Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-08-04
AN ANCIENT FORT.
Some Montezuma Had Stationed
ed Almost Every Engine but Cannon.


ed Almost Every Engine but Cannon.
F. g. Pierce in Kansas City Jour-
nal.--While recently on a prospecting
touT through Mexico | was informed
~ our landlord at Rosario that near
that place there were some ruins
whose history was not known By the
inhabitants of that section of the
country. Aware of the fact that not
one-tenth part of Mexico,s prehistoric
ruins have been Brought to light. /
did not hesitate to make up my mind
to visit the place
The fort is constructed on a kind If
detached hill, or as we would call ii.
promotory, which projects into a won.
derful canon or ravine. In all, the now
moss-covered and blackened walls en-.
close fully twenty acres. and within
this enclosure there are many walls or
separate rooms or houses. not the
least in interest being some very
massive two-foot walls with no open.
ings 10 their enclosures, which seem
to have been series of dungeons.
Because of the fact that the decliv.
ity is so steep and we had no place up
on which to stand we were unable to
take views of the most interesting
outer walls, one of which. projecting
into the canon. is fully eighty feet
high with an incline OF twenty degrees
from theFperpendicular ard which no
human being could ever scale.
There are the remains of cemented
fioors,oyens, subterranean passages
obsidian arrows, etc, in abundance,
and no one can even imagine what
important archaeologfcai data are
hidden beneath these floors. At one
corner my attention was attracted to
g very small tunnel as the guide
called it. an oyal-shaped opening Just
large enough for a smalI-sized man to
crawl or sotrirm through. Ny guide.
who probably knew as little about Ii
as |, repeated legend current among
/ his people 70 the effect that the Aztec
medicine men compelled their untried
warriors to go through this. some 100
! feet long. as test of their nerves or
endurance.
This narrow opening leads to a
very large suDterranean cave. appar
emily artificial. into which whatever
came through the vent or slice was
emptied. In my ounion the larger is
ar important subterranean cave well
worthy of full investigation A great
many stone slabs from the copine
and wall overhead have fallen into
and blocked the mouth of this cave
The Indians living nearby say that
whoever enters the cave never returns
| This is probably true, as the aceumu
lated foul gases would quickly suf
focate one
An old gentleman, seyenty-one years
of age, whom | met on a train. inform
ed me that at one time he and five
other brave young men had made ar
attempt TO explore this cave. Three
remained at the entrance while tbs
other three. with lighted matches In
hand, cautiously CROPPED their inwarC
way. They had gone some sixty fee
when one called to the others to come
in and see the wonderful objects
which ornamented the walls. The
sound of this young mans voice was
so startling that, as he expressed it
"a sudden gust OF wind extinglrished
the light. and then--well. they reached
tale to their progeny"
Some of the shepherds. who at diff
erent times missed sheep from theii
fiocks, spoke in lowered voices of {
twoheaded man or object who uset
TO be seen emerging from this cave;
but they asserted that since the en-
trance had been closed by falIing
stones he had not been seen. but thai
loud unearthy murmurings had Otter
been heard coming. as it seemed K
them. from the very bowels of tbs
mountains.
There is every reason. considerins
the data obtained. to believe that thi,
fortress was built not less than T0i
years ago by the first inhabitants .
Anahwae: but Mexico's history prio
to the Spanish conquest is shroude,
under the same veil OF mystery a.
we're the lives OF the many unfortu
mates VINO disappeared during Tor
ouemada's reign of inquisitorial muir
der and terror
The most remarkable feature con
nected with the ruined fortress how
aver. is that at this late day. when the
iron horse OF commerce makes its mad
race over its steel rails within seven
miles on tho Huaiuapam &c Leon road
aud eighteen miles on the lnteroceanic'
when American progress hiss entwinei
American rails around the base Of
snow-caaped Popooateaetl. aear Txtlaci