Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-14
CASTLES IN CLIFFS
Congressional Protection for
Historic Cave Dwellings.
CURIOSITIES OF CANYONS
Apartment Houses Of Ancient Man
Ingeniously Protected.
PUEBLos AND PETRIFIED FOREST
Natural Bridge Under Which the Ma
tiona1 Capitol Could Be
Placed.
PUEBL0s AND PETRIFIED FOREST

Copyright, 1906 by John Elfreth Watkins)
At last the historic landmarks, historic
and prehistoric structures and other OBJ
jects of historic and scientific interest scat
tered over our vast expanse of government
lands are protected from the army of van
dals and relic-hunters which has been de-
spelling them ad libitum since their dis
covery
One of the last acts of Congress was a
law authorizing the President at his dis
erection to proclaim such wonder spots as
natural monuments. The magic circle of
federal protection will be drawn about
each. wardens will be responsible for their
care and vandals will be fined up to 500
and imprisoned up to ninety days for each
offense. The vast ruins of the first Ameri-
cans can now be examined or dug into
only by representatives of reputable mu-
seums or scientific and educational fnstitu-
tions who must first receive permit from
Washington; and all relics taken out must
be exhibited for the benefit OF the people of
the country
Chief w. H Holmes of the bureau of
ethnology has already been instructed to
select such Of the scattered ruins of the
semi-arid southwest as should be preserved
and he has his corps of ethnologists en-
gagged upon this work. He is also drafting
rules for the granting of permits to archae-
ologists who may desire to make future
diggings Prof Holmes says that over half
of our great ruins are located upon the
forest reserves, the remainder being most
ly upon public lands under jurisdiction Of
the general land office. Indian bureau and
army. Some few are privately owned and
the new law gives the government the
power to accept these for federal protec--
ton. Prof. Holmes has given me access
to those descriptions and photographs of
the most noted of these ruins which have
been received from the government eth
nologsts examining them. All are included
within the boundaries of Utah, Colorado
Arizona and New Mexico If Ruskin could
have travelled in this territory he would
have taken back his oft'-quoted criticism
that he could never become interested in
America because it had no ruins.
The Great Cliff Palace.
The most interesting of these national
monuments will be the ruined cliff pal
aces" the communal residences - apart
ment houses-of the ancient cliff dwellers
Pioneers of this race venturing from the
north or south into the valleys and can
yons of the Rio Grande and Colorado river
here recuperated from the heat and dust
of the deserts In the shadowy retreats,
where they found that nature had already
done vast deal of quarrying for them
| The tablelands through which these rivers
had cut were formed in alternate layers of
hard and soft strata. For ages the noun
tain streams had eaten away the soft lay
ers and the hard rock had tumbled down
In blocks convenient for masonry. Nature
also supplied mortar in the adobe clay
nearby. Thus 1t was that scattered apart
ment houses. round towers, chapelS and ex-
cavated dwellings happened to be built In
this region by an ancient people, who not
only sought the cool shadows Of the can
yons. but the protection which their high,
inaccessible lodges gave them from their
enemies.
The most noted of these buildings is the
Cliff Palace in the Mesa Verde valley, Ia
he nf rolr No
cliff ruins of this valley are the most ex-
tensive in the country, and were discovered
some years ago by a cowboy who was hunt
ing lost cattle on the tableland His eyes
stared In wonder when he espied these
structures towering upon lodges from five
to nine hundred feet above the floor of
Walnut canyon. The Cliff Palace consists
of a group of buildings in fair state of
preservation, all connecting and opening
one into another. the whole forming a
crescent about 100 yards from end to end.
1t contains ruins of 146 rooms. Come of
which are on a second ledge. The village
contained five kivas. or ceremonial lodges
what we might call chapels, for they were
used for religious services, each clan In
village building one for It's distinct rites
The Spruce Tree House."
The Spruce Tree House." two miles to
the northwest Is similar in grandeur and
composed of connecting square houses.
which originally contained probably 100
separate rooms rms pFenstoiic apart
ment house obtains its name from large
fallen spruce, by means of which the ruin
is reached. The builders evidently under
stood the use OF the right angle. plumb
line and circle for the walls are true, the
ground plans correct and the towers per-
feet circles. The walls. a foot thick, are
made of dressed stone, plainly showing
chisel marks although no metal OF any
kind has ever. been found in any of these
cliff ruins The interior walls of some
rooms are painted brown, in the form OF
wainscoting three feet from the floor. and
above this were drawn designs. The floors
of the second and third stories were OF
three-inch round beams, projecting through
the front walls to support a. two-foot bal
cony running the whole length of the block.