El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-16

tribes, and the jungle again came into
its own.
The exact dates of these events are
unknown. 1t was probably thousand
years ago when the jungle again re-
sumed its sway, and from then until
now nature has reigned supreme. 1t IS
only during the past century that any
one has known that a civilization ever
existed here. And it is only now, when
a railroad has been cut through to get
to the highlands and when the Ameri-
can fruit men have begun to cut down
the trees and make their banana plan
tatiOns. that any idea of the extent of
that civilization has come to be known.
In building the railroads, the grade
cut through q circular indian mound as
high as a four story house, and for 40
miles along the nils on one side of the
valley We're found graves with walls
made of smooth, round stones. brought
from the creeks and the rivers. On the
other side of the Motagua mounds of
greater height were discovered, and in
them pieces Of pottery, whistles Of clay
and the stone utensils of jade and
Obsidian-
1t is now known that the ruins are
scattered over an area of about 100000
acres and that they include not only
these grave mounds but mighty mOnu-
ments and the remains of great city.
The City of QuiriSua.
Our first knowledge OF this city came
about 20 years ago, when the Stephens
expedition went through Central Amer
lea, and man named CatherWOOd saw
some Of the ruins. We learned more
about it in 1888 when Alfred p. Mauds-
ley made his way through this region
and photographed some of the mOnu-
mentS-
The real work OF excavation. how
ever, was begun just about two years
ago, when the St Louis Society of the
Archaeological institute decided to Go
some work in Guatemala, and at the in
stance of Victor NJ Cutter, manager Of
the Guatemala division of the United
Fruit company, came TO Quirigua and
began their work here. The United
Fruit company has aided them in their
work, granting them 70 acres OF land.
which contained the most important
part of the ruined city. and forming
what is to be known as Quirigua Park.
1t is in that tract that the eXeava-
tiOns are now going on. They are under
the charge of DR.. Edgar l. HeWett and
Prof SylVanus q. Morley. who have
gangs of natives at work. They are
now uncOvering what was once the
great temple of the city of Mayan, and
they have already cleared away the
jungle over a great part of the tract
The have cut down mahogany and
other trees, and are now digging up
monuments so gigantic that they re-
mind one of the mighty statues of the
upper Nile.
Thirteen Mighty Monuments.
Before 1 describe the city itself. let
me tell you something aobut these
mighty monuments. There are Is Of
LueIn " nlcn nave Deen already uncON-
cred, although some are still sunken
deep IN the earth These are gigantic
monOlths, of sandstone, solid blocks
from 20 to 30 feet high, some of which
must weigh many tons. These great
figures stand right in the jungle. One.
for instance is supposed TO be SO feet
in length 1t rises 20 feet above the
ground. and it is said to extend at least
u feet below it. 1t leans like the
Tower of Pisa, but it was probably
straight when it was erected.
Another monument is "a feet in
height and four feet in diameter; and a
third mammoth stone. which 1 photo
graphed. was 80 feet in circumference
All Of these monuments are covered
with carvings, and the psychologists
have translated some of the writings
upon them. They believe them 40 have
been made along about SEQ years after
Christ and in that case they WOulG lie
over 1900 years old.
1t is difficult to reconstruct q ciyili-
zatiOn when one has nothing but stones
to tell the story So far the acheOlO-
gists have not gotten much beyond the
translation of the dates and they are
not absolutely sure of them They be-
lieVe the monuments TO be largely re-
ligiOUs and that the city of QUirigua
was a temple city and the place of WOr- 4
ship of many people.
I can only give you the note which I
have made OF the monuments as they
stood before me. What they mean. you
must figure out for yourself. Here, for
Instance is q great stone column which
rises eight feet out of the earth and ex-
tends many feet below the surface. Tt
is about 10 feet wide and the whole is