Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-08-26
BURIED CITIES
Of Ia QUlY[RA
How the Ancient Races Of the
Sacramento We're
Stricken.
TRACES OF THEIR
CIVILIZATION
Agriculture Fostcred BY Innni
grafton In an In
known Age.
srrom las Angeles Times

8E@4&a HI INV HAlHIAtM1 ~
shadow Or the majestic Sacramento
mountains Of New Mexico exist the
stone walls Of -four once popnlous cit
les that were In ages past peopied
by d race unknown to this genera
ton.
No living voice can speak % tell
the tale of anguish and horror, no.
tradition Ii borne To US by survivors
to Indicate the stroke or the master
hand OF nature that by one sublime
effort belched forth from the earth's.
laboratory the poisonous fumes Of sul-
phur which destroyed tho lives Of
full 10000 people IN q single instant.
These cities Or tho dead are aituats
cd In d valley between two spurs Of
the main range of mountains. and At
one time In ages past a beautiful rig.
er coursed through II. and from the
limpid waters this unknown ace
drew the sustenance OF life.
The trace on an immense canal is
sim apparent following the base of
the mountains. indicating d very high
degree OF engineering skill and ok.
hausiiye labor In It's construction, and
these people evidently lived by agri.
culture and stock farming.
The waters OF this river were di.
vertcd from Its channel by distribute
Ing canals. passing through the VII.
lagos, and served 10 convey the life.
giving water 70 d s~un.parchea soil,
which, under lis inspiration. produced
the treasure III harvest for the sup.
port Of life Of 10000 people.
The soil OF this valley possesses
all the essentials OF fertility necessary
20 support plant life, wanting alone
the generating Influence of water. The.
Rcant rainfall III this section being
insufficient 10 produce any other than
4 short growth or grass III mliaum.
mer. hence II Ii evident that this.
race must have farmed by irrigation
Immense yigas, or pine logs, were
drawn from the mountain sides TO
support the roofs over their stone
houses. and trails ARE still visible on.
or which they were drawn, The rain
storms Of ages having washed them
Into deep gnllies and ditches uniform.
~ converging toward the villages.
In the center OF each village was an
extra large building covering perhaps
an acre or more which evidently
served a. a public building, either a
house o. Worship or else where all
assembled for protection against some
hostile tribe or Indians.
The drifting sands have filled these
stone walls to a level seven or eight
feet above the earth's surface, and
many specimens OF pottery, stone and
copper ware have been excayated
therefrom. Thousands 81 skeletons.
mostly In perfect state Of preaerya.
lion. can BE- found BY digging into
These sands. and many grucsome roll
les % this extinct race have bccn
carried away by explorers.
This section cannot he ~tra,arsed
except during the rainy season In
midsummer. as not a drop of water
can be found for a hundred miles Or
more, except IN surface pools after
ra~lnsfofnns Many aro conjactnres III
70 nc eAttnguIshmcnt III this Mi
known taco " people and The waters
q this once productive valley. but
70 the student Of natural phenomena
the mystery Ii easily penetrated and
It's secrets exposed.
Scientific exploration Inns nroy.a
mat The degree IN heat Increases III
ward The renter of thc earth. mi u
some point below its surface tha M,
y w Intense rs III melt any lint =,
hard metal Or stone il Ii evident ina,
the waters u this river must have
penetrated through some snhtery,,n
an cavity Into an Intensely heale,
Dody q sulphur rock. thereby CAUSING
z great volcanic unhcayai. anl thea.
people we're asphyxiatcd III tho Ill.
phur fumes Tint ESCAPED fam tho
boNeis e ne earth Thai this vol
eanle eruption did occur il proven i,
INC tact that. some miles below mo
villages. can DO seen al this time nm
immense area Of molten iron and lime.
stone conglomeratc. locally known Il
rs halpals This conslomora,c
covers many Eiles III area ma
~ III nYUffWg4gf Ia