The Coconino sun., June 30, 1900, Image 3

About The Coconino sun. (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1898-1978

Image provided by: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

                
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Cfye Coconino Sun.
Vol. XVII.
FLAGSTAFF, JUNE 30, 1900.
NO. 23
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A VAIN SEARCH.
Cecil A. Dcane and Party Fail to Find Col.
Marmon's Lost Prehistoric Dwelling.
Now comes Cecil A. Deane, custo
dian of the Colorado Historical unci Nat
ural History Society, with the most
startling theory et projected regard
ing the remoteness of the el i IT dweller-,
or a part of them. Two weeks ago
Mr. De.me headed a small party of ex
plorers into the country of the clin
dwellers in Arizona and Western New
Mexico. The expedition was linaneed
b Itev. Caindui M. Cohern, .lolin F.
Campion and others. Its special mis
sion was to relocate u stone house, said
to have been discovered ten ears ago
when Colonel Marmot) was making an
ollicial survey of New Mexico.
The structure was said to have been
under the lava strata, its doois and
windows being completely blocked by
the solidified scoria When Dr. Cohern
was in tho elltT dwellers' section of
New Mexico about a jearagoho first
heaid of this remarkable prehistoric
house. It was supposed to be not far
from McCarthy's, a station on the
Santa Fe Pacific railroad, and part of
it was said to be exposed through the
lava blanket.
Colonel Marmon was dead, and his
successor, Major Pratt of Laguna, said
he sent to the Smithsonian Institution
that portion of the survey which de
scribed the stone house. It could not
be found, however, in the great Wash
ington museum. Then Dr. Cohern and
his companion", among whom was Cecil
A. Deane, went to Santa Fe and got the
names of Colonel Marmon's assistants
from the published accounts of the sur
vey, but none of them could bo found,
and the best the explorers could do was
the discovery of one Pion, a Mexican,
who had told his neighbors that one of
Marmon's men once pointed out to hint
the mysterious stone dwelling. Rut no
assistance could be obtained from Pion,
so the Denver archeologists returned
home.
Cecil A. Dcane and his party achieved
no greater success. Tliev hunted up
Pion, but no money or other induce
ment could bring him to lead them to
the stone house, which he was quoted
this time as having placed at a point
.w miles from McCarthy's. Later on
Pion admitted that he had never seen
the place. An interview with a man
named Gann, who also claimed to have
seen the lava-crusted dwelling, result
ed the same as in Pion's case. Several '
other clues were followed to blind end
ings, mid then a thorough but profitless
search was made in tlu vicinity of Mc
Carthy's. Failing in the main quest, Mr. Deane
and his colleagues did some general ex
ploring on their own account. Near
the given site of the elusive stone house
they came upon the site of an old lake
covered with lava. The lava had over
flowed it to a deptli of 100 feet or more.
Fifty feel above the original level of
the vanished lake a cliff dwelling was
found. From this long untenanted
abode the explorers took two bushels
of calcined corn, which, however, had
not come In contact with any burning
' substance. It was of an altogether dif-