The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-08-04

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former Governor /. Bradford Princc'sl
forthcoming book on Spanish Mis-
sions Ia New Mexico. the first part OF
which WIS published in the Evening
Herald OF yesterday. Is as follows:
The original settlement OF the an
c%estors Of the santo Domingo Indians
Waa In a place called Guy-puy, the
ruins of which are sim 10 he seen
about two miles east Of Domingo sta
ton on the banks Of the Galtsteo
river. Tradition states that the town
was destroyed by an extraordinary
Hood in the Gaiistco, and tho people
then moved TO the present location on
the Rio GSnndc. This was long ago,
az Onatc. when travelling up the wall
lev Of the Rio grandc In 1898. found
the pueblo located a. at present. eN-
cept as since washed out by the river
Hoods.
After the establishment Of the col
onial government az San Gabriel,
when the territory was divided into
seven missionary provinces. Santo
Domingo was named as the heodquar-
tiers Of the province ~ the queries
and Father Juan de Rosas was placed
in charge. Less han ten years there
after. In 1897. the first church was
huiit by Father Juan dc Escalona,
then tho omclai hcad of tho Francis
cans who remained in Santo Domingo
until his death and WIS buried In the
church which was a monument to hiA
Jealous labors
At tho time Of the Pueblo rcvolu-
ton. santo Domingo was thc scene
Of more mnrtyrdoms Than any other
town. Tor II was the headquarters OF
% district which included san Felipe
and Cochiti and had "A large con-
Vonto which afforded ample accom-
modatlons for the three priests who
lived there together. Fathers Loren
zone, Talaban and Monies do Oca.
Az three were killed on the first day
Of the uprising, August 10Th; n
when Governor OtCrmin on his re-
treat TO III Paso, just two weeks later,
stopped az Santo Domingo, which he
found deserted. with his sad caravan
OF 1900 men. Women and children,
thoy hroke open the doors of the
church. which were securely tastcu-
ed. aud saw a great heap Of earth ia
the middle or the noor. and on re-
moving this discovered the dead
bodies Of the three priests buried DO
that hastily made tomb. Each was
clad in the habit OF the Franciscan
order. and there Otcrfin was CONE
PEELED TO leave them. 10 continue his
hasty nieht. strange to FAY. the In
dian has not taken anything from the
church. al the vessels, ornaments,
and pictures remarked intact, and
we're taken possession OF by the
priests from santa re aad carried
down TO ~ Paso.
The old mission church was one ~
the largest and finest In New Mexico.
but unfortunately. like much of the
original town. II now lies at the bot
tom Of the Rio Grandc. After the
first great Hood had carried away
nearly half of the houses. the river
continued 60 ~cncroach. little by 1t
tic. every year at the time of the spring
frcshet. Il was "a gradual process Of
undermining and the line of destruC-
ton soon approached tho location OF
the church. The Indians made des-
pcruto efforts to save the great build
Ing, Of which they were justly proud.
from destruction. Each spring they
brought great trees and multtudcs
of cvcrgreens, with which to mako q
barrier that would Withstand ire rush
OF the waters aud prevent any addi-
tiouai erosion Of the elm, But tn,
M was as inexurahle as fate. Each
year saw the line Of the %perpcndicu-
lar wall move nearer and nearer IA
the cherished structure, u at length
in 1855, further resistance was use
less. the foundations fell into IN,
sccthing torrent. and soon not "a ves-
tigc remained of the massive wall
and tho sncred precincts which had
been hallowed for generations.
Before the final catastrophe. every.
thing movable VAS carried away from
the church. but the great structur,
itself is gone forever.
The only illustration which we car
give Of t,is old historic mission, IA
q picture OF the carved double door
which was lis entrance. Each sid,
had upon q, In bigh relief, a large es,
cutDhcon with q coat OF arms sur.
mounted hy a crown. and il was ad.
mittcdly the most notable piece oI
wood carving of its kind here In IN,
whole Of New Mexico. The photo.
graph from which this ~ reproduced
Was taken in stereopticon form IL
1859 by w Henry Brown, an artist
then living in santa Fe, to whom W,
are indebted for two or three uthel
pictures made at that time. Tina.
which adds peculiar interest 10 thii
lllustratioa Il the lifellke figure OF a
y. Bandeiier. then an ardent worker