The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19
TIE ENCHANTED MESA.
Evidence That the TabIeIand Was at
One Time Inhabited.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
Washington, Sept. 12.-Mr. F. w
Hodge of the bureau of ethnology, Smith
sonian Institute, has just returned from
an expedition to the Enchanted Mesa of
New Mexico, which has excited the in
terest of scientists and the daring of ex-
ploring parties 1t was brought into
prominence a few months ago by the ex-
petition of Prof. William Libbey OF
Princeton University who took rope
throwing mortars, huge kites, balloons
and tons of apparatus to scale this hlth-
erto inaccessible table land. The purpose
of the Investigations has been to deter
mine whether the summit of the Mesa
was at one time inhabited by the prehts-
toric Acoma Indians.
Prof. Libbey reported no evidence of
early occupancy. Mr.. Hodges explora-
tions have brought different results, how
ever for, after scaling the Mesa he spent
some time on the summit, found a num-
Der of fragments of pottery, arrows shell
bracelets stones, axes, etc, establishing
conclusively that the top of the Mesa was
at one time inhabited.
Mr.. Hodge was sent by the bureau of
ethnology to examine series of ruins
in Western New Mexico, and to attend the
snake dance of the Moki Indians.
This done, he was directed to proceed to
the Mesa Escanada and scale its precip
itous walls in any way he saw fit.
He procured an extension ladder, com
prising six sections of six feet each, to-
gether with an ample supply of rope, and
proceeded to the Mesa on Sept. 3, accom-
panied by Maj. George H. Pradt, Deputy
United States surveyor at Laguna, New
Mexico, who is familiar with that section,
Mr. A. C. Vroman of Pasadena, Cal, who
acted as photographer of the expedition,
Mr. Fl. c. Hayt of Chicago and two La
guna Indians.
The Mesa was determined to be 431 feet
from the western plain to the top of the
highest pinnacle above the cleft, and the
talus at the base of the cleft 22I feet
above the plain. The climb was without
any serious difficulty until the party
reached a great sandstone. The ladders
were hauled, section by section to this
point by means of the ropes, then fitted
together and raised against the cleft. Mr..
Hodge assembled to the top. and, climbing
over the slope Immediately above sue
ceeded in flashing the top of the ladder TO
a huge bowlder that had fallen from above
and lodged on the terrace some twenty
feet from the summit The ladder was
then assembled by the remainder of the
party and the top easily reached. The as
cent consumed exactly two hours and
quarter
The explorers had not been on the sum-
init of the Mesa five minutes before Maj.
Pradt picked up fragment or ancient
pottery, which indicated clearly that the
Mesa had been visited, at any rate, in
former times, and that Prof. Libbey was
mistaken in his conclusions
During the afternoon and the next day
Mr.. Hodge examined the ground critically
while Maj. Pradt made a survey OF the
Mesa and Mr. Vroman secured a num-
Der of photographs. Several potsherds,
two stone axes (broxen), a fragment OF a
shell bracelet and a stone arrow point
were the chief evidences of former occu.
pancy found on the narrow stormswept
crest, but abundant potsherds, etc, were
found in the talus swept down from the
summit All vestges of the ancient train
ascending the talus. and continued thence
to the summit by hand and foot holes in
the solid rock, have been obliterated, but
. some traces of the holes remain. This
verihcation of an Indian tradition notable
for inherent evidence of accuracy is pecu-
liarly gratifying to students of anthropol-
ogy.
Prof. Libbey's ladder was discovered
still dashed in place above the crevasse.
Mr.. Hodges researches will arouse great
interest among American ethnologists and
archaeologists, inasmuch as they are said
to show that Indian tradition should not
be dismissed as merely mythical after only
casual exploration.