Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-10-13
SANTA FE, N M, SATURDAY, OCTOBER l3. 1906.
AZTEC RUINS IN
SAN JUAN COUNTY
Government to Preserve Ancient
Pueblos-Santa Feans Visit
Them.

What Captain William Strover a
civil engineer in the employ OF the
general land office at Washington, and
formerly resident of Santa Fe, con-
siders the most interesting of the an
cient pueblo ruins in this country are
located in Chaco Canon, at point
about sixty miles south of the town
of Pennington. He returned to this
city few days ago after spending ov-
er two weeks in making surveys of
the prehistoric pueblos with the idea
in view of having the lands on which
they are situated segregated from
the public domain and withdrawn from
settlement.
Captain Strover was accompanied
on his recent expedition by four To-
cal residents, Charles Haspelmath,
Norman l.. King, r. S. Andrews and
Frank Delgado. The quartet assisted
him in his work of surveying. Mr..
Haspelmath and Mr.. Andrews acted as
flagmen, and Mr. King and Mr.. Del.
gado were the chainmen. The party
made les headquarters most of the
time while away at the ancient pueblo
Bonito. 1t was rather a strenuous
job of surveying as they were com
PEELED frequently to ascend tortuons
cliffs with the instruments.
In conversation yesterday with
representative of the New Mexican,
Captain Strover stated that the gov
ernment was anxious to preserve as
many of these ancient ruins as prac-
ticable for future generations and in
the interest of scientific research.
Speaking about the old pueblos which
he had just visited he said
"The Chaco Canon ruins are the
most extensive of the kind in the
United States. The ancient buildings
were erected entirely of stone and the
workmanship compares favorably with
modern masonry. Considerable exca.
walton has been done in recent years
among the ruins by private parties
working for themselves or various
museums, but they did not go at 1t
Systematically and with regard to the
preservation of the ruins and much
damage resulted from this indiscrimi-
nate digging for relics and curios.
y at is the intention of the govern
ment now to declare them national
monuments in accordance with an act
of Congress passed last June which
gives the President authority to set
aside all ancient ruins in the United
States. The Pueblo Bonito is between
five hundred and six hundred feet
square and it is estimated that it
contained between 1900 and 1900
rooms. Many Of the lower stories are
still intact and sealed up. Numer.
Gus Indian burial mounds are scat
tered along the foot Of the cliffs
which are unmolested and they will
undoubtedly yield through scientific
investigation many valuable relics.
"There are large number of 9th
er ancient pueblos in the vicinity
equally as extensive as the old pueblo
Bonito. Ten of such ruins are within
radius of one mile and a half of Bo-
nito. Others are a greater distance
away in a northwesterly and south
easterly direction.
1T was quite tedious trip and took
six days, tree days by train and three
days overland. The overland trip was
hard on account Of the sand through
which we had to travel. Drinking
water free from alkali was difficult to
obtain and while camped at Bonito
we had to climb a crude stairway up
the side of a steep cliff to secure
water fit for drinking purposes. This
was rain water which was caught in
the hollow of a rock and 1t finally
became stagnant. It was a perilous
climb up this cliff by means of hand
and foot holes made by the ancient
people"
Captain Strover expects to remain
month longer in and around Santa
Fe. He will 60 from here in a few
days to investigate boundary dis
pute at Santa Domingo. After this
work is finished he will return to the
city and await orders from Washing.
ton. He is making his headquarters
while here ait the Claire Hotel