The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-08-09

| the extinct Pacific coast Indians got flint
for their weapons.
1t was on June 10 that these quarries
We're discovered. in the solitudes OF the
Selah Canyon of the Natchez river. seven
miles from North Yakima, in the state
of Washington. According 10 geological.
| archaeological and other signs. these
mines must be many centuries old. Per-
haps when Alexander the Great was tam
ing his famous stallion the American In
/ dians were whiting out flint weapons
by thousands. Perhaps the flint was once
like clay. easy 70 fashion. But il is as
hard as diamonds now.
Until the recent discovery II was one of
the mysteries OF archaeology where the
| coast Indians got their silica and how
the flint mine was discovered: Professor
Smith started from the Pacific coast on
muleback to determine exactly how far
TIE coast Indians of prehistoric times
wandered inland. a big food was raging
in the Yakima river. The thermometer
stood at 10 degrees and rattlesnakes were
as thick as blackberries, frightening both
the mule and the Professor.
For time the survey was interrupted
by these swarms of rattlesnakes that the
floods had driven from their overfowed
dens. Frequently there were enough
snakes and hunting for places of safety
Professor Smith made the discovery that
will give him fame.
He entered a canyon with misgivinss.
but finding the walls of the great cliffs
covered with prehistoric inscriptions and
pictures he became obIivious to danger.
In amazement he deciphered the prehis-
toric inscriptions and drawings on the
rocky walls telling that further up there
was something of Importance. Ascending
TO a considerable attitude he came upon
the debris of flint powders indicated
the presence of the original aborigines-
the flint carvers of the prehistoric world.
\ pile of flint rocks ready for use still
await transportation. Chips of blocks
that had been removed lie in piles around
the quarry for a quarter of a mile. \
stone hammer for quarrying was found
on the dump. Specimens OF the rock and
samples of the weapons and stone ham,
mers have been shipped east
It IS expected that the experts will now
be able to solve the great problem of the
extinct coast Indians-just who they were
when they lived and why they ceased 10
exist. They are considered importa nt
questions. as the tribes left remarkable
fortifcations along the whole coast and
entirely around Vancouver and other
coast islands. In addition, they had
magazines well stocked with arms. The
Notifications are such that they might
easily be defended with modern guns.
That such a powerful and well organ
lied people, expert in war, should have
became extinct in the prime OF their na-
tional life is a problem to be solved. They
left evidences OF culture visible, exactly
as IL they had suddenly abandoned It
been annihilated. Was il some Martinique
explosion of gas or some awful pestilence.
with clouds OF scorpion locusts dropping
from the sky?
1t could not have been an earthquake
such as Mark Twain experienced. in mid
night disha billie and was advised by a
San Francisco lady TO run for a clothing
store. II IL had been an earthquake the
tools and half-manufactured fints would
not be lying just as they were left ages
ago, when Alexander was tanning horses
Coming scientific reports on these dis
coveries. with photographs and drawings
will be Of great interest TO the public
New York Herald.