Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-08-22
|NSCR|P TON ROCK
To Be PROTECTED
AGAINST CRACKS
Cement to Be Poured Into
CreviCes Which Threaten
to Deface Records of the
Seventeenth Century.
Especial Correspondence to The journal


Especial Correspondence TO The journal
Ramah, N. NJ, Aug. 21.-Jesse
Nusbaum, superintendent of Mesa
Verde national park near Du-
range, Colo, passed through here
en- route to Ell Moro national mon
ument, where he had been called
by telegraph owing to the threat
ened loss of some of the best in
scriptions left on the stone face OF
the giant cliff by the early Spanish
pioneers.
In digging a trench along the
base of the mesa under the old
"Escrituras," the object of which
was to keep visitors at respect
able distance from the historic
writings, workmen were startled
by the face of the cliff cracking as
if it were going to fall off.
Examination by the custodian
developed two facts which had
hitherto been unobserved.
First. that six of the most valu-
able Inscriptions on the rock were
carved on an immense slab $50
feet high and 200 feet broad which
was loose from the main cliff and
visibly separated from it at sew
eral places. and second. that rain
which collected in a big crevice on
top Of the mesa 200 or ESQ feet
above the ground ran in a stream
down the face of the mesa and
then disappeared in crack back
of the slab at point $50 feet
above the ground and found its
way to the earth between the mesa
and the slab which bears the m
scriptions.
The hollow space back OF the
slab may be an inch thick nd at
places may be a foot thick. The
run-off from the rains seems to
disappear in the ground back of
the slab which is fortunate fact
for If it did not do so water might
freeze in cold weather back of the
slab, thereby causing an eXpan-
sion which might throw the slab
forward and destroy the inscrip-
tons SO carefully and beautifully
carved in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries.
The inscription best known and
most admired on this slab are
those of Don Manuel de Silva
who was governor of New
after Onate. The of the
Bishop Of Durango, dated Sep
TENDER IL, 1891. that of Julio de
Garcia de la Rivas, dated 1716,
that of Gen. Juan Paez Hurtado,
dated 1876; that of Ignacio de
1887. are the others
carved ~ this slab.
Those Of Governor Silva Nieto
are especially fine and are dated
July 20 and August 8, 1929. the
later inscription being written in
poetical form.
When the crack took place the
rock bulged slightly several feet
under the surface of the ground,
which made the workmen think
that the entire surface might come
down.
The custodian stopped the
work and telegraphed
Arno B. Cammerer, acting director
Of the national park service. in
of the danger. Mr..
Cammerer wired Mr.. Nusbaum,
who made one-day trip 220 miles
from Durango to Ramah for the
purpose Of investigating the mat
.er and advising with the custodian
on method to prevent any loss
Of the Inscriptions.
A day was spent by Mr.. Nus
baum at Ell Moro and it was de-
,ided that the trench should be
Tiled in with concrete. thus rein
forcing the base of the cliff and
hat under the Silva Nieto inscrip
ion, where the crack occurred.
concrete abuttment should be
made sloping away from the cliff
md with the upper shoulder of the
extending under the ledge
below the inscription and sepa-
ated from 1t about five feet.
Above the Silva Nieto inscrip-
ion, which was deemed the only
ne in immediate danger. holes
rill be drilled through the slab and |
nto the main mesa and by means
t star anchors this slab will be
oIted to the mesa. In case the |
lab should fall in future years it |
J thought that the portion of it
earring the inscriptions will be
aved for posterity.