The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
BURIED ARIZONA CITIES.
GREAT RUINS BHERE ONCE LIVED
FORSOTTEN RACE.

PHOENIX. AriH. July 81 A petition Is to be
presented to Congress at its next session ask
Ing that steps be taken 10 protect the buried
cities OF wonderful prehistoric race In south.
ern Arizona 1t il hoped that Congress will
create n Government reservation or park which
will embrace several Of the best preserved re.
mains Of large cities in the CHA Valley. The
famous ruin Of prehistoric temple at Casa
Grande has been successfully preserved by the
creation of Government park OF four acres
Without this protection 1t would probably have
been obiterated now.
Many Americans familiar with the details OF
the unearthing Of the temples at Nineveh and
the explorations at Babylon and Thcbes have
little or no knowledge concerning the remains
OF prehistoric communities in the West OF
their own country. In tho ella aud salt River
valleys OF southern Arizona are relies Of mys-
terious interest which banlo investigation, and
they are being hacked TO pieces and carried
away pieccmoal. because Americans know lit
te about them and the Government does not
care They have been moro rapidly eraced
during the last dozen years than In the previous
century. The rnnchmen and the farmer are
clearing tho land OF prehistoric walls and ok
eavations to sow wheat and alfalfa crops.
Modern irrigation systems are d"molishing
aboriginal masterpieces Of masonry. and curio
hunters are hacking to pieces mural works
and digging into ancient tombs, merely to get
something uncommon to keep or sell. Every
curio store in the Southwest has for sale great
heaps Of relics from Arizona's buried cities.
On n broad sopng plain beginning at tho
confluence Of the CHA ana Salt rivers fortv-
two miles from PhTnix. are the greatest ruins
of the prehistoric towns Some men Of science
say these towns were built in tho stone age.
Others say they existed 1000 years ago. There
NIL IF tNyn q nd
wastes that must have had populations Of
10000 and 50.O 900 each. while there arc n half
dozen other ruined towns of 90 900 population,
Their builders had high degree OF engineer
ing skill. Huge trees were transported to
them from forests sixty miles away. great
masses OF stone were brought from far-oH
quarries. For about ninety square miles
the ella Valley is an aggregation of
ruins. Irrigation canals. the oldest known
in the civilized world. are found through
out the region Those waterways were
built with exactness and skill The largest
has been sadly torn to pieces in the last few
years by the ranchmcn. but it still shows the
wonders Of it's construction. II has an average
width OF seven feet it Is sixty miles long and
II terminates in reservoir n mile long by a
half mile wide. Think Of the enormous labor
OF constructing such n canal and reservoir with
stone Implements and Of carrying the excn-
waited earth away in wicker baskets! But that
Is only one Of seventeen distinct prehistoric
irrigation systems in the GiIa Valley.
The size Of these canals gives some idea OF
the scale on which these people conducted
their agricultural operations They constructed
an artificial river TO supply the water which
their crops required. They grew great guam
titles OF corn. and they also raised beans as
well as two or three varieties Of s1uashcs
thinks it probable that they kept the guanaco
IN demonstration. and evidences are found
which indicate pretty certainly that they had
turkeys. One may walk for miles in this
region and find every foot of the sandy surface
more or less mixed with pieces OF broken pot
terry, The paint ia still on them, and is not in
the least faded. though they have lain exposed
for centuries.
IN the ncghhorhood Of Tempe an overflow
from the CHA at some distant period washed
against the ruins until they crumhlrI u
were spread out level with the country Back
ten miles from the Ga River the ground is
higher and was once tho site of a city pOr-
tions Of the buried city wall by which it was
protected are still standing moro than twenty
feet IN thickness Inside are tho m"und-l like
ruins of the houses. which heinz, less durable
have crumbrd The buildings must have
been very large. for in sum" instances the
mounds are 300 feet in length by 2OU in width
and twenty in height Much % tn" country is
very little higher than the present bed of tho
ella. and at one time n branch Of that stream
must have flowed into n raSin which formed
anatura reservoir There was rise Of ab mt
ten feet at one point between the basin and
the river. and the sandstone formation shows
unmistakahc signs Of having hcon cut by
artificial means. perhaps with the idea of "a
no N trnu 4 ha Inv vol
the passage. Fiv" canals lead out Of the ba-
sin. all on the sou h and west, which confirm
the boliof that 1t was once a reservoir formed
chiefly by nature and us"l to store water
against the periods of drought
The late Edward s. BOttum". who came from
Albany N. Y. as n poor drug clcrk in 1863 and
made fortune Of several hundred thousand
dollars in the ancient silver miurS near Hrrnn-
sllo. Mexico. did more than any ono in the West
to reveal the wonderful treasury Of anthro-
biological and Archaeological material in these
prehistoric mounds for scientific !iscovcrcrs.
Mr.. Bottume became all enthusiast In Aztec
lore while he was mining in Mexico and when
he was rich, he spent many thousands OF dol
lars In exploration Of the vast ilcld Of American
buried cities. Under his patronage an oyped-
ton located chain Of buried cities, VARYING
from 10000 to 10000 population southwark
from Casa Grande. across the burning dc1crt
OF to-day to the boundary line between the
United States and Mexico. Tnfortunat"lv Mr.
Bottume fell Ill and died hoforn he had finished
his plans for d"voting half 81 his wealth to a
vigorous investigation of prehistoric remains.
The expedition that worked during the win
ters OF lSai-91-!'S un Ter tn" patronage Of Mr.
Rottume. in the neighhorhood of Mesa u little
town in the eastern part Of Marcopa county,
revealed vast possibilities for scientific invcs-
tigation in these buried communitics The
site of tn" nveStgnt ons was what is known MS
the Mesa Grand". or hE upland. between tho
two principal rivers in southern Arizona. the
Gila and the Salt. whose combined current
finds vent In tho Rio Colorado Mt Yuma. One
OF the seven buried cities there Is known as
Las Accquas. II covers an area nearly two
miles aud half square. and probably once had
about 2JOOO people. Exploration shows that
the great artificial canals which were its
arteries Of commerce and agriculture were
elaborntely tcrrnc"l, Millions Of cobblcstOnes
were used to retain the canal hnnkS
An army of thousands 81 mon and women must
have spent months. perhaps years. IN CARRYING
loads Of stones in wicker baskets ON their
backs from the distant places to the banks.