The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer

MEXICAN DISCOVERIES
Additional Evidences of Ancient
Civilization
ARE FOUND IN THAT COUNTRY
By Explorers—Splendid
Roads and
Magnificent Buildings Left by an
Extinct
Race—Important
Archaeological Discoveries.

City of Mexico, August 2.—Recently returned explorers from the State of Chiapas confirm and add to the remarkable reports concerning important archaeological discoveries. A fine, broad paved road, built by prehistoric inhabitants has been traced from Tonala down into Guatemala and thence in a curve up again into Mexico, terminating at Palenque. All along this road are still to be seen the remains of ruined cities, and a careful estimate of the population of these places is about thirty millions.

On that part of the road near Palenque the ruins are of great magnitude. Houses four and often five stories high have been found in the depth of the forest. Many of these houses are pyramidal in form and so covered are some of them with vegetable mold that large trees are growing from the roofs. In some of the houses great employment has been made of stone beams of tremendous weight, and architecture indicates a high degree of scientific attainments.

In some houses visited bronze lamps have been discovered, and the interior and exterior mural decorations of the more important houses consist of paneling filled with elaborately carved figures almost life-size, two types of men and women being represented, some plainly Egyptian and others genuine Africans.

In front of one of the houses the explorers found fourteen sculptures of gods with folded arms. The work of exploration was one of extreme difficulty owing to the density of the forest, and the unwillingness of the Indians to enter ancient edifices, they averring that the buildings were inhabited by spirits.

Another discovery was that an enormous paved road extended from Palenque across Yucatan to the Island of Cozumel, and is continued on the Island. The explorers went to Chiapas on private business, but incidentally became interested in the work of exploring the ruins, and they suggest that the Government fit out an expedition to make a map of this wonderfully interesting region, regarding which little is comparatively known, even after so many years since the white men became aware of its existence.