Graham guardian., 1900-09-14
PREHISTORIC RUINS.
Remnants Of Colorado Cliff Dwell
ings to Be Preserved.
OF That state Organise ~
After the Ruins ana study
the Life of Former Oo-
eupanta.

Women OF Colorado are going to try
and save the prehistoric ruins of the
state from the depredations OF van
dals, and at the same time try to add
to the worlds stock of knowledge con-
cerning those remarkable people, the
cliff dwellers. With these objects in
view the Colorado Cliff Dwellings as
sociation has been organized. The as
sociation has been regularly incor-
porated under the laws of Colorado,
so that il may legally acquire and hold
property. 1t is now the intention of
the women to acquire title to the
ruins of the cliff dwellers, either by
purchase or by a grant from the state,
which it is believed will be glad to
hand these famous ruins over to the
women for care and preservation.
The association, says the Chicago
Inter Ocean, is not hastily formed
one, On the contrary, it is the out
come of nearly three years of agita-
tiop and education OF the women of
the state. In October, 1897, Mrs. Nah
Ion ID. Thatcher, then president of the
State Federation OF Women's clubs,
appointed n committee Of women who
had for years been personally inter
ested in the protection of the states
prehistoric heritage to act with the
federation and clubwomen as spe-
cial committee for the spreading OF
knowledge concerning the ruins, the
collection and preservation of relics,
and the ultimate bringing forward
into the light of to-day OF the wonder
full old ruins which have been so long
shadowed by the cliffs in the Rio Man
COS canyon. Since it's appointment the
committee has had visions of work
done by it which would present to
the world antiquity of far greater in
terest than any now known in the old
world, and with setting of deep
canyons, rugged mountains, and great
stretches of blue mesa land--a park
containing museum of unknown
antiquity
The area Of prehistoric ruins in the
southwest covers a tract of 5000
square miles, extending from ''the
four corners" into Colorado, Utah,
New Mexico and Arizona. Therefore,
the tract of land most valuable for a
park has been a grave question at is
sue with the committee. They have
had an accurate and comprehensive
map made of che section called Mesa
Verde, the green tableland, in the
southwestern corner Of Colorado. 1t
is their wish to include in the park
that portion of the mesa and adjoin-
ing canyons which contains the most
ruins.
1t should be understood that Mesa
Verde, the probable location OF the
future park, is a strikingly singular
divide between the Mancos and the
Montezuma valleys Throughout its
extent it is gashed and scanned by in
Vulnerable deep canyons and ravines.
The uplands are crowded with forests
of pinon trees in such close array that
one finds it difficult to pick a passage
through them. Ruins of the houses of
the mesa-dWellers are thick upon the
plateau.
The canyons, which split the divide
into tongues and islands of precipit-
Gus rock, are lined with the houses of
the cliff dwellers. The sides of the
canyons are sheer walls Of yellow
sandstone, ranging in height from 500
TO 1000 feet. As a rule, the dwellings
stand so or 100 feet below the rim OF
the heights, in sheltered recess over
hung by beetling masses of rock. In
great many instances it is impossi-
BILE to climb to the houses from the
bottom of the canyon. Most of them
have to be entered from the top of the
cliffs. There are no definite roads or
trails leading to them, and the diff
cultics to be overcome and the
dG gers to bc dared in visiting the
cli1 houses are many. Tho diGicult'ts
ami dapgcrs only show Row necessary
it is to build roads and trails and a
rest house, so that people with great
but little strength may
visit the ruins.
The Cliff palace and the Spruce Tree
house are two Of the cliff houses in
cluded in the tract set aside for the |
park, The Cliff palace is 45O feet long,
so feet high, so feet broad, and con
tains 127 rooms ON the ground floor
and accommodations for probably
] 900 people The Spruce Tree house
is only a short distance from the Cliff
palace, and is one of the most finished
specimens of prehistoric architecture
vet found. A visit TO one or both of |
these ruins would repay one for al
most any amount Of fatigue, and the
Colorado Cliff Dwellers association in
tends to be the pathfinder for the
delicate enthusiast as well as for the
brpwny relic hunter.