Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-06
CLIFF DWELLER HOMES
Those in Colorado to Be Pre-
served.
MR.. HULL'S EFFORTS
FAVORABLE REPORT ON BILL BE-
FORE CONGRESS.
Situated in a Portion Of Land Not of
Any Particular Value
Plans Outlined.

The most remarkable ruins in America
are to be preserved by the government.
Representative Lacey of Iowa, chairman Of
the House committee on public lands, has
just made favorable report on the Colo
RADIO cliff dwellings bill. which provides
that these queer old constructions of a now
extinct race will be protected from the
Wanton destruction of tourists and profess
slohal curfo hunters. Little was known or
this territory and of it's unique value when
the matter was first brought up on the floor
OF the House Of Representatives, but now
members of Congress are talking inteIIi-
gently of "mesas," "estufas' and things to
be found in the deserts of the great south
west. 1t is proposed by the bill to create
the Mesa Verde National Park. In making
his report Mr.. Lacey says the permanent
preservation Of these wonderful and almost
prehistoric ruins is greatly to be desired by
the people of the southwest, as well as by
those interested in archaeology elsewhere.
The land is not useful for present
future settlement says Mr. Lacey. The
ruins are situated among rocky cliffs. and
may be easily preserved If protected. With
the exception of two three small, fallen
and totally uninteresting ones, all the ruins
OF the Mesa Verde are in the Southern Ute
Indian reservation. 1t Is an extremely arid
region, and little or no agriculture is prac-
uced by the Utes, although they range
sheep. goats cattle and ponies the mesa
and III the canyons. 1t Is poor range at
best, and the Indians appear to need all
they can get. Moreover, the reclaim on
service has made some estimates regarding
storage reservoirs in the upper MancoS,
and it may be at some future time part
of this land in the reservation will be ir-
rigable and greatly increased in value. The
Utes not going to destroy these ruins or
dig In them They stand in superstitious
oS 1,lia
tied by the spirits of the dead. and can not
be induced to go near them.
Relics Carried Away.
"All valuable relics have been carried
away. Nothing is left in any of the ruins
except few stone arrowheads or broken
axes, SO there is no inducement to any one
to spend the time and money necessary to
camp on the mesa and dig for curios. On
the other hand, the ruins are not only or
local. but of national interest, and many
tourists who now never heard of Mesa
Verde would visit there ii the area
under government control Also 1t would
bring more money into such towns as Du-
range and MancoS. The only way one can
get to Kelys camp at present is with
pack outfit over a rough trail; but in ma
tional park a wagon road would doubtless
be built down the Mancos canyon to con-
rect with a good system of trails in both
Navajo and Ruin canyons. Visitors would
be taken care of and the ruins protected
from any further vandalism by an official
corps of efficient guides
Discovered Several Years Ago.
The ruins in the Mesa Verde were discov-
cred several years ago by cowboy who was
hunting lost cattle on the table land. Since
that time they have been visited by many
tourists and scientists and much interest
has been awakened concerning them. Al
though much needless spoliation and de-
Struction has been continuous, nothing has
been done toward their preservation. These
homes of the original Americans are dug in
the walls of cliffs from 800 to 900 feet above
the table land. The two principal ruins
| that are most easily accessible and most
interesting the Spruce Tree House"
and the Balcony House.
The Spruce Tree House or village so
named from a large red fallen spruce by
means of which the ruin is reached, is
composed of a number of connecting square
houses and probably contained about 100
rooms
The builders evidently understood the use
of the right angle, plumb line and circle.
for the walls are true, the corners correct,
and the ground plan of the towers and
"estufas' perfect circles. The rooms are
all small, an average one measuring about
eight feet square on the floor and six feet
in height. The room and house walls are
nearly a foot thick These walls made
of dressed stones, which plainly show
chisel marks although no metal of any
No Large Stones.
Nor.e of these stones are large, eight
inches by eight inches and two feet long
being among the largest. AS all material
used had to be carried to its place, either
from the top of the mesa or from the
bottom of the canyon, it necessarily had to
be small. The stones are laid in an adobe
mortar and the outside tiers chinked with
small fiat chips of rock or broken pottery.
The whole WALL outside and in, was then
overIaid with a coating of adobe, which in
many still resists peelng. In some
walls cedar poles are laid in between tiers
of rock and mortared up level and coated.
evidently to economic rock. The interior
walls Of some rooms are painted brown, in
the form of wanscoting three feet from
the floor, and above this were drawn de-
signs or figures The floors of the second
and third stories were strongly and care
fully made. First, three-.nch round beams
of cedar were laid about eighteen inches
apart, projecting through the front walls
of the outer row of houses and forming a
foundation for two-foot shelf or balcony
running the length of the block to en-
able the jewellers of the second and third
stories to reach their rooms. On these
beams were laid lunches of willow withes
tied with cedar-bark string, thin layer
of cedar bark covered the bundles. and the
whole was overlaid with clay. which is now
almost hard rock, making a floor
light, cool and about six inches thick.
No Stairways Used.
There are no stairways. In one corner OF
each room above the ground floor is
square hole. fitted with thin square slabs
of rock which was probably reached by
pole ladders. drawn up at night. All rooms
were but poorly lighted, usually by the