Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-09-09
RUINS COVERED
BY SHIF TING SANDS
Thousands of Skeletons in Per
feet State of Preservation,
Pottery and Copper 10 BE
Found
From Los Angeles Times.)

& EM3&E%.nG&"E%"rM &g&N&|
In the stiffness of death under the
Shadow of the majestic Sacramento
mountains of New Mexico exist the
stone walls of four once populous
cities that in ages past peopled
by a race unknown to this generation.
NO loving voice can speak to tell
the tale of anguish and horror, no
tradition is borne to lis by survivors
20 indicate the stroke of the master
hand of nature that by one sublime
effort belched forth from the earth,s
laboratory the poisonous fnme Of SUI.
pillir which destroyed the lives of
full 10000 people in a single instant
These cities Of the dead are situat.
ed in a valley between two snurs of
the main range Of mountains, and
at one time In ages past a beautiful
river coursed through 1t. and from
the limpid waters this unknown race
So oiNN ShottlidICt VI HE. -f-- ...-@..
The trace Of an immense canal is
still apparent following the base Of
the mountains, indicating a very high
degree Of engineering skill and ex.
haustive labor in its construction.
and these people evidently lived by
agriculture and stock farming.
The waters Of this river were di.
rerted from Its channel BY distribut.
ms canals, passing through the vii.
lagos, and served to convey the life.
giving water to a sunparched soil
which, under its inspiration, produced
me treasure Of harpet for the sup.
port of life OF 1000 people.
The soil Of this valley possesses
all the essentials of fertility neces.
sary to support plant life, wanting
alone the generating influence of
water. the scant rainfall Of this sec.
ton being insufficient to produce any
other than a short growth of grass in
midsummer, hence it Is evident that
this race must have farmed by irri.
cation.
lei vigas, or pine logs, were
drawn from the mountain sides to
support the roofs over their stone
houses, and trails are still visible over
which they were drawn, the rain.
storms OF ages having washed them
into deep gullies and bitches uni.
formly converging towards the VII.
lagos.
In the center Of each village was an
extra large building covering perhaps
an acre or lore which evidently serv.
ed as a publ cbuilding, either a house
OF worship or else where all assembl.
cd for protection against some hostile
tribe Of 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 var have been excayated
therefrom. Thousands of skeletons.
mostl yin perfect state Of preserya.
ton, 2 he found BIZ digging into
these sands, and many gruesome rel.
les Of this extinct race have been car.
ried away by explorers.
Scientific exploration has proved
that the degree Of heat increases 10,
ward the center III TIE earth. and III
some point below lis surface the heat
Is SO intense ~ 10 meli nay Kind 81
hard metal or stone. It ii evident
that the waters Of this river must
have penetrated through some subter.
ranean cavity into ali Intensely heat.
ed body Of sulphur rock, thereby caus.
ing a great volcanic unheayat. and
these people we're asphyxiated by the
sulphur fumes that escaped from the
bowels Or the earth. That this vol
canic eruption did occur is proved by
the fact that, some miles below the
villages, can be seen at this time an
immense area Of molten iron and
limestone conglomeratet locally /;
known as the "Malpais.. This con. (,
glomerate overs many miles In area I
and throughout its entire length may
be found bot,omless pits or blow.
outs. and within the last two years
sulphur smoke has been known 10
from some OF these chimneys.
invariably following excessive rain.
fall.
What Utopian cities must have been
these What q measure Of peace.
and hanninese m,,et have