Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-15
More Ruins Of the CIiG-Dweliers.

More rcmaiSs OF the cliff jewellers were
found recently la southern Colorado by
Cecil n. Deane. a deputy United States
surveyor. I'VE found he said 10 a
Denver Republican reporter. extensive
ruins Of the clif-dwellers and Of prehls-
tOric peoples. and doubt If ever before
they have been visited. 1t Is a locality
where the scientists and relic-hunters
never come, and | have TO doubt but
they will prove entirely new TO the scien-
tile world. IN one locality west Of the La
Plata River, we found an area Of some
6o0O or 1900 acres in one body that was
dotted with the ruins Of a people that
doubtless subsisted by agricultural pur-
suits solely. The land was literally COW
cred with the ruins of stone houses.
Most OF the structures were small and
doubtless were purely family houses.
While the original inhabitants OF this
vast tract subssted by means of farm
ing yet no evidences of irrigation were
found and the nearest water at present
is the La Plata or Mancos River
"ln other localities we found similar
evidences of a prehistoric race and under
the same conditions, indicating that II
they did their farming by means Of irri-
cation all races have long ago vanished
or else there were streams nearer than
at present. IT may be possible, too that
rain in that section, and that 1t was not
then. as II Is now. an arid region.
THE surface Is now covered with Il
dense growth of sage brush and Of pinon
or cedar trees. In parts IL IS almost i'm
possible for a man to make his way. IN
surveying a dense forest, we discovered
the ruined walls OF one house that orlgl-
nally must have been an immense struct-
ure. On the surface Ii measured forty
five by ninety feet. and l should say that
Il must have been several stories high.
The walls were massive, indicating mat
n was more than a single story. The
stone that had fallen ont of its place
forms a pile oven ten feet in heignt' anu
is streWn about everywhere.
"This house must have been one OF
great importance 10 the people OF mat
day. 1t may have been one OF their great
temples or il may have been cominu-
nitv house. IL is, of course, enuiely
speculative as TO its use. but its immense
size would indicate that is was not an Or
binary dwelling In places parts OF the
wall are exposed, just as II was Dulueu
bv the people who long ago passed away,
leaving only the remains Of their build
ings 10 indicate to the present genera
tion that they have lived. 1t is probapie
that n svstematio and careful search IN
The vacinitv Of these ruins and an eNPio-
ration Of the ground would bring to hsnt
many evidences Of the people That woulu
| shed much light on their modes OF ne
and Of their history. We OF course had
no time for this work, as we were taken
up entirely by surveying.
Inside OF the walls to the house OF
which [ lave just spoken large pinon
trees are now growing, which is another
indication OF the antiquity of the ruins
Large cedars, too are growing Withih
and an about the ruins. The forest Nn lel9
,,l foifud the big house is dense. the trees
being large growth and IS practically
inaccessible.
I'm another locality we found the
homes of the clif-dwellers. They were
hnilt of stone and perched, eerie Ike on
the beetling cliff. hundreds OF feet above
line bed of canon. and they can only DC
reached by means OF ropes reaching
down from the top Of the almost vert'-
cal cliffs