Show riE DEFENDERS ENDER OF OF L I MIGHT irA SAN AN ANTONIO It If If tho the 1 fenders of tho Alamo had bad kD known n t i tj the holy hol- fathers who cODs constructed d d. dold 4 I old old adobe fort had also Iso dug a Be i tunnel several ora miles mites long JonK they mil ml f have sa saved saed ed their lives and 3 t the e cI c I massacre would havo hav no rio p p in m history Such a tunnel exists 3 I stran strange o to say it h bas nas s never bc t. t I The hc mysterious my excavation n leads 3 i two directions f r D il e and i I Alamo Al mo bu It iV i M I branch of tho the least two and half balf miles miles' 1 o Go i on mission minion 1 and that branch extends north to the ruins nuns oi ol- the antiquated td blockhouse which stands ta in n hia now now San Pedro park I miles from tIlls thus b kb Ua toi t toft uThe Alamo u The rho early carty ef j b i string of ancient n r missions 2 situated do t the tho Son Sen A r make mala no r reference tt to tho m- m nn J t tunnels 11 nn cI wIn which c h was Witt cd ed about the thc time lime the erected It is ii evident e e enoe n c of tunnels wa was not known tho thio early earl settlers I v i j Found by Accident f.- f. f. f When the American ak tJ l mo me was wag surrounded b by th 1 troops it knew of no way of canS the flue death de that surely awai well did the thc a fath J built find anti inhabited m ion k kd the secret of tho t th i that this knowledge o did t t lome ome to io the early carly Mexican ri Antonio It Jt was was not 11 n til ab twenty years ago aco that t was made mac that n a tunnel crl Alamo to tho the Conception misti mij mission u n wi was quite by that t th ground passage e was found t f-t t J r I Louis ollis was wag dl w hi hiji home hom on South Pressa Irea a st str tb the tho picks of the thEl workmen substance that proved to be he r. r ado t tv ter l such as 31 the la i ita 31 ta taught ht tho the Indians Indiana of this II sec make ill in m the early days s. A few foW pi of tho the pi pick k made an In opening I in concrete wall and a ca cavern ern wa po M- M Mm t to trow m view b. b L ur ana toe Tile were ni digging n the well descended the thc opening and found t at it it r wa a. a cave n-e n a as they suppo supposed ed but a I t 1 tu- tu with a width of about five fin feet a. a al hei height ht of seven feet cot Tho con o oh 1 layer of two or three inches in thc thie formed tho the walls and antl arched archer roof roof- tho the floor or bottom of tho the Vassal was of dirt The Tho tunnel was explored by y X Mr borah and aud oth others rs for a distance of J era oral eral hundred yards in both direct direct Further progress was WIS blocked b by hr d dins ins ins which had o occurred rl fillin filling th the sages with dirt and dobris V I Quo One end of the tho C explored t I. tf td f crossed ro erl under tho the Han aru Antonio In order to get et a n safe distance nc the bed hell of that stream flue tho tuan lowered several feet fet at the tho cia crol point flights of stone tone steps the thc two levels It t is t thought t thai tha ba tunnel rues runs in arno almost t a direct Jin un liht t tween ren the blockhouse on the thai her herthe the tho Conception mi mission ion on all the flue sont tho the way was ay of nf the Alamo anil j jf jt t t correct tho thuc r river rpt pt crosses ro above o abo fewer than a dozen on times Jf Tho Thio op opening nini into the tunnel i t r Alamo is I situated l in ono one of theof the of tho the monks Centuries of disuse s caused it to fill with up-with up with i effort hn has ever r been maria mado I tn T out and conduct an as 15 s known Th The am amo ij of the beneath tho bloc and sit it t Conception nc miS mission lD Sin Since r. r t tWo the h Was as m made maii Ii h tho the tunnel has ben boen on one ei at several etl points ci i course While lo excavating for th the fall faU sewer fc wads south J of f tj the th the tunnel was WiS broken into and difficulty was 15 C bu building the brick sf nr sewer er i i not infrequently happens i that thai theis the theis is struck while white excavating for lie hc for lor bou houses bouses cs It is is' c considered remarkable t systematic c exploration of his his- relic of the Franciscan ran fath fathers th r r o been attempted It is many that tho the tunnel 1 does not the C Conception nU mission hut hut- th tha that that-it tI i tends all alt the way way to the San Sall Frane rane do IC la hi J Espada mission mission d dj miles south of San Antonio Antomo connee en route tho ban Joso Jose and th the San missions All AU these tt e eare are built close to lo the San ln n Ant ot and are aro surrounded b by Liy little yi of Mexicans a aThose Those These misSion hu buildings were tr fr c er rj ll uearl two twi l' l centuries tl ago O aud u iti IJ po posed cd that th the tunnel mime which pr 1 con connects nee Is all of wa was con co the same maine time The he bloc loe in i San Saji Pedro Pe ro nark Jark was bl 1 later date and it i is considered that t the he 1 branch tun tunnel which ile lead lea it was has built sonic some Ol time af r Vl ho u c ay to the missions was wn s for It I Is Hidden There is much mich speculation as ori original object of the thc 5 of nel ills Tt It T is IS' IS considered 1 likely k I tb Hi dian ian labor abo w was s 1 used d to to di dig and if this Is s truo true U lt could no Mt been kept rpt a 1 secret from the i fri tn I It is is considered probable iu that i t of thi this I tunnel the ml missions along j jAntonio if f not all aU of aloJa Antonio river was t to afford tord th an nn opportunity of visiting ab without the of or t th S and civil chU s their heir headquarters in San Sn Au pio If Tf this theory i is correct tM did ild I not lead the strict triet life of of H ii that hat not has heretofore been Jt r 1 po Instead of being alone alon i ID iii cells MUS they were r probably off or 9 on ui to some onie of their brothers oth other r missions thi th thc being cing any an wiser wiser- An exploration and this thiv ancient sy system of tui tunnels ICIS Ir eid d to many many int ilisco it t is held hed In the tho o l lof i of some sonic poisons t the hI treasure Ill r rhe the he Franciscan lonk monks i is situa some on this h hue lirio o of thel ground round pasa passageway ewar and nd verb store storo of f Breath may ma- sUB still contain a The Mexican inhabitants of of the village situated celt to th h th ions have llao a a superstitious superstitiouS' re dread d tunnel Ione one of th be bo D induced tunnel to enter the tho th dark dar aF an ansome ant antomo some omo pas passageway passageway- lw K p t |