The herald., 1896-11-11
ALASKA'S ANCIENT CITY.
Buried, Like Pompeii, Beneath a Sea
of Molten Lava.

| In the midst of wild Alaska territory
previously unmarked by footprints of
| modern civilization, an American Pom
| peii has been discovered by Prof. Alfred
Eldridge of Montreal. Prof. Eldridge
| left his home in the Canadian city to eX-
plore unknown Alaska over four years
ago, and was thought to have been lost
and destroyed by savages in the great
northern forests. His friends and rela-
| tives We're most agreeably surprised
| when he suddenly appeared about for
mer hauntS and likewise much interest
| ed in the remarkable tale of long wan
| behring's and astonishing discoveries in
| the perilous savage region of darkest
| America he told.
MY trip up to the time reached the
UNEMPLOYED region was neither especial
| ly interesting nor novel," said Prof Ed
| ridge. Months of my time were spent
at first in travelling over a vast country,
the characteristics of which have been
told and retold by explorers and could
| add nothing new to its description from
my hurried passage to the border OF the
| unknown districts. l was surprised at
| the number of Indian villages, having
| no connection with civilization, through
| which / passed, however. although the
| existence of some was we'll known to me.
| Being almost exhausted with the rough
means of travel I was forced to endure,
1 was never so pleased in my life as
when reached the mouth of the kuwa-
| Xix river. on the shores of KotZebue
| sound Here l encountered a small set
| Element of Indians, who were much sur
| priSed at my desire to proceed up stream
| l was informed that there were no set
Elements of living creatures in the high
forest regions to which 1t led, and that
no white man had ever attempted to
| n1t1do tny, tnr
| Indians themselves We're ignorant OF
the characteristics of the country.
The chief did all in his power to per-
| Suade me to abandon my project eX-
planning unbearable perils galore which
| would be certain to encounter, and
finally, finding my determination un-
| shaken when he had finished, l was
further acquainted with the horrible
| Indian superstition regarding the Sc
| cluded land.
ION the border of the little lake where
| I stopped my attention was drawn to
| spot half way up the steep peak, which
had evidently suffered some recent dis
| turbance. On arriving at the situation
1 saw that a great body of earth had
broken away and rolled down the noun
tain. The first thing to attract me was
the discovery of a small piece of broken
| earthenware, light brown in color, with
| an artistically worked trimming of
Greek design worked in black pigment.
1t was just such a piece as those l had
found in New Mexico some years before,
| and anyone can imagine my amaze
ment at it's discovery in that quarter.
Il turned quickly to scan the sides
| of the earth where the avalanche had
torn it apart, and in the midst of the
| crevice, not 300 yards from where l
stood. 1 saw the protrusion af a wall of
dull gray masonry, crumbling and broke
but showing beyond all doubt, even at
that distance, that the builder was hui
man. This wall was a little over six
feet deep in the ground, l discovered
| on arriving at its location, and both of
its ends were lost in the ground about
it. On making further Investigations
| found evidences of numerous other
walls at distance of thirty or more
feet apart, and some Of them revealed
corners of masonry.
| 1T soon became evident to me that |
had discovered an American Pompeii
| through the work of the avalanche. The
remains of houses l saw were undoubt-
eddy those of a prehistoric city, COW
| cred with earth and debris. which had
hidden it through some VOLCANIC action,
| possibly during, but most likely long
after, it's destruction, centuries on CEN
| turtles ago.
1.-THE first wall discovered, the one
| mostly covered was three feet thick and
of stone throughout and others close by
| were even five feet in width All of the
| masonry was of beautiful symmetry
constructed of hewn sandstone blocks
of an approximately even size, laid in
| strong mortar beds, and with the joints
| broken
There were many pieces of broken
pottery and other articles of domestic
| use lying around the runis. But sought
| higher game, and after preparing a
wooden handle to copper spade, which
| / picked up on the scene, L went to dig
| ging most industriously. To my strongly
| mingled surprise and expectancy almost
Immediately my antiquated spade I'M
earthed few more fragments of pot
| terry, which seemed an ominous sign.
| The deeper l dug the more of these were
turned up. and among the pieces found
| the relics of prehistoric Alaskan race,
| which I now possess.
| "As reached about six feet beneath
! the surface, in the hole which the ava
| lanche had made, pots, vases, cups,
| plates, jugs, pipes, and numerous ar
| ticles of doubtful use and too heavy to
| bring away with me were uncovered
with almost every thrust of the spade.
I had, perhaps, dug directly into some
| long deceased residents china closet; if
so, he was very likely a warrior who
| kept his implements of battle upon the
bottom shelf, for the last articles my
| spade revealed were mixed sizes of ar
rows, spears of odd designs, scrapers,
| hatchets and drills.
| Il proceeded to explore someone else's
unknown quarters, and dug into a
| square room which had no windows in
| the walls Here I found some of the
| finest specimens of pottery I have ever
seen. They were beautifully decorated.
and finished in way that is a lost art
| to modern potters. There were many
exqusitely shaped Jars, about three feet
tall, and as perfectly preserved as the
| china Just delivered from the hands Of