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- The Phoenix Gazette April 5, 1909
- EXPLORATIONS IN THE GRAND CANYON
Mysteries of Immense Rich Cavern Being Brought to Light JORDAN IS ENTHUSED
REMARKABLE FINDS INDICATE ANCIENT
PEOPLE MIGRATED FROM ORIENT
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- The latest news of the progress of the explorations or
what is now regarded by Scientists as not only the oldest archaeological
discovery in the United States, but one of the most valuable in the world,
which was mentioned some time ago in the Gazette, was brought to the city
yesterday by G.E. Kinkaid, the explorer who found the great underground
citadel of the Grand Canyon during a trip from Green river, Wyoming, town
the Colorado, in a wooden boat, to Yuma, several months ago. According
to he story related to the Gazette by Mr. Kinkaid, the archaeologists of
the Smithsonian institute, which is financing the expeditions, have made
discoveries which almost conclusively prove that the race which inhabited
this mysterious cavern, hewn in solid rock by human hands, was of oriental
origin, possibly from Egypt, tracing back to Ramses. If their theories
are borne out by the translation of the tablets engraved with hieroglyphics,
the mystery of the prehistoric peoples of North America, their ancient
arts, who they were and whence they came will be solved. Egypt and the
Nile, and Arizona and the Colorado will be linked by a historical chain
running back to ages, which staggers the wildest fancy of the fictionist.
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- A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION
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- Under the direction of Professor. SA. Jordan, the Smithsonian
Institute is now prosecute-ing the most thorough explorations, which will
be continued until the last link in the chain is forged. Nearly a mile
underground, about 1480 feet below the surface, the long main passage has
been delved into, to find another mammoth chamber from which radiates scores
of passageways, like the spokes of a wheel. Several hundred rooms have
been discovered, reached by passageways running from the main passage,
one of them having been explored or 854 feet and another 634 feet. The
recent finds include articles, which have never been known as native to
this country and doubtless they had their origin in the orient. War weapons,
copper instruments, sharp - edged and hard as steel, indicate the high
state of civilisation reached by these strange people. So interested have
the scientists become that preparations are being made to equip the camp
for extensive studies, and the force will be increased to thirty or forty
persons. "Before going further into the cavern, better facilities
for lighting will have to be installed, for the darkness is dense and quite
impenetrable for the average flashlight. In order to avoid being lost,
wires are being strung from the entrance to all passageways leading directly
to large chambers. How far this cavern extends no one can guess, but it
is now the belief of many that what has already been explored is merely
the "barracks", to use an American term, for the soldiers, and
that far into the under-world will be found the main communal dwellings
of the families. The perfect ventilation of the cavern, the steady draught
that blows through, indicates that it has another outlet to the surface.
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- MR. KINKAID'S REPORT
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- Mr. Kinkaid was the first white child born in Idaho and
has been an explorer and hunter all his life, thirty years having been
in the service of the Smithsonian Institute. Even briefly recounted, his
history sounds fabulous, almost grotesque. First, I would impress that
the cavern is nearly inaccessible. The entrance is 1,486 feet down the
sheer canyon wall. It is located on government land and no visitor will
be allowed there under penalty of trespass. The scientist's wish to work
unmolested, without fear of the archaeological discoveries being disturbed
by curio or relic hunters. A trip there would be fruitless, and the visitor
would be sent on his way. The story of how I found the cavern has been
related, but in a paragraph: I was journ-eying down the Colorado River
in a boat, alone, looking for mineral. Some forty two miles up the river
from the El Tovar Crystal canyon, I saw on the east wall, stains in the
sedimentary formation about 2,000 feet above the river bed. There was no
trail to this point, but I finally reached it with great difficulty. Above
a shelf, which hid it from view from the river, was the mouth of the cave.
There are steps leading from this entrance some thirty yards to what was,
at the time the cavern was inhabited, the level of the river. When I saw
the chisel marks on the wall inside the entrance, I became interested,
securing my gun and went in. During that trip, I went back several hundred
feet along the main passage till I came to the crypt in which I discovered
the mummies. One of these I stood up and photographed by flashlight I gathered
a number of relics, which I carried down the Colorado to Yuma, from whence
I shipped them to Washington with details of the discovery. Following this,
he explorations were undertaken.
