The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-19
EXPLORED CAVE DWELLINGS.
4 Johns Hopkins Man Describes Gin
Discoveries in Arizona

/ Discoveries in Arizona
: DENVER. Col. March I9-Donald NJ
/ Lidden, of Denver, who was graduated
/ from Johns Hopkins University last June,
/ has the distinction of having led the first
I party to explore some remarkable cave
/ dwellings in Arizona which were discov-
cred six weeks ago.
: He is connected with the Detroit Copper
Mining and Smelling Company, which is
operating near AIorenci, Ariz., and Is now
in Denver en- route to Baltimore on bust
ness for his company
Mr. LiddelIs party was the first to ac-
I tually go through the caves He thinks it
/ yet too early to estimate the age of the
dwellings, but it IS improbable from the
nature OF some Of the implements found
/ that many hundreds of years have passed
! since they were used as a habitation-
/ Their position clearly indicates that they
! were Inhabited during the time when the
/ people known as ciin dwellers built i'm
/ mense houses of rock on the sides of the
/ mountains and used them as fortified
/ homes. In them they were protected
from hostile tribes, possibly the American
/ Indian.
/ The trip is described as follows:
We got out of town just 1T sun-up,
| about 7:I5 o'clock For awhile we were on
could see the town of Morenci and the
great workings of the Arizona Central
| Copper MOunta n ard Lone Star mines
/ Then the road went down into Gold
Gulch, which at first is a broad valley,
then a true guich. and finally narrows
down into canyon, with walls towering
straight up from 100 to 200 feet above you.
while the walls are so close together that
You can touch both at once. Through
this sort Of a pass one enters the Valley
of the Eagle
Finally, We left the river and climbed
hills for about a mile and half in among
limestone cliffs and found the caves
They were discovered about six weeks
ago by a 'cowpuncher,' who was looking
for some stray cattle The cattle had
gotten into one of the caves and had
kicked Up one or two pieces of sandal.
The cowboy reported the matter TO DR.
Sehell and Mr.. Parsons, of Morenci. who
with Or. TuthII, went to the place and
hunted a little for relics. but ours was
the first expedition that did anything to
, speak OF in that line
There are three caves close together.
all heavily hegrimed with smoke save
where pieces of roof have fallen down.
The orIy signs Of building are Cd d wall
partly enclosing the mouth Of each cave:
~ a platform or one cave raised about
six inches of the floor. and % q parapet
apparently artificial, extending across one
corner OF the back of the largest cave
Beside this Darapet | found g number of
SErllnteFed arrows ana broken piece of
a bow. By digging near the sides of the
cave We found about eighty sandals in
more or less good repair about three
pounds Of fraSIneutary pottery, two bone
needles. q bone knife. some basket work
string, cloth. and a little bTOaen bone or
nameuL That was found We're
going Though the old ash heap Of the
biggest cave. We found q great many
cOUnc1bS, Sourd shells, FISH and turtle
homes and some bones of small animals
but 10 large ones. which is not surprising.
rs the arrows were made of reeds with
wooden points
Il was surprised 10 fiud no human
bones. for if the inhabitants lett without
hurrying why did they leave so many
sandals. many almost perfect; if in
rush, why should they have eft any of
the weapons unless here was cause. for
such great haste that some Of he people
tAemsely e got left, too2 Nor cover, the
larapet and the disposal of he arrows
behind 1t and those buried in front OF Il
would lead one TO think that some Occi-
dental SpartauS had made a last stand
there but If 50 their enemies must have
buried them in the earth or in them
selves
The sandals are woven of sOme. heavy
plant Iber. are Oblong. Of the length and
width OF the foot. and from oEe-fCurth
to thres-fOurths OF an inch thick. bat of
those ana the other relics can tell you
more later
Coming home we crossed the river six
ty-twO times. got lost twice and other
wise enjoyed ourselves until d he
love estimate of the total distance is
hIty-SIN miles. and from that uD TO sixty
three. At any rate by the time one has
trotted all the way there and back he IS
ready Tor bed