Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-07
FORMER HEAD Of
MINES SCHOOL
IN 6. A. SCRAP
In Guatemala When City
Was Attacked; Tells Story
of Trip to Ancient CITY
of Copan.

vi CUpdlls
Caught in Guatemala City dur
ing the bombardment of Cabrera.
Fayette A. Jones, former head of
the New Mexico school of NJ mes
at Socorro, was under shell and
machine gun fire for five days dur
ing which time TWO Americans
were killed Put" writes M.
Jones in letter 10 the Morning
Journal, Il had my usual good
luck" He was on his way from
Balboa TO the Canal Zone when
the letter was written.
Leaving New orleans on the
Cappename of the United Fruit
company | arrived at B re, b, c.
Honduras, March %, noon. After
dischargius freight throughout tAe
night, we lett BE ize the following
morning and arrived at Puerto
Barrlos, Guatemala. JOurneylng
from there to Zapaca, | secured
two mules and moso and left FOR
the interior of Honduras, April 20,
at 6 Il. m. Out of Zapaca there are
no vehicles of any kind. No roads,
but rugged trails The trails have
been lad ont devoid Of eng neernS
skill and generally cross the noun
talns at the summit, instead OF fol-
lowing the strea AS which could
have been done Ill many instances.
Trails Twenty Fett Dep.
Most Central American trails
have been in use for several CEN
turtles and were doubtless the work
of the conquistadores or that of
Indians antedating the discovery of
America, In the most part these
trails are cut or worn in sol d
rock or indurated volcanic ejtct.
In many instances steps have been
chiseed in the rock to provide a
footing for mules and pedestrians.
and a single mis-step would pre-
cipitate both mule and rider thou
sand feet below Some OF these
trails are worn down into trench
as much as twenty feet deep in
extreme Instances, indicating their
long use, All distances are given
in leagues (three miIes) and fifteen
leagues (forty-five m.les) is consid
cred an average days travel. We
rarely lowered the standard.
1--WE passed through some very
old towns or pueblos and find that
the native Indian blood in the In
terror has not suffered admixture
like those living at or near coastal
centers. Some of the most perfect
specimens of physical manhood |
have ever seen are found in this
country. The men carry pack of
corn or tobacco weighing nearly
200 pounds for distances upward of
$50 miles in about five days. To-
bacco and corn are staple prod
ucts in the Honduras
Ruins OF Civilized Ccpan.
zone stop was made at Copan,
where we visited the vast ruins
representing the great advance
that civilization reached in Central
America prior to its discovery. The
extent and wonders of this preh!s-
toric city are beyond definite de-
scription. The site of ancient Co
pan contained perhaps 1000
souls. The heavy stone steps at the
entrance of the temple Of the sun
are worn smooth by the throngs
that passed over them, The great
obelisks or monoliths weighing
many tons in solid blocks of stone
and beautifully carved in images
and in hieroglyphics still defy the
blighting ravage of centuries and
are remarkably well preserved,
save the effect of some vandalism
of few years ago.
The present inhabitants of the
town have paved and curbed the
walks of the town and built vast
stretches of stone fence from the
dressed rectangular stones taken
from the ruins of ancient Copan.'
Wiped Out by Poison Gas.
Many theories have been ad-
vanced as to the disappearance of
this ancient civilization, Mr. Jones
states, with no generally accepted
conclusion. Destruction of other
cities in that section, including
Guatemala City, which has been
twice abandoned and built on three
new sites, has been by violent
earthquakes, raining Of volcanic
ash and mud, or running lava. The
ruins of ancient Copan show signs
Of the ravages of none of these
THE destruction of the inhabitants
of Copan," he writes, was doubt
less similar to the catastrophe That
devastated the Island of Mar
Unique about twenty years ago
the inhabitants being overcome and
wiped out by poisonous gases, leaV-
ing their handiwork intact. The
date of the disaster was not more
than 1900 and probably not more