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- THE PASSAGES
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- "The main passageway is about 12 feet wide, narrowing
to nine feet toward the far-her end. About 57 feet from the entrance, the
first side-passages branch off to the right and left, along which, on both
sides, are a number of rooms about the size of ordinary living rooms of
today, though some are 30 by 40 feet square. These are entered by oval-shaped
doors and are ventilated by round air spaces through the walls into the
passages. The walls are about three feet six inches in thickness. The passages
are chiselled or hewn as straight as could be laid out by an engineer.
The ceilings of many of the rooms converge to a centre. The side-passages
near the entrance run at a sharp angle from the main hall, but toward the
rear, they gradually reach a right angle in direction.
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- THE SHRINE
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- "Over a hundred feet from the entrance is the cross-hall,
several hundred feet long in which am found the idol, or image, of the
people's god, sitting cross-legged, with lotus flower or lily in each hand.
The cast of the face is oriental, the carving shows a skilful hand, and
the entire is remarkably well preserved, as is everything in this cavern.
The idol almost resembles Buddha, though the scientists are not certain
as to what religious worship it represents. Taking into consideration everything
found thus far, it is possible that this worship most resembles the ancient
people of Tibet. Surrounding this idol are smaller images, some very beautiful
in form; others crooked-necked and distorted shapes, symbolical probably,
of good and evil. There are two large cactus with protruding arms, one
on each side of the dais on which the god squats. All this is carved out
of hard rock resembling marble. In the opposite corner of this cross-hall
were found tools of all descriptions, made of copper. These people undoubtedly
knew the lost art of hardening this metal, which has been sought by chemists
for centuries without result. On a bench running around the workroom was
some charcoal and other material probably used in the process. There is
also slag and stuff similar to matte, showing that these ancients smelted
ores, but so far, no trace of where or how this was done has been discovered,
nor the origin of the ore. "Among the other finds are vases or urns
and cups of copper and gold, made very artistic in design. The pottery
work includes enamelled ware and glazed vessels. Another passageway leads
to granaries such as are found in the oriental temples. They contain seeds
of various kinds. One very large storehouse has not yet been entered, as
it is twelve feet high and can be reached only from above.
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- Two copper hooks extend on the edge, which indicates
that some sort of ladder was attached. These grannies are rounded, as the
materials of which they are constructed, I think is a very hard cement.
A Gary metal is also found in this cavern, which puzzles the scientists,
for its identity has not been established. It resembles platinum. Strewn
promiscuously over the floor everywhere are what people call 'cats eyes,'
a yellow stone of no great value. Each one is engraved with the head of
the Malay type.
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- THE HIEROGLYPHICS
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- "On all the urns, or walls over doorways, and tablets
of stone which were found by the image are the mysterious hieroglyphics,
the key to which the Smithsonian Institute hopes yet to discover. The engraving
on the tablets probably has something to do with the religion of the people.
Similar hieroglyphics have been found in southern Arizona. Among the pictorial
writings, only two animals are found. One is of prehistoric type.
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- THE CRYPT
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- "The tomb or crypt in which the mummies were found
is one of the largest of the chambers, the walls slanting back at an angle
of about 35 degrees. On these are tiers of mummies, each one occupying
a separate hewn shelf. At the bead of each is a small bench, on which is
found copper cups and pieces of broken swords. Some of the mummies are
covered with clay, and all are wrapped in a bark fabric. The urns or cups
on the lower tiers are crude, while as the higher shelves are reached,
the urns are finer in design, showing a later stage of civilisation. It
is worthy of note that all the mummies examined so far have proved to be
male, no children or females being buried here. This leads to the belief
that this exterior section was the warriors' barracks.
