Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-21

are now in n vast field of fiat roofs.
above which here and there rise the
massive towers of the great churches
for which Lima Is noted. Al the back
of us, at the edge of this field. are the
bleak foothills of the Andes, gray and
forDidding' their tops In smoky sky
and with white clouds rushing here
and there on their sides. on the edges
OF the city we see the green crops Of
the valley of the Rimnc river and over
there are the three bridges which cross
the stream as 1t flows through Lima.
LOOK down upon the roofs all about
you. They are more like garden beds
tnan the coverings of houses. Don't
stamp your feet, or walk heavily as
you move about. The roof trembles
under us and with little effort we
could push our feet through. The sup
ports of many of the roofs are merely
cane poles on which dirt is spread. on
some mating Is first put and then n
layer of Garth. sand or ashes. 1t is
supposed TO never rain here, and from
years's end to years end Lima has not
a shower. Waterproofs are unknown
and the umbrella members cry Ia never
heard. II Is on this account that these
mud walls stand throughout the gen.
erations. and It is. indeed, through lack
OF rain that Lima exists. A big shower
would reduce the town to a mud heap
while n two weeks pour would wipe it
out OF existence. Even here, however.
nature sometimes varies her course.
Last year the people were Mortified by
hearing the raindrops pattering on the
roofs. The water which fell would
have hardly been called a sprinkle in
some parts of the world but II did
more damage here than an earthquake.
WHERE THE CHICKENS LIVE ON
THE ROOFS.
Much of the light of the Lima houses
comes from the roofs, Each house
has court in the center, and many of
the larger buildings are cut up by
courts, around which the rooms run.
When there IL a double row of rooms
the inner ones are lighted by llttle
dormers which extend up through tho
fiat roofs, and which look like chicken
coops form where we are standing. 1t
is difficult. in fact, to tell the dormers
from the chicken coops. There arc
thousands of chickens which are born,
lay their eggs and grow fat on the roofs
of this city. There Is a hen cackling
on the opposite roof now. am awak-
ened every night by the Growing of
the ROSTERS above me, and the noise
of the early morning in the middle of
Lima makes me imagine myself in n
barnyard. There Is one asthmatic old
rooster which crows me awake reg
ulHrly at n. m. and another that
sometimes makes the air shake at
midnight. I have not yet seen n COW
on the roofs. though l am told that,
some families have their stables so lo-
Gated, the cattle not being taken down
until they are ready for killing.
From such buildings you might think
the houses of Lima would be always
tumbllng down, and that the city
would be in constant danger from
fires. This Is not the case. The houses
are almost earthquake proof, the large,
buildings often having their first story
walls from four to six feet thick
though those of the second story are
thin. These mud walls never take fire.
The furniture may go up in smoke,
but so on as the roof is ablaze 1t falls
In. and the mud which covers It puts
out the fire. There are, indeed. but few
losses from fire here, and even out in