Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-03-09
PR0TECTIONFOR
HISTORIC ROCK
To Be PROVIDED
Government viii Take Steps
to Preserve Ell Moro Relics
From injury; old Spring
Will Be Revived.
Especial Correspondence to The JournoI.)

Especial correspondence TO Inc ""hIm"A''
Ramah. n. NJ. March S.-Arno
=. Cammerer acting director Of
the national park service, of Wash
ington, d. c., and Frank Pinkley,
custodian of the Casa Grande ma
tional monument in Arizona, VS.
tied Ramah recently With Evon
II. Vogt, custodian of Ell MORO ma
tional monument, they went to I'll
Moro and made a careful inspec-
ton of the old Spanish inscriptions,
the Indian photographs and the pre-
historic ruins upon the high mesa
Iof FL Moro.
Plans were talked over for the
permanent protection of the "cS-
crituras," which date back to the
one left by Don Juan de Onate,
who camped at the rock in April
1906, and so inscribed his name,
telling OF his memorable trip to the
"mar del sur" or gulf of California,
which he discovered in 1905, stop
ping at Ell Moro on the return
trip to the capital at Santa Fc.
Mr.. Cammerer told the custodian
that the bureau of standards in
Washington would soon have per-
fected the paraffine substance with
which the inscriptions are to be
covered to protect them from the
wear of the weather. Two pieces
of the rock we're sent to Washing
ton about q year ago and extensive
experiments are being made with a
view of making a transparent sub
stance which will protect the in
lscriptions from wind. thawing and
freezing and all climatic action,
The Egyptian obelisk standing In
New York city was found to be
losing its hicroglyphics and they
have been protected by a similar
substance.
To Eliminate Modern Initials.
It Is planned also to chisel away
all modern initials and names any
where near the old messages left
by the early Spaniards and, in or
der to prevent any further desc
Grafton. to erect substantial iron
gratings in front OF the inscriptions,
No one has tried to carry away
any of the rock, but there have
been several cases of persons carv-
lleft by Governor Silva Nieto.
The famous old spring now bur
led under the sand, but relocated
few years ago by the help of Gen
| eral Simpsons book, printed in
1851, will also be put in shape this
year, When Simpson camped here
in lS49 he was the first white man
who ever saw and copied the in
scriptions and he calls the spring
a fresh and copious" one Here
De Vargas camped on his way &c
and from Zuni in 1892, and left one
of the most beautiful and legible in
scriptions on the rock. He and his
gallant army held mass at El Nor
no, they having camped at the rock
saturday night. De Vargas Journal
describes FL MORO quite complete
ly. He was very thankful to find
enough water there to water his
soldiers, priests and live stock.
| The spring will be encased in
a concrete basin and made to run
as of old If at all possible. Mr.
lCammerer is going to have this
work done despite the very meager
funds allotted by congress for the
protection and development Of the
national parks and monuments.
While in Ramah Mr.. Cammerer
was seen by a committee repre-
senting the Commercial club OF
Ramah in regard TO the Park-to-
Park highway. and the possibility
of having El MORO included in the
line Of travel on this monster cir
Gle drive OF 5000 miles through
the most interesting scenery of
western America
While this committee has not re-
ported to the club it is understood
that there are very good prospect,
for having the monument included
in the highway.