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- "Among the discoveries no bones of animals have
been found, no skins, no clothing, no bedding. Many of the rooms are bare
but for water vessels. One room, about 40 by 700 feet, was probably the
main dining hall, for cooking utensils are found here. What these people
lived on is a problem, though it is presumed that they cam south in the
winter and farmed in the valleys, going back north in the summer. Upwards
of 50,000 people could have lived in the caverns comfortably. One theory
is that the present Indian tribes found in Arizona are descendants of the
serfs or slaves of the people, which inhabited the cave. Undoubtedly a
good many thousand of years before the Christian era a people lived here
which reached a high stage of civilisation. The chronology of human history
is full of gaps. Professor Jordan much enthused over the discoveries and
believes that the find will prove of incalculable value in archaeological
work.
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- "One thing I have not spoken of, may be of interest.
There is one chamber, the passageway to which is not ventilated, and when
we approached it a deadly, snaky smell struck us. Our light would not penetrate
the gloom, and until stronger ones are available, we will not know what
the chamber contains. Some say snakes, but other boo-hoo'd this idea and
think it may contain a deadly gas or chemicals used by the ancients. No
sounds are heard, but it smells snaky just the same. The whole underground
installation gives one of shaky nerves the creeps. The gloom is like a
weight on one's shoulders, and our flashlights and candles only make the
darkness blacker. Imagination can revel in conjectures and ungodly daydreams
back through the ages that have elapsed till the mind reels dizzily in
space."
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- AN INDIAN LEGEND
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- In connection with this story, it is notable that among
the Hopi Indians the tradition is told that their ancestors once lived
in an underworld in the Grand Canyon till dissension arose between the
good and the bad, the people of one heart and people of two hearts. Machetto,
who was their chief, counselled them to leave the under world, but there
was no way out. The chief then caused a tree to grow up and pierce the
roof of the underworld, and then the people of one heart climbed out. They
tarried by Paisisvai (Red River), which is the Colorado, and grew grain
and corn. They sent out a message to the Temple of the Sun, asking the
blessing of peace, good will and rain for people of one heart. That messenger
never returned, but today at the Hopi villages at sundown can be seen the
old men of the tribe out on the housetops gazing toward the sun, looking
for the messenger. When he returns, their lands and ancient dwelling place
will be restored to them. That is the tradition.
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- Among the engravings of animals in the cave is seen the
image of a heart over the spot where it is located.
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- The legend was learned by W.E. Rollins the artist, during
a year spent with the Hopi Indians.
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- There are two theories of the origin of the Egyptians.
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- One is that they came from Asia; another that the racial
cradle was in the upper Nile region.
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- Heeren, an Egyptologist, believed in the Indian origin
of the Egyptians.
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- The discoveries in the Grand Canyon may throw further
light on human evolution and prehistoric ages.
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- Comment
- From Peter M. Hay <pmh@direct.ca 1-14-00
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- From: Peter M. Hay To: Smithsonian Institute Sent: Tuesday,
January 11, 2000 2:34 PM
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-
- Dear Members,
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- Would you please tell me if there is anything to substantiate
the following WWW link. I have an interest in history and I feel I would
like to see the symbols mentioned in this posting to see if they correspond
with my own valuable research. Thank you, Peter M. Hay
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- http://www.sightings.com/earthchanges/grandcanyon_e.htm
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- From: Smithsonian Information <Info@info.si.edu To:
<pmh@direct.ca Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2000 8:16 AM Subject: Re:
Fw: SIGHTINGS
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- Peter Hay
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- Your e-mail of January 11 has been received.
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- The Smithsonian Institution has received many questions
about an article in the April 5, 1909 Phoenix Gazette about G. E. Kincaid
and his discovery of a "great underground citadel" in the Grand
Canyon, hewn by an ancient race "of oriental origin, possibly from
Egypt." According to the article, Prof. Jordan directed a major investigation
of the "citadel" that was mounted by the Smithsonian.
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- The Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology, has searched
its files without finding any mention of a Professor Jordan, Kincaid, or
a lost Egyptian civilization in Arizona. Nevertheless, the story continues
to be repeated in books and articles.
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- We appreciate your interest in the Smithsonian Institution.
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