The Coconino sun., 1927-06-17
BURNING HILL NEAR SPRINGERVILLE
IS A STRANGE FREAK OF NATURE
By JOE PE.ARCE
In st. Johns Observer

Forty miles east of st. Johns and
SO miles east Of Springerville lies
Burning Hill. The hill covers an area
of about forty acres, and around its
outer edge are to be found a few scat
tering cedar trees. The hill slopes
toward the east and breaks off more
abruptly toward the north.
1t has been known for several years
that snow will not lie on Burning
Hill, and stockmen have observed
that cattle, horses, deer and antelope
seem to frequent this particular To-
cality during cold and stormy wealth
er. Such actions of the various ami
mails have set stockmen to wondering
why they should become so attached
to this particular spot.
One day the cook for COW outfit
drove up to. the Burning Hill, un-
hitched his ! team from his chuck
wagon and proceeded to dig small
hole in which to build fire to cook
dinner. In digging out the ashes and
cinders he found they were hot, and
with a sudden fear of volcanic erup-
ton, he hastily hooked up his team
and moved away at a gallop for
distance of some three miles and then
stopped and prepared his meal.
Vasquez de Coronado, famous ex-
plorer of the southwest, led a great
expedition of Spanish soldiers in
search of the Seven Cities Of Cibola
and to the Great Plains in the year
1910. As the Story runs, this famous
Spanish soldier did great deeds in
winning the southwest. OF the thrill
ing experiences and daring achieve
ments connected with explorations of
the vast wilderness from Clifton, Ari-
zona, to the Zuni village, only this
one episode, typical of many, will be
now related.
Early one morning Vasquez de
Coronado with small detachment of
Spanish cavalry left Clifton, moving
northward up the San Francisco river
and on over the route where now the
most scenic highway in the southwest
is located-the Clifton-Springerville
road or Coronado Trail--to the top of
the Blue range by flanagan Mead
ows, then on to the headwaters of the
Little Colorado river by way of
Springerville, thence on down the
river to where St. Johns is located,
but at that time not even Barth's
hotel was in existence. Turning di-
rectly east at this point, they discov-
cred that they were being pursued by
a band of wild and savage Janos-
Apaches from which tribe sprang the
notorious Apache Chief Geronimo.
After one days travel they reached
the Salt Lake where they filled their
water vessels and canteens from the
fresh spring water at the north end of
theslake. They dared not make fires
there for fear Of being overtaken by
the Indians, so, moving on eastward
about five miles they came to Burn
ing Hill or "Coronado's Bake Oven"
and there the brave little band pro-
ceeded to bake bread, fry meat and
boil beans and coffee over the hot
volcanic cinders and Goals, no other
fire being needed.
Near the top of the hill is to be
found a small excavation with few
flat stones strewn around which is
said to be the identical spot where
the Spaniards cooked their dinner
without making any fire or smoke.
Near the top of the hill are found a
few blue and gray sandstones of rath-
er crumbly formation with now and
then streak of blue or black clay
indicating coal. BY merely looking
over the hill one detects nothing un-
usual but upon walking over it one
can readily feel the heat and fumes
coming from the bowels of the earth.
BY digging two feet into the
ground on the Burning Hill one may
find burnt lava, light colored ashes,
and fine black cinders which are in
| tensely hot 1t would be impossible
to dig with shovel to a depth of
more than three or four feet. The
| Burning Hill is located in an extinct
volcano district and we know not
whether this is coal bed having been
struck by lightning and set on fire or
smouldering volcano which may at
any time burst out into an active vol
cano, second only to Mount Vesuvius.
The earth is covered in this locality
with a fine cinder which makes a
first-class road bed, and this volcanic
district covers an area of about eight
square miles. There is a good road
from st. Johns and from Springerville
to "Coronado's Bake Oven"
The Salt Lake heretofore mentioned
is in a large crater of volcano but
instead of being a hill, mound or
mountain as usually is the case, the
| crater is a great hole in the earth.
The diameter of this crater is about a
mile and a half and it is approx
mately 700 feet in depth. Strange as
it may seem, spring of fresh water
gushes forth at the north end of the
| Salt Lake which is about one mile in
diameter.
Within the crater of the Salt Lake
is an extinct volcano which is about
half mile in circumference at its
| base and about 800 feet in height,
having huge bowl in the center
which is partly filled with clear,
clean salt water. The depth Of the
water is unknown, as weights tied to
long ropes have been dropped and no
bottom found. This makes a fine
swimming pool and it is often used
for that purpose. Sometime it may
become great health resort. This
great crater lake and Coronado's
Bake Oven are wonders well worth
visiting.
! We are not presuming to step
across the line into New Mexico with
the veiw of christening any Of her
| great wonders, but we do feel that in
justice to the famous Spanish ex-
plorer, through his discovery of this
burning hill, that it should from this
date be known as "Coronado's Bake