Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-11-02

tained at least 500 rooms and per-
haps 1000. Between five and six thou
sand people may well have dwelt in
that single building. Farther back on
the mesa, and separated from the first
building by stone wall, stood the
ruins of a second still older pueblo,
sunk into a shapeless mound. Beyond,
shattered beyond recognition, but still
unmistakable, were others destroyed
by some great force pressing upon
them from above.
Even the discoverer himself had diff
fculty in finding again the lost city
After much wandering up and down he
at last found his bearings and led the
way to point in the cliffs where as
cent wos possible.
1t quickly became apparent why the
city had been so long overlooked. The
country about was desolate and most
inhospitab.e. The river bed wes APP
parently waterless. Before beginning
thesclimb the prospector dug particu-
lar spot in the stream bed and there, at
a depth of several feet, found water to
replenish the canteens Only one who
knew this secret could safely linger in
the region
The climb up the cliffs was long and
difficult. A full thousand feet in alti-
tude had to be surmounted before the
goal was reached. Many cliff caves
were passed on the way, but the guide
babe the party husband their wonder
until the top of the cliffs was reached.
The summit gained the party found
themselves close beside the watch
tower OF which their guide had told.
Ii was al of granite blocks, of uni
form size. The nearest granite depos-
its are a considerable distance. and
every one Of thes blocks must have
been carried with incredible labor
across the valley and UP the face OF the
thousand-foot cliff The tower was
once at least sixty feet high. says DR..
Co'e, but today its height is less.
The great pueblo came next. DR..
Cole made careful study of its out
lines and reached the conclusion that
originally the stone walls rose two
stories and were surmounted by
third story OF adobe In the center
was a great court, common kitchen,
where the women cooked under the
open sky. From the court radiated an
immense number OF rooms twelve
deep and in three tiers. They averaged
fourteen feet square in size 1t is be-
lieved that. as in the modern pueblos,
entrance was gained only by climbing
on ladders TO the roof and thence de-
scendirg by interior ladders and trap
doors from room to room. Thus the
whole building was a fortress, situated
on a seemingly impresnable mesa.
The stones Of which the pueblo was
built had been Quarried from the cliff
below. The blocks were regular in
size. measuring six by six by fifteen
inches. Many of the walls still stood,
but most had fallen or been buried by
the adobe from the upper story and
the miscellaneous debris OF the ruin.
Entrance TO the individual rooms could
be gained only by digging.
DR.. Cole excayated one small burial
mound and a single room in the COM
munal dwelling, but the results OF this
mere scratch on the surface were rich.
Ancient pottery. whole and un-
scratched: carved stone implements
and vessels, bones, a stone pipe whose
carvings differ from anything ever be-
fore seen, and many other strange sur
rivals OF the centuries-vanished house