who is a large
wholesale dealer III minerals and curiosi-
ties.
Niven turned up missing last July and
PrUSkey failed to find out where he was.
He went To Nivcns former place OF resi-
dcnce and found that the family had left
the city. As there was nothing wrong
IN their business dealings he could not uIi-
derstand Niven's sudden departure and was
completely Ignorant of his Whereabouts un,
I'll last Saturday when he received letter
from Mr.. Nivcn dated from Chilpancingo,
Mexico, September %, 1896.
AGAlN IN TIE Ruins.
In the letter Mr.. Nivcn states that he
found someone who loaned him a little
! money. with which he started for Mex.co
determined In more fully explore the city
he had discovered.
He states that his trip was full Of hard.
ships, but that he feels amply repaid Tor
his efforts. He gives under the above
date the following description Of what he
has found He says:
Il have been four weeks riding among
the ruins OF the great prehistoric city OF
QuecohInictlcpau, and ! lind that covers Il
| much wider area than VIVA 1 had at 1irst
| supposed, something like 90 square miles
'1have dug into Some of the subtcrrancan
| chambers OF The largest buildings and found
them filled with broken pieces of plaster,
| painted bright red and Shite, and on the
| floors beads, axes. idols and broken pottery.
| In one excavation which made at a place
| called Qua yabo, l found at "A depth of nine
| feet from the surface under the altar an
| OLA Of terra Gotta filled with dirt and
| mixed among IL We're spVenty-t wu objects
| of mother OF pearl, all perforated. Five of
| them were heads of kings, with crow rs
! nicely carved.
BONES OF STRANGE ANIMALS.
The ola or jar was broken by the pick
Of the peOn. but | saw II i'll time, and
with my own hands picked up every frag-
| Hent and preserved une-half OF the ola
with the dirt and objects sticking in it
| undiSturbed.
| Il found at other places bones OF strange
animals, and have carefully packed them.
| Il have already taken ever 200 pictures,
| and at least 20 per cent of them are
| simply brilliant, and, Of course. the sub
| jects are unique. will take about 900
| more before ! return, which will be aGout
the end of Oc ctober.
|
| instead Of three, around Qucchomictlepau
and photographed them all. 1t is about
| seven days ordinary travel on horseback
| from here to the City of Mexico"
MIR. Proskey stated that he believed this
city was most valuable find, and that il
would prove to ne full Of objects of ancient
| historical interest, and that he was sure
that Mr. Niven was the first discoverer of
| its wherea bouts.
| WHAT SCIENTISTS SAY.
In an interview with Professors Putnam
| and Seville, of the American Museum of
| Natural History, they put every con-
fidence i'll the belief that Mr.. Niven
has made an entirely new discovery
in Mexico, and that it will be of great ben
eflt to archaeology. They stated that sew
eral years ago Niven, who is great
student OF mineralogy, went to Mexico to
obtain some specimens Of minerals, and
While travelling through the country dis
covered the city spoken of.
Nlven brought few imperfect photo
| graphs home at the time. which showed
that his was an entirely new discovery
When he returned to Mexico last July he
took complete Photographic outfit with
him and intended to make a number OF
pictures for the museum, and when thes,
are received the professors can tell more
fuiiy the value OF Mr.. Nyens discovery.
nt-llt
researches in Mexico, and is familiar with
all the ancient cities that have been dis
covered III America, stated that the dis
covery made by Niven was in an cntirel,
different direction from any OF the known
ruins