Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-23
C0L0RAD0'S CLIFF DWELLINGS
Ruins Most Remarkable of Their
Kind in United States.
Consist Principally Of O Palace WITH
$50 Rooms and Spruce Tree House
That Could Accommodate
600 Persons.

DR.. j. Walter Fcwkes Of the SmitilsoS-
Ion bureau Of American ethnoloNy ae
Washington has gone TO tho Mesa Verde
National Park In southwestern Colorado
to continue the supervision of excava-
ton and repair on the Prehistoric CLIFF
dwellings in the vicinity Of Ciiff Palace
and Spruce Tree House, Under an ap-
preparation from the interior department
Tho operations are In continuation of
much previous work carried OF under
Or. Fewkes's direction 70 preserve these
remarkable ruins Of tho American ClIst
Dwellers. supposed TO be the ancestors
OF the Pueblo Indians Three Of tho
ruins. Spruce Tree House. Gift Palace
and Balcony House. have been tut in
shape. so that they are available for
inspection to the many visitors at the
park. and the present season will be de-
voted to work on Community House, q
ruin located two miles southeast Of
Spruce Tree House.
The Mesa Verde ruins are situated or
the Mesa Verde in Montezuma county.
Col, in the side canyon Of the Mancos.
and are regarded as the largest and
most remarkable examples Of cliff DWELL
ings in the United States These ruins
were discovered In 1883. although some
smaller ones not far distant were found
IA years before. In that year two ranch
ers riding over the Mesa and through its
labyrinth Of canyons In search Of stray
cattle. suddenly came upon a deep can
yon. and beheld In a great cavern In the
opposite cliff a whole town in ruins. its
crumbling buildings, walls and towers
Enthusiastically the work Of prehistoric
man. 1t looked to their astonished eyes
like palace in cliff and 40 they named
1t Cliff Palace
UNCOVERED MANY RELICS.
On the came day they discovered. not
far away. another large cliff dwelling
which they named Spruce Tree House
after q giant spruce tree which grew In
front Of the ancient ruins. During the
course Of the next few years these ranch
ers and their brothers. who were named
Witheril. explored the whole mesa and
excavated In many places gaining a vast
knowledge Of these early inhabitants.
and a fine collection of ancient skulls.
pottery and implements Of stone bono
and wood. Since that time the govern
ment. through the bureau Of American
ethnology, and the interior department
has sent exploring parties which have
added to the National Museum a series
Of objects illustrating the life customs
and arts Of the prehistoric American
people who once inhabited these cliff
| dwellings. About 1905 the Mesa Verde
| was made a National Park and placed
| in charge Of the interior department.
In report published by the bureau
OF American ethnology. DR.. Fewkea
describes In detail the architecture OF
| Spruce Tree House. and points out
prominent features Of this village. II
has a distinct likeness to a gigantic
hotel built in cave with a crescent
shaped roof. the floor Of the cave be
ing about 50 feet above the bottom o.
the canyon and the roof 80 feet high
It's total length Is 216 feet and its great
est width So feet.
| In places the rooms were originally
three stories in height. the final story
| at present having no roof except the tor
Of the cave. but most Of the rooms now
to be seen are on the first floor although
| in some places a second story Is still
standing. There have been traced
| ia separate rooms in this great struc-
|
monal chambers, known as kivas. II
has been determined that at least II
of the rooms were used for storage
and other purposes. in the floors Of some
OF which human skeletons have been
found, The remaining 100 rooms were
used as dwelling places. and It has been
estimated that the building had a popula.
ton of about $50 natives.
1t seems from the character OF this
rooms that no premeditated plan wal
followed in the construction Of this vii.
lage; a few rooms were first built and
additions made as the population inereas'
ed. The arch of the early form found
among the ruins Of Central America
was unknown to these early builders
| Their doorways are OF rectangular form
slightly narrower at the top and capped
with Intel although some Of them have
a T-form and are placed we'll UP on tho
walls. being reached BY ladders. Cook
ing was evidently practiced on tho roofs
or in the corners. Judging from this
amount OF SCOT on the walls but there
was little pretenaion among tho jewellers
for light. air or sanitation.
Cliff Palace, the second Of these I'm.
portant ruins. is nearly three times ttlt
size OF Spruce Tree House. and mas
over zoo rooms. 1t was repaired in lso
and now presents a very respectable
appearance TO the visitor. IIke Spruce
Trce House. 1t scts within n cave tho
roof Of which arches about 70 feet nbov'
It, aud is located In Cliff canyon. tbs
floor Of which IL several hundroh feet
above the level Of the canyon. I: Ia AZ
preached by means of steps cut IN tho
rock, and ladders. The buildings almost
completely fill the 3no-foot frontage ol
tho cave, which is NJ q r'llo !rv"i. a.
though at one crd there IN sorioS o!
terraces rising one above tho oth"r OK
tending from the ;oosc crumhiing rocks
| in front Of the cliff lack TO tho so!d
wall itself.
ENTRANCE DISCOVERED LAST.
Deep under the debris While covsre,
the lower entrance OF Cuff Pe.aco th'
excavators found the ancient ont'nncs
20 the building. which leads by grad
uai slope to the center of Tho Wiz.
This pathway extends parallel with ~.
high front wall OF centrally l,cNtoI
kiva and passes 10 lnrge rock, IL
which foot holds were cut. aftor which
II enters the lower level Of tho village
through a narrow court with high walls
by means Of a movable ladder on thu
main floor Of the cave. In the wratorr
end of this cliff ruin there 10 a ceremo
NAL chamber known as Kiva v, ,eadinf
to which Is a subterranean passage. Thi,
| is one Of the q rooms In which cers
monies are supposed to havo hecn per
|