The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-13
VANDALISM BY TOURISTS
Natural Beauties of the Govern
ment Being MutiIated.
The Wind Cave Higbwnymnn-Re1ic
OF Cliff DveiIers of New Mexico
Petrifed Forests in Arizona
The Interior Departments Woes.

| Some of the richest curiosities and natu-
| raj wonders possessed by the United
| States Government are now the common
| objects Of vandalism by tourists in the
Western States, and yet the officers of
| the Federal Government are unable to
put a stop to this work of destruction
| Wind Cave, at the foot of the Black Hills,
in South Dakota, rivals any subterranean
cavern in the world. Large in size IT pos
| sesses wonders of surprising interest to
biologists and scientists, and is a reve-
lation to tourists. Today at the mouth of
the cave stands highwayman, who, with
| Winchester in hand, is demanding 81 ad-
mittance of everyone who attempts to
enter the cave. Although upon public do
main and under control of the Land Office
tn officials of the Interior Department
are at loss to devise a plan by which
this self-constituted guardian of this mar
Vicious cavern can be permanently dispos-
st ssed. On several occasions he has been
driven away by officers of the department,
| but returned Immediately upon the de-
parture of the Government officials and
resumed his nefarious vocation The de-
partinent has no funds with which 10 en-
ploy a custodian for this subterranean
wonder
Reports received at the department
state that the natural beauty of the walls
OF WIND cave, which are of stalactitic
ana stalagmitic formation, is being
narred by TINS highwayman, who, with
members Of his band, is constantly chisel-
ing OF beautiful formations and selling
them to tourists souvenirs.
But the troubles of the interior n
partment because of vandalism are not
confined to Wind Cave. Down in Nav
Mexico, thirty-four miles north of Santa
re- on the public domain, there is a
large plateau, varying from 5000 feet In
attitude on the east to 5000 feet on the
west, which was at one time populated
oy the Clin Dwellers. From a single
eininence on the Paiarito Canyon can be
seen more than two Thousand of the
dwellings, while the number in the entire
district is estimated at $1,000 Contiguous
to these ruins. and also on the face of
the cliffs, numerous burial grounds and
crypts are to be found Annually thou
sands of tourists visit this plateau, desc
Grating the graves and pillaging the dwell
ings The work has begun again this
year, and. although the department has
appealed to Congress on several occasions
Tor permission to employ special deputies
to guard this properly. II is without FUNDS
TO protect the ancient ruins.
IN Arizona there is a petrified forest
which Is being destroyed by curio dealers
AS IN the case of Wind Cave and the
CHI dwellings, the officers of the depart
ment can do nothing. Signs have been
piacarded on ali these places warning
tourists from destroying the relics blIt
they pay no attention to the instructions
OF The department, and the latter is with
out the necessary force to compel proper
observance OF its orders
The Commissioner of the General Land
Office and Secretary Hitchcock have rec
commended to two Congresses that these
places be embraced in national parks on
account of their natural wonders and
curiosities, scenic beauties and value to
science. Congress has repeatedly refused
to act, not because of any opposition to
the plans, but rather through indiffer-
ence.
Graphic descriptions of these three
American wonders are given in official
reports submitted by scientists of the
Geological Survey. In describing Wind
Cave one of the scientists sets forth in
detail its subterranean wonders He says,
after referring to its entrance:
Thus we keep winding and descending
until we reach the first room, in Bride s
Chamber, and we are l55 feet below the
floor OF the cave house This room is
about 20 by 80 feet, with rough, ragged
rocks all about and overhead. In one
corner IS a formation of white marble, 4.
perfect imitation of a bed. Scattered
about this room are to be found forma-
lions of rock which resemble chairs.
There are many small outlets in many
directions"
Further on the scientist writes: Cork
screw Path, winding trail, quite steep,
around a deep, dark hole, leads to the
brink of Dante's Inferno. Amid a CO n
tinuous change Of formations and con-
stantly changing scenery, on the still
lower level of 450 feet, we find the Monte
Cristo Palace, the Assembly Room, the
Fair Grounds-an immense room 200 feet
long and from 30 to 60 feet wide, with a
great dome near the centre. Ge go down
again through Alpine Pass, where you
must let Yourself down through a hole
not any too large and land in a great,
black hole from which we pass on to the
Blue Grotto. 500 feet down. Here, as in
many other places, we light the wire and
find the heavy blue boXwork. No one can
form an idea Of this cavern without hay
ing seen II. From here we crawl fully
thirty feet and come out into a large
room, where every Indication OF water
cutting has been destroyed by some
mighty force, which has crushed down
and broken rocks that weigh tons. We
crawled about, among and over them,
and on we went, sometimes on our hands
and knees, sometimes fiat upon the rocks,
until we found some stalactites. but there
are not many of these here, the cave be-
ing far too dry for their formation. The
cave must be seen Tor anyone 10 realize
Probably the most interesting prehis-
toric ruins possessed by the United States
are those of the Cliff Dwellers in New
Mexico They are situated on tract of
land wing between the Rio Grande del
Norte on the east. and the base OF the
Rocky Mountains on the west, the Chama
River on the north. and the Rito de los
Frijoles on the south. Ii is approximately
thirty miles long and fifteen miles wide
The southern portion is covered rather
thickly with small cedar and pinon, while
the western portion is covered with a
growth Of pine, spruce, and FIR
The entire plateau is evidently of vol
canic origin, a stratum of light tufa,
varying in thickness from fifty to 800
feet, being still in place over a. great part
of the tract. In the part lying north of
the Juege Canyon the stratum Of vol
canic tufa is for the most part eroded
away, leaving at the base of the noun
tains. and extending for some miles upon
the plateau, high mesas of tufa, varying
from half a mile to several miles In
length from a few yards to probably half
a mile in width, and from 100 to 900 feet
high. South of the Juege Canyon the
stratum of tufa covers the plateau from
the base of the mountains to the Rio
Grande, and is deeply scanned by many
canyons. which, cutting through the
stratum of tufa, leave 1t exposed in per-
pendicuar walls.
The cIin dwellings, which are numer-
Gus. are of the type known as cave dwell
ings and cavate lodges, the latter type
largely predominating. In the perpen-
dicular faces of the cliffs. usually those
facing the south, the dwellings are to be
found. II arranged in a continuous series,
they would form an unbroken line of
dwellings Of not less than sixty miles in
length. IL will be seen that the vast
number of dwellings found In the entire
district would be capable of sheltering a
population of from 100000 to 200.DU1 people.
Usually the dwellings were excavated
many feet above any landing, so that
originally they were entered by means of
ladders. In the highest cliffs two ter
races are found with from two to four
oh har "a ri