San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-10-29
VALUABLE DISCOVERY
MEXIC0S LATEST WONDER is IN
THE STATE OF GUERRERO.
Ruins Of a Prehistoric City Covering 900
Square Miles With 20 Temples
And Two Pyramids.

cry OF great dTCudelOSlCdl value anu
importance has recently been made
by Mr.. William Niven, a we'll known
mineralogist of New York city.
Mr.. Niven is a life member of the
American Museum of Natural His
tory and owner of the Rose Garnet
quarries nearCuautla, Morelos. While
on prospecting tour in 1894, for Mr..
Morris X. JeSsup, president of the A
merican Museum of Natural History,
through the state of Guerrero, found
remains of what appeared to be the
remains of n great and unknown pre-
historic city, in the mountains west
of ChilpancingO, capital of the state.
He has just returned from a trip
through that region and has over 300
photographs of the most interesting
localities. The ruins are more num-
erous than what he had at first sup
posed and over an area of ten leagues
square, or 900 square miles, he found
in every foot-hill and mountain-ridge
the remains Of houses and great bull
dingS. In most instances these pre-
historic structures were little more
than foundations, but many Of the
walls are standing from three to eight
feet high and all are substantially
built of stone and lime.
Mr.. Niven. during the trip visited
the ruins of twenty-five temples oc-
cupying a space averaging 600 square
feet each, with affairs in the centre of
all of them from five to twenty feet
high and from ten to fifteen feet
square.
At Quechomictlipan, (the name be-
ing Aztec for what a quantity of
bones on top') he found that the
building stone, in some of the edifices
had been carefully cut of equal di-
mansions; and while excavating in
one of these a great quantity of bones
of animals was secured. This prov
ed to be a circular chamber or tower,
about twelve feet in diameter, which
was filled with dust and broken plas-
ter painted brilliant red and white.
On the floor which was also of plais-
ter, there was large quantity of
stone beads and many curious and in
teresting objects with a great abun-
dance of broken pottery, metates, etc.
Excavations at Jabalin revealed
plastered walls and a great quantity
of broken pottery. Near the great
barranca of Xilatlacho, over fifteen
hundred feet deep, the altar of one Of
the temples was over twenty feet high
and eighteen feet square.
The walls of the temple at Yerba
Buena are in some places eight feet
high, and the altar is twelve feet high
with parts of the stairs still remain
ing. Here was also found many OBJ
jects Of terra Gotta.
Photographs were made of stone
in hieroglypics a short distance from
Xoquiapan and on the top of hill
were the ruins of a temple with the
usual altar in the center.
At Organos the ruins were almost
entirely under ground. An excava-
ton was made into one, and at ten
feet the foundation of the walls was
not reached. Three chambers were
partly cleared out and they were
found to be filed with clay, ashes and
broken pottery. Another temple was
found near here at place called Te-
jas and more subterranean dwellings.
One large cut stone at NochocOlZin
seven feet long by two feet wide had
q figure of an idol carved on one side
with head dress all complete. About
eight hundred yards west on the sum-
nit of the hill were two large idols,
one weighing about five hundred
pounds.
At Texcal the buildings were all I'M
der ground, and near the roof of one
of them twelve prepared stones of the
shape and size of a sugar loaf were
built into the walls. placed side by
side with their broad ends projecting.
Here. as we'll as in many other local
tiles were found circular stones which
looked like grindstones but which
might have been used as caps for pill
lars. On the summit of the Cerro
Portrerio as well as at Chalchintepeu
there are what appear to be great pyr-
amids over sixty feet high. At both
places some digging was done and
many interesting and unique objects
were found.
Perhaps the most remarkable hnd
was made at a place called Guaybo.
Here were the ruins Of temple 600
feet by 200 feet. At the depth of nine
feet from the surface, under the altar.
an ola Of terracotta was discovered
filled with dirt, secreted in Whlch
were y beautiful objects of mother
of pearl. Four of them were carved
heads with a peculiarly shaped head
dress and the others were carved rep
reservations Of fish, etc. The ola
was broken by the pick Of a peon but
the fragments were carefully collect
ed and one-half of it with the earth
and objects sticking to it undisturb-
ed. was secured.
To reach the ruined city, Mr.. Niven
passed over the route of the new
railroad to Acapulco, now in course
of construction.
Mr.. Niven speaks enthusiastically of
the great undeveloped mineral resour-
ces of the state of Guerrero and not
the least important discovery of his
trip was a vein of coal about fourteen
inches in diameter and within cou-
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