The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-04
Prof. Cummings and Party,
Who Are Visiting Cliff
Dwellers' Remains.
WILL REACH A POINT
FARTHEST FROM RAILROAD
Dwellings i'm MOntezuma Can
yOn Examined; Start Made
for Moonlight.
Special TO The Tribune.


ganlzed to investigate the ruins of the
cllh dwellers in Southern Utah finally
started from Monticello Friday after
noon, Juno 10. The word had been
passed the night before by Professors
Hewett and Cummings that a start was
TO be made early in the morning, but
the circumstances attendant upon the
starting of a party Of eight with sad
die horses and q pack train were not
so easily overcome. It was decided to
go to Bluff via Montezuma CANYON in
order that the ruins of that CANYON
might be studied on the way. The first
day s ride was to little village called
Verdure, some five miles south of Mon
ticello. There the wagon road was
left and the party began to "hit the
trail IN earnest. 1t wound through
sagebrush, over hills and through
washes and finally down mountain
side decidedly steep into Verdure, or
south Montezuma canyon. This we fol
lowed for several miles before camping
just past the mouth Of Boulder canyon
Before the first camp was made
small watch towers and walled
caves were to be seen on the rocky
SIDES OF the canyon The walls of the
canyon for perhaps fifteen miles are al
most perpendicular and are composed of
base of light sandstone and an up
per layer of darker red sandstone.
erosion in such a material and these
were used by the old-time inhab-
itants as places Of temporary refuge
and as caches for their grain.
Tried to Climb Steps.
T,,cF
or these caves with steps cut in the
rock for ascent The younger members
OF the party experimental with many
attempts at climbing this hazardous
stairway, but without success. j. c..
Brown, however, with the assistance of
rope lowered from above, managed
TO enter il and left inscribed there let
tiers and figures commemorative Of his
college and class.
The next day, Saturday, June %, an
afternoon of travel brought us into a
valley not far from the entrance of
Long canyon, where there were the
ruins of large village. These ruins
were so extensive that camp was made
at the first place that promised water
and feed for the horses. Here the party
stayed until Monday afternoon and
somewhat exhaustive study was made
of the surface OF this village. The
ground was surveyed and a map made
of the village. SiXty-nine ruins, many
of them of large pueblos, in which
from 40 TO 800 people lived, were To-
Gated and about half as many mounds.
Camp was moved on Monday after
noon, but little distance was covered, as
frequent stops were made TO study
ruins. Horsehead, Devil s and Coal Bed
canyons open into Montezuma canyon
within about six miles. This indicates
the broken nature Of the country. The
froS1 of al hut bn
whole was safe, except in few places.
The Montezuma river was muddy and
steadily collected more silt on its way
toward the San Juan. This water,
which had TO be used most of the time
for all purposes, was the one unpleas.
ant feature of the trip.
On Through the Canyons.
Or Tuesday the party proceeded slow
ly down the winding Montezuma can
yon, crossing and fecrossing the stream
and stopping several times to study the
larger ruins. These We're frequently
faced on geological islands of rock |
which are usually found at the junction
of two canyons Near these are almost |
always lookouts perched high in the
cliffs and caves walled in to serve as
caches for grain and possibly for places
of refuge. A wicky-up, in which ten
Ute Indians lived, was passed. They |
by. The camp was made about mile
further ON and three braves. including |
a chief, were visitors at breakfast the |
next morning,
Wednesday morning the camp was
broken early and the trail was hit at a
steady jog trot down the winding
Montezuma canyon to the junction
with the San Juan. Near the delta
little trading post was found beside a
pleasant grove on the shore of the |
broad river. Camp was made and the
location was so pleasant that 1T was
voted to abide there until the next
morning and then follow the wagon
road on to Bluff, fifteen miles away,
Thursday morning ride of three
hours, in sight of the San Juan river
most of the time, brought us into the
pleasant little town of Bluff.
Students to Join Party.
Here Professor Hewett received word
IN his mail that three graduate stu
dents of Harvard, Messrs. Kidder,
Fletcher and one other, were on their
way to join the party. We will not
Boston until the 2Sth, but leaving di-
rections for them to follow, Will pro
ceed about seventy miles west and south
to a trading post called Moonlight. Art
er studying the extensive RUINS con
venient TO this place and waiting for
the Harvard men TO arrive, we eHPeCt
to reeross the San Juan river and head
for Grand gulch in the Elk mountains.
Some time will be spent in this region
before the expedition returns to Mon
ticello and disbands.
1t looks as though the members OF
this expedition would see unique
Fourth of July celebration On that
date the Utes and Navajoes OF tins
region are to have big, medl-
cine dance at Moonlight, whittier, we
will be races and other Indian sports.
We shall probably leave Bluff Mon
day, July l, for Moonlight II the San
Juan river is not too swollen to cross
In any case the baggage Will nave