Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-08-26
A GREAT FEAT.
The Mesa Enca1tada Explored at
Last.
After Many Years of Conjecture the
Truth Concerning the Famous
Rock Is Now Positively
Known.

For the first time in the history OF
man the celebrated Mesa has i5cen
mounted. The honor belongs to Pref.
William Libbey, OF Princeton universe
ty, New Jersey, and the fact has been
scientifically established That The sum
nit is uninhabited, and, as far as the
party could discover, has ever been.
There were absolutely no traces Of ami
NAL life.
1t may be that new specimens OF flora
lave been found that existed Ia the
prehistoric world, but sufficient exam
nation has not yet been made 10 de-
termine this fact. The Mesa Encan.
tada IS said to be the only spot on the
lace Of the globe where the flowers OF
the period Of long ago can exist without
the contamination and war OF plant life
with the world of the present day.
Prof. Libbey succeeded in making his
much-talked-of ascent Of the encantada
a few days ago. The trip to the summit
was fraught with great perils, and the
result is of little value from an arch
geological standpoint
The party consisted of Prof. Libbey.
II. L. Bridgeman, of Brooklyn. and the
correspondent of the Times-Herald.
Every preparation had been made for
the ascent, there were great kites and
balloons ready for use, but it was decid-
ed to throw a line across the top of the
Mesa with gun, borrowed for the pur-
pose from the United States life-savine
service
The first shot was too low. The sec
ond, carrying a steel wire, went over
the summit, but took two DAYS TO draw
the cord which was attached to a long.
er rope over the rough, rocky surface
Of the spot described by Coronado in
bis report to the king of Spain nearly
three centuries ago as being the strong
est natural fertilization in the known |
world
When the ropes were made fast
block was arranged, and a great chain
OF boards, 20 feet across. was fastened
to it. a huge rock was sent to the sum |
nit without tipping, and then Prof. /
Libbey made the ascent. 1t was dan
gerous, exceedingly 30. As the pro.
fessor came close to the summit he had |
to hang Oh by one hand, while with the
other, he disengaged the ropes of the
chair, which had caught in the rough |
rocks. The remainder of the party then
made the ascent. and we're assisted on
the surface by the professor.
Next great difficulty presented IL
self in the form of gaping chasm This
was crossed on the ropes, and the ten
acres Of the surface of the rock were ex-
plored by the daring scientists.
They spent the entire day there,
searching for the evidences of the vii
lage, said to have existed 500 years ago,
but there was nothing to indicate that
it ever had existed in reality. There
We're Monuments of rock, such as the
Indians built in the ages that have
gone by, but that was all.
There were s6lfe pools Of water that
had collected, but whether they were
Worn by the action of small particles
OF rock carried by the winds or whether
they were in reality constructed 10y the
AcoIna Indians in the centuries that
have gone down into the silence of the
past is not known.
Search was made for the bones of the
human beings whom the legend of the
haunted rock describes as having been
starved to death there, but they were
not found.
1t is assumed by botanists that this
great rock, which rises over 700 feet
from the surface Of a desert of sand. |
protruded out of the ancient sea that
covered this section of the world in the |
distant past, and that the flora is the |
same to-day as it was in those days. |
when the world was young and of which |
history has no account. Specimens, |
such as there were, were collected, but
whether they belong 10 this day and
age or to the realms Of the prehistoric
world is not known.
This rock, enchanted or haunted, as it
has been called by the Acoma Indians,
has been the center Of scientific inter-
est for years. Numerous attempts have
been made 10 mount it, only to be
doomed TO f. lure.
The legend Of the Indians is that the
summit of the rock was once reached
by natural ladder in pillar. On this
place the old and decrept We're kept to
shield them from the attacks of hostile
foes, while the men were in the valley
ut work. Once a great torrential rain
came. like a oloudburst, and ate away
the sandy foundations Of the pillar,
which fell, and the inhabitants on the
rock. several hundred in number,
starved to death.
1t has even been asserted that the
place was inhabited, and the ascent by
the Libbey party was made 70 set at
rest the rumors and determine once and
for all whether or not the stories as
tSld were true Chicago Times-Herald
Rich and Poor In India.