Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-11-01
An Ar ~ " Oh lAr,


the existence of Il natural bridge in Ari-
iona which, in grandeur and beauty of
structure, full equals and perhaps sur
passes the great natural bridge in Vir-
ginia. Yet such bridge exists, and
may be reached by journey of less
than one hundred miles from Phoenix.
The trip IS m easy one, for the wagon
road runs within two miles of the bridge
and the tourist who turns his steps in
that direction will consider himself we'll
paid for his trouble.
During recent trip through Tonic
Basin and It's numerous tributary val
leys, / found myself within seven miles
OF this great natural curiosity. and Of
course awaited myself Of the OppOrtuni-
" to visit i. We were ut the GOWan
mine, and, saddling our horses one lazy
afternoon, we soon left seven miles of
mountain trail behind us. and found
ourselves on the summit of - cypress
crowned mountain. whose steep eastern
slope descended abruptly 800 feet to q
coy little valley hemmed in on the OPP
poste side by an abrupt precipice of
Still greater height. Descending with
difficulty, we found ourselves on large
flat, with an area of probably sixty
acres OF cultivated fields, in which corn
was sprouting and potatoes were al
ready well grown.
We stood on the crown of the bridge
and did not know it, for this beautiful
garden spot is fringed on all sides with
shrubbery and graceful trees, and one
has to 60 100 yards south and descend
into precipitOus canyon before he is
aware Of the huge tunnel which Nature
has cut through the solid rock beneath
his feet This bridge was discovered
three years ago by Mr.. John Gowan,
who still lives on it.
We found in Mr.. Gowan an untiring
guide through the wonders of the bridge
beneath, and, being a sincere lover of
nature and close observer, he added
greatly to the pleasure of our trip by
pointing out various curiosities and
freaks of nature which might pass I'M
noticed by the careless eve. We ascer-
tanned next day, by the aid of long
fish line, that the crown of the bridge
ut its southern spring is 178 feet, and
the span is 50 feet. Its total width up
and down the creek is $50 yards. About
eight feet from the southern edge, eX-
actIy in the center of the arch, is q
natural hole cut into the interior, and,
by looking down this birdseye view is
obtained of the bed of Pine Creek below
at perpendicular depth of IS feet But
q full idea of the grandeur OF this arch
is not obtained until one stands beneath
it and looks alOft. The stream, which
winds among the huge boulders that
streW the bottom, lies here and there in
dark pools of unknown depth, and the
precipitous sides are pierced by caves
and grOttOes whose numerous WindingS
and aileyways lead one far into the
bowels Of the mountains. Many of these
have been explored, and many more
have never been trodden by the foot of
the white man; though from arrow
heads, pottery. and scraps of mating,
mixed with bones and charred wood,
we can see that our Indian brother has
long been acquainted with these re-
treats. These grottoes are all hung
with beautiful stalactites, which take
aIl Imaginable forms; and any article,
whether OF wood or other soft substance
II placed beneath the streams which con-
stantly trickle from the roofs of these
caverns, viii in short time become
petrltied. We gathered several petri-
lied pine cones and branches of trees,
which We're rs hard rs rock and Us per-
feet IN form and outline rs ii they had
lately fallen from the trees.-Ar&z0na
Gazette