Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-08-16
On BURIED TOWN?
Speculation Over City Of Mexl.
cos Foundation.
Grounds for Belief That the Modern
Capital May Have Taken the
Place Of Ancient City.

Place Of Ancient City.
Is there q second Pompeii under
the city Of Mexico? Does the largest
city Of the southern American republic
have as a foundation the roofs Of an
ancient city Of which 1t knows moth
hsf Recent excavations have indi-
Gated that this surprising possibility
EXISTS, writes Fred. Gilman Jopp.
While doing some construction work,
one Of a party Of workmen in the
heart Of the City Of Mexico suddenly
disappeared from view. In the process
of rescuing him from the deep pit into
which he suddenly fell 1t was discov-
Med that he had literally fallen into
another town. Naturally, great excite
ment at once prevailed and crews OF
workmen were at once brought to the
place and started on the work Of re-
moving the ground level Of the modern
city.
When this was done, and the exist
ing earth removed. It was found that
a complete building, In excellent con-
dition, was supporting the supposed
solid ground Walls OF rock. not
bit crumbled. divided the house into
rooms and passageways Of various
sorts and depths. Tiled floors, com
parable to modern tiled floors, were
found intact, and other elements Of
building construction indicated that
the builders knew as much Of the
principles Of construction as modern
contractors and architects.
Most characteristic Of the builders
of the ancient city were the carved
stone images found In the walls and
about the floors In various places. OF
these the large stone image which
guarded the entrance Is probably most
noteworthy This huge affair has been
carved out of the hardest stone with
an exactness that would do credit to
q marble worker Of the present day.
Detail to the extreme Is to be found In
this figure yet the instruments with
which 1t was fashioned must have been
altogether crude.
In another place complete bake
oven in perfect condition, built Of
adobe bricks, was unearthed Accord
ing to scientists, the presence Of the
bake oven would indicate a fairly high
type of civilization among the resi-
dents Of the mysterious city.
A pile Of mails" for use In further
construction work Is Of great inter
est These consist of stones. pointed
artiflclally at one end. A pile OF hun
dreds Of these Is surprisingly uniform.
TO fashion them from the hard rock
Of which they are made must indeed
have been tedious task. Apparently
the inhabitants had intended to do
further building for there were many
OF the mails" stacked up IN a pile
ready for use.
The bricks used in the walls are
Of two kinds first, those made by chip
ping rocks into regular shapes. and,
second, those made of adobe mud. In
the case OF the bricks made Of stone,
the walls are frequently built sloplng
back instead Of straight up, evidently
to avoid cave-in or slide. The walls
are extremely thick.
TtW liit tlils muSH has uccu uu-
earthed, the CITY OF Mexico residents
are wondering what lies under their
own property. Is 1t possible that a
whole underground city is there wait
ing to be uncovered7 Or Is the ruin
that has been discovered simply that
OF an ancient Mexican dwelling that
has been gradually covered up and for
gotten?
Advocates OF the latter theory cite
the recent finding Of complete boat
under San Francisco city lot as sup
port for their theory. Many, however
are equally positive that under the
modern city lies second Pompeii
waiting for someone to dig it up again
And still others, who take little inter
est In the situation one way or the
other, are specializing about a more
practical question. They are wonder
Ing just how secure the foundation
of their property Is. The possibility
of living over an ancient city, with
ones dwelling supported only by
wedged earth, Is not exactly conduc-
I've to the most comfortable Of feel
lngs.-Montreal Family Herald.