The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-08-18
The Colorado Canon.

Saptdlu DuttOu hepOrt, JuSJ HOW
published, illustrates the features of the
region, portraying the magnifcence of
its various parts by remarkably effect
i've views and word pictures, besides
describing its geological structure and
history.
1t has nowhere width less than its
depth, and is generally of much greater
width; and over part of the broad area
are crowds of mountain towers and
temples, 5000 to $500 feet in height,
with combinations of amphitheatres,
alcoves, buttresses and towers along the
sides; and all is open to the sunlight
The scenic effects of the out cropping
formations depend greatly on the hori-
zontal bedding; but also largely on the
unequal spacing of the beds, the varia-
tons in hardness tending to make cliffs
to alternate with taluses at longer or
shorter intervals; and on the diversities
in shade and brilliancy of coloring.
The architectural forms, though on
mountain scale, are literally architectur-
al, and different in type for the differ
ent formations. We quote few para
graphs from the descriptive part of the
Report:
SIN an hours time we reached the
crest of the isthmus, and in an instant
there flashed before us scene never to
be gotten-that of the temples and
towers of the Virgen. At our feet the
surface drops down by cliff and talus
1,2OO upon broad and rugged plain
cut by narrow canons. The slopes, the
winding lodges, the bosses of projecting
rock, the naked, scanty soil display col,
ors which are truly amazing. Choco-
late, maroon, purple, lavender, magenta,
with broad bands of toned white, are
laid in horizontal belts, strongly con-
trastlng with each ether, and the ever
varying slope of the surface cuts across
them capriciously, so that the sharply
defined belts wind about like the con
tours of map. From ri sht to left
across the farther foreground of the
picture stretches the inner canon of the
Virgen, 600 feet in depth and here of
considerable width. Its bottom is for
the most part unseen, but IN one place
it is disclosed by turn in its course,
showing the vivid green of vegetation.
Across the canon, and rather more nan
a mile and half beyond it, stands the
central and commanding object of the
picture, the western temple, rising H.
600 feet above the river Its glorious
summit was the object we had seen an
| hour before, and now the matchless
beauty and majesty of its vast mass is
all before us; yet it is only the central
| object of a mighty throng of structures
wrought up to the same exalted style,
and filling up the entire panorama
Directly in front of us complex mass
of white towers, springing from cen
tral pile, mounts upward to the clouds
Out of their midst, and high over ALL
rises the dome-like mass of the temple
which dominates the entire landscape
1t is almost pure white, with brilliant
streaksof carmine decending its verti
cal walls. The towers which surround
it are of inferior mass and altitude, bu,
each of them is study of fine form
and architectural effect. They are
white above, and change to a strong,
rich red below. Dome and towers are
planted upon a substructure no less al
mirable Its plan is indefinite, but it,
profiles are perfectly systematic A
curtin wall, 1,400 feet high, descend,
vertically from the caves of the temples,
and is succeeded by a steep slope oi
ever widening base-courses leading
down to the esplanade below The
curtain wall is decorated with a Lavish
display of vertical mouldings, and tn,
ridges, caves, and mitred angles are
fretted with serrated cusps. This orna
mentation is suggestive rather thar
precise, but it is none the less effective
1t is neither repetitive, nor symmetrical
But though exact symmetry is wanting
nature has here brought home to us tn,
truth that symmetry is only one of al
infni range of devices by which beau
ty can be materialized. The An,
JOUrnal Of Science.