The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
AN ANCIENT DESERT WALL
4 FOUND M PROSPECroRs II
THE MOJApE.

GOId ftItcen MiIcn
from water Under n liurning san.
Los ANGELES, Cal, Dec. o2.-1n prospecting
small pieces of mineral bearing rock called floa,
are looked for, and with these as clues the search
for the original location OF tho float is begun
In this way are most of the mines discovered bJ
prospectors. Sometimes these clues prov,
tickle, and far different discoveries are mad,
than those anticipated, and this is what hap
pened TO two lonely prospcctors out on the al
kali-covercd wastes of the Mojave Desert.
On Sunday Nov. 1 these two miners, having
wandered about ten miles east OF their m in al
almost vain search for float, CHANGED late in the
afternoon upon some pieces OF white quarts
closely aggregated together. One of the pieoei
was carclessly turned over. and a Rlitterina
spot attracted the trained eyes. A close examt
nation and inspection Of oil the pieces showed
traces Of fine pin-head gold In sufficient guam.
titles to warrant a most careful and rigidlsearch,
Nothing more being found they determined II
do n little digging on tho spot. The first stroke
of the pick penetrated to q depth OF about
six inches, and struck something very
hard and very solid. Clearing away the
sand aud decomrosed granite rs best they
could the men disclosed what seemed to
be a two-foot quartz ledge. 1t being SO late IN
the afternoon. further work was abandoned,
and the long weary tramp back to camp was
commenced. Arriving there, supper was hastily
>i"'S N's 40 a''s'sJ eNS
thing had been put into shape for the night .
consultation was held. After a long delibera-
ton 1t was Mt last decided to move the entire
outfit to the new location the next day and ro-
sumo operations with the intention of invests
eating the extent and probable value Of the
supposed ledge.
Long before the sun appeared above the hori-
ION the prospectors were up and moving. and,
after n hard trip over the rough. rocky country.
the scene OF the previous days discovery was
reached, camp was once more arranged, and
work was again commenced. AS a result Of o
hard afternoons toll with pick and shovel suf-
fclent of the ledge was uncovered to permit Of
a more extended examination. To their aston
ishment they saw, not n ledge of mineral bear.
ing quartz rock. "a they had supposed. but q
ledge. the shape and formation of (which showed
conclusive and unmistakable evidence of hui
man handiwork. They had discovered an an
Client wall, the product of some prehistoric
people, a mute ana lasting monument to the
excellent workmanship and engineering
skill of the builders. All the stories and
articles concerning similar structures in
various sections of southeastern Cali
fornia and western Arizona that they
had read flashed through their minds, and the
question, is not this one of those ancient
works ?" was asked of each other. The next
day they resumed work soon after sunrise. and
kept 1t up day after day. On account of the
heavy character of the debris to be removed
progress was Of necessity very slow and tedious.
and work was all the more retarded by tho fro
quent thirty mile trips for water they had to
make. and the intense heat of tho sun. The
heat of the sun soon rendered the water unfit
for use. and this fact forced one of the men to
travel the fifteen miles to fresh water and back
again every other day. This trip each man took
alter nately, leaving the other to work alone all
day in the solitude.
The whole surface of the desert is covered
with huge boulders half buried in the ground,
large pieces Of rock. and hillocks and mounds
OF shifting sand, and this uneverness rendered
the depth of the wall top variable from one to
ten feet. After three weeks of the most ardu-
Gus labor and suffering from the blistering heat
OF the sun. the scaldinG alkali. and burning.
cutting sand-laden winds OF the desert, these
two hardy workers had dug down through de-
composed granite. conglomerate as hard aim ot
AS rock: and drifting sand and uncovered the
the wall to n depth of nearly twelve feet, a suf-
ficient area to permit of an examination. to form
an opinion ms to the real character OF the struo-
ture. and the material used. and to gain some
idea as to the size, shape. and outlines.
In mountainous regions there is a certain for
nation of rock which is constant In that par
, ,erms5 LEGALITY ,SS or eounIry. and his rock !.
where this wall is situated the country rock is
OF granite formation. while great quantities of
white quartz are scattered in p~rofusion over the
desert. plains in masses varying from boulders
weighing many tons 10 chunks OF the size of .
and the combined action of the sun. winds. and
rain storms in time disintegrates or decomposes.
2 structure II ,his climate; but, quartz
sun. winds. and rains do not affect. it:
inH!y the The %Gr r n e.. f aIit = Of the shift II
jects. leaves its blight In the form of a gradual
Ine,inn m Sw@E or mb HE T eSikie and ID t it Ta s, of 19ii
tive peoples labor was built, thereby explaining
the ilpn NJ punrtZl alun Mt frat stuht
The construction OF the wall necessitated the
use of some very large blocks of the quartz.
blocks are fitted together. and the joints orig
mortar or cement. The uncovered portion
showed the general direction OF the wall to be
obstinate. character of the covering material.
and The difficulty of working on the upper or
by the prospectors with the tools at hand.
From prospect holes sunk at intervals along the
wall was carried out in the same unbroken
straight line for that distance at least. From
by n crest built at a very sharp angle with tho
face. 1t was composed of n sort of concrete.
hut time and desert storms have obliierated
OF, 1t here and there.
the years can be numbered, by hundreds or
structures uses. Great stability and resisting
powers were the results To be attained, whether
- nouue hTehJ lprCe III uhlnHllnk
the ravine across which 1t extends. carrying
water AS an aqueduct. or to serve as a portion
of the outer works OF some fortified city. There
has not been enough excavation accomplished to
give any definite Idea as to the length Of the
wall, for the whole surface Of the sourround-
ing country has undergone some great
change. Rivers have been diverted from
their beds, washes and ravines obliterated. hills
thrown up where before none existed. What
was the force that produced this wonderful
alteration: what length OF time has elapsed
since II occurred; was this the result of .
gradual and relentless process of degeneration,
or was the country visited by some convulsion
OF nature or an earthquakes. or did some over
heated volcano belch forth its avalanches of lava
and torrents OF ashes and cinders? The VOL
canic formation of some of tho lower hills and
the honey-combed pumice-like rock which
abounds would tend to support the latter theory.
The wall itself is covered with c~onglomerate,
decomposed granite and sand in layers. so
That the various strata give some, though slight.
evidence In favor OF the volcanic theory.