The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-03
Story Told
at Last.

sions that had hitherto been advanced
in defense of the Acoma tradition.
PREPARING TO REACH THE TOP.
while again conducting archaeolog-
ical work in Arizona last summer
| under the auspices of the Bureau of
American Ethnology, Hodge was di-
rected to visit the Enchanted Mesa and
scale it's height, in order to determine
| what additional evidence was procur-
able on the summit in substantiation
of his former conclusions regarding the
truth of the Acoma story
"Outftting at Laguna, Mr.. Hodge
| was fortunate in enlisting the services
of Maj. George H. Pradt, who had been
! a deputy United States surveyor in
| New Mexico and Arizona since 1869;
MI. A. c. Vroman, of Pasadena, Cal
| from whose photographs the accom-
| panying illustrations are reproduced;
| Mr.. H. c. Hayt, a volunteer from Chi
cago, and two Laguna Indians. The
party left Laguna on Sept. 1, and pro-
| ceeded directly to Acoma, eighteen
miles southwest, spending the follow
ing day in witnessing the Fiesta de
San Estevan at that village. By sun
rise of the Sd, the party left Acoma
and pitched camp in grove of cedars
at the southwestern base of the Mesa,
just below the cleft UP which the ira
ditional trail to the eyrie village for
merly wound its course.
| The morning was spent in unpack-
ing and adjusting their climbing equip
ment and in determining the height
of the Mesa for the first time by means
of surveyors tiansit. The deceptive
! ness of this great table rock will readily
be judged when it is said that eX-
pcrienced Southwesterners have var
| iously estimated it's altitude as from
/ g. ~
tai determination Of Pradt shows it to
| be but 430 feet above the western plain
! and less than 400 above the valley on
the east.
BY HIS OLD ROUTE.
"All hands were pressed into service
! III carrying the six sections of siX-foot
! ladders, the rope, surveying instrument,
camera, blankets and provisions up the
| 224 feet of talus a. the base of the great
cove or cleft. This part of the trip
| was accomplished in a few minutes,
| although climbing at an altitude Of six
| or seven thousand feet under a blister
ing sun can scarcely be regarded as
child's play. Resting long enough to
catch breath. the leader of the party
started up the rocky incline to a pinon
tree that has an existence on a small <
| terrace supplied with soil and abund-
| antly watered from above after every
fastened and the remainder of the
party, together with the provisions and
outht, were hauled up. Then another
terrace, thirty or forty feet above, was
gained in the same manner, and still
another convenient shelf in the cleft
was reached. At this point still some
fifty feet below the goal, the vertical
wall of thirty feet that put an end to
! Hodges climb of 1895, confronted the
little band of explorers.
"To the right of tha ledge from which
the ladder was raised a large bowlder
had fallen; above this rises a great
crack. on each side of which are the
traces of a series of rung holes, one
opposite another, the living ev.d nee of
a former trail ladder. At the base the
remnants of prayer stick and few
fragments of characteristic wooden
pottery were found embedded in the
sand-a melancholy reminder of a sac
rifice made in recent time at the high
est point of accessibility.
SCALING THE LAST HEIGHT.
Length by length the ladder was adjusted
on the sloping ledge until all the parts were
Joined without mishap. With the pole pick
two holes were chopped in the friable sand.
feet from slipping forward and dashing the
climbers into the yawninS chasm below.
Hodge wa, the first to ascend the frail struc-
ture which swayed with every step. In
fastening the rope around his waist. he Sc
cured end to upper rung of tfe ladder;
passed in safety over the incline above and
lashed the rope to a giant bowlder that had
found a lodgment on the bench. The other
members, of the party followed in greater
hauled up, and the remaining twenty feet
was covered without great effort The top
had been gained, the entire time consumed
being two hours and a quarter.
THE view frem the Mesa indeed mag
nificent. The sky was like Persian tur-
quoise and the air clear that Noun. Tay-
seemed almost
skirt the very valley OF Acoma. The Mesa
bound plain had been washed green by a
heavy rainfall the day and night before, and
shallow pools glstened here and there in the
sunlight while Acoma perched on Its sand
drifted penol three miles away, seemed weary
| after its day of feasting.
"The party had not been On the summit of
the mystic promontory five minutes ere Maj
Pradt picked up fragment of greatly
weather worn, undecorated pottery, Of rather
coarse but unmfstakaby ancient ware. This
was not a little surprising to Hodge since
he had little hope of finding any art remains
whatever after examining the earthly talus
below and finding how thoroughly the sum
NIT had been storm-swept during the cen
tIlTies that had elapsed since its occupancy
Exploiting the eastern edge he
across the 'carn-lke' object. the origin Of
which proved such an enigma to Prof Lib
bey. The structure, Hodge says, stands on
natural floor of sand yard from
the edge of the cliff, and consists of onz
narrow slab IF the same material, some thre'
feet in height, and held erect by smaller
slabs laid fiat on each of two s'des of The
upright store; the strata of the upright sla9
are, of course, vertical. whie tho'e of the
! supporting s.abs are horizontal. 1t would.
therefore. appear to have been impossible 70
the structure TO have originated by any bu.
artificial means.
while the researches were in progress tn
party were somewhat surprised by the aD.
pearance of three Acoma Indians, who had
seen the fire the Mesa top the night befor7
and had come to learn the cause. The
found their way to the tcp irst as we hat
done. They were scarcely friendly at nTst
and according to the statement OF tEe TWO
LaRunas in our party. who had spent TIE
night at the base Of the trail had come witt
the intention of compelling the intruders 70
descend. even If it became necessary u cut
down their ladder. A little explanation.
however coupled with round OF strong
coffee soon appeased any wrath that NAV
have been conceived in their bosoms. and
induced communicativeness.
The fact that the Aeoma Indians have mere
tofore regarded the Mesa as sacred shr ~
to be guarded against profane assault has
acted as a detriment upon otherwise adventcr-
Gus palelaces in the past. Not more than
twelve years ago an exploring party, armed
with spikes visited the Mesa valley fol tie
purpose of attempting the ascent OF the rock.
TIL eIndians heard of it and gave an alarm
which assembled a large company OF Acona.
who gathered with arms around It's oasa.
The approach Of the white explorers met WITH
such show of hostility that they abandoned
in short order all idea OF attempt at solviNh
the Mesa's mystery.