The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-02-27
OF CLIFF DwELLERS.
Four Hundred of Them Found in one
Apartment in Arizona.

|
Apartment in Arizona.
A strange story of the suffncation of
an entire village of cliff dWellers
obout 1000 years ago is told by Ser
geant Geo. +. Price Of the local recruit
ing station.
In picturesque Arizona. among
the White Mountains, not far from
Fort Apache. the peculiar race of little
climbers once "eigned supreme.
Among the almo.t Inaccessible cliffs of
red sandstone they lived like fugitives,
i'm natural fOrtresses.
The caverns they once inhabited
are to. day as they were centuries ago,
and in many cases have apparently
never been trodden by human foot
since the death of their ancient inhabi-
tant..
The petrified remains of 400 prehis-
toric little people were found by Serg't
Price in a vast cave. The Apache In.
dians who now inhabit that district,
regard that cavern with superstitiouS
dread, and cannot be induced to enter
it's gloomy portals. No white man
had ever set foot there before Ssrg't
Price, and he found its contents
undisturbed.
During the spring of 1899, when he
was with troop G, 7th cavalry, station
ed at Fort Apache, the young soldier
discovered the great cave village, with
lis strange legend.
A few miles east of the fort, on the
White River, rise some immense cliffs
of red sandstone. From the glisteE-
ing stream the cliffs rise almost per-
pendicularly to a sheer hight of 800
feet. Crevices and little edge of rock
form the only foothold for daring
climbers.
While fishing for trout one day,
Serg't Price noticed high up on the
cliff black hole. Believing it to be a
cave he at once determined to scale
the cliff, and several soldies volunteer
ed to accompany him. The ssrent was
exceedingly hazardous and difficult,
but after long time they reached the
hole.
Jutting out from the face of the cliff
was natural shelf, about eight feet
wide and twice as long. Just back of
the ledge was the entrance to the
ancient cave.
miles of passages and corridors. The
soldies penetrated into the furthermost
recesses and found big council cham
Der far back in the interior of the cliff.
AS the fickering light of the torches
pierced The gloom of the large room
the grewsome scene was revealed.
Huddled together on the cold, damp
floor Of stone, as if for mutual SYM
pathy and protection, lay the skeletons
of over 400 cliff dwellers, petrified by
their exposure during ages past. A
short distance apart from the others
lay the frame of the chieftain, leaning
against the wall opposite the entrance
to the room.
Serg't Price began a systematic ques-
tioning Of old Indians aud at length
secured the legend of the cavern.
Many, many hundred years. ago, he
was told by the red skinned savages,
the small men lived inthe cliffs. Th y
were at war with other snall men
who lived at some distance. Battles
were frequent, and the tribe which oc-
cupied the White River cliffs was
worSted.
Many of their best warriors were
slain by the clubs and arrows of the
enemy. Retreat finally becomes ne
cessary, and the defeated men hastily
scaled the cliff to their home near the
summit. Once W; nm the cave they
felt themselves -ecure from futher
attacks. They carried with them
such scanty supplies as they could
quickly gather, and they hoped that
IN case OF siege their corn would last
until the siege was raised.
Swarming up over the ledge to the
entrance to the cave came their en-
emies. Several they killed, but were
soon driven back from the entrance.
Wouderingly, they crouched within
its portals.
The assailants brought up quantities
of wood and piled it high up about
the hole in the cliff. They then
k'ndled huge fire and never suffered
it to abate in fury.
Days passed. and the flames still
cleaned brightly on the side of the
vast rock. For a fortnight the vigi-
lance never slackened.
AT length the revengeful army
retired, leaving great pile of ash"s on
the ledge. No one dared to enter the
cavern, and having accomplished their
grim mission they departed from the