The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-30
A WONDERFUL ROAD.
1t Is Cut in Sandstone Around the sides
OF Babel Mountain.

Scientific men have got so that they
are not surprised at anything from
anyone. If a man were to say he had
discovered road that led into the
center of the earth from somewhere
in the Superstitious mountains, most
archaeologists would Immediately go
and investigate; and it is possible they
would find the report true. They would
never think of the incredibility of the
story, because so many strange things
are turning up every day that anything
seems possible in that strange land
The most recent researches have
caused many to believe that the pre-
historic tribes of Arizona and Mexico
were closely connected with the an
Gent Phoenicians Indeed, it seems to
be a positive fact that the strange
people who so long occupied a large
portion OF our country were direct de-
scendants of those great travellers of
the past. Evidence to prove this does
not seem to be lacking, but there are
also many things to make the matter
most confusing. One of these is a
mountain that has roads cut on its
sides like the tower of Babel. Whether
or not it was done by people who had
heard of or seen the original must al
most interesting curiosity and will
no doubt throw light upon many things
when it has been more carefully ex-
amined.
Cattlemen and miners have known of
its existence for years, but, of course,
did not examine it for the benefit of
science. The first photographs of the
mountain were taken a few weeks ago
by E. T. Cotton, of Los Angeles, and
it is likely that a careful exploration
will soon be made.
The mountain is situated about fif-
teen miles from Tumacador, but so
near the international line that it is
not known positively whether it is in
Arizona or Mexico; but Mr.. Cotton was
of the opinion that it was United
States property.
Miners have always called it Babel
mountain and it is most appropriate
name. 1t is Of a soft sandstone and
pumice formation, and the work of
making the road was not difficult
task
The road commences in a canyon of
the foothills and rises at an easy
grade, corkscrew fashion, going around
the mountain fourteen times before
the summit is reached. The road is
about fifty feet wide when it starts at
the base and gradually gets smaller
IAil1A ~ 10 O441y IC4A LCCL W1QS dI Lie
top.
In many places the road has been
washed out by the storms of years,
but it is possible to take a horse to the
top. In many places where the sides
overhang a little, the mark of the
builders pick can Be plainly seen on
the wall of the rock
To ascend the mountain a person
must follow the road, and this is a
two days task, as it is about thirty
miles, as near as can be calculated
without actual measurement. The
lowest road is little over three miles
long when it goes around the noun
tain once. However, this is very ir-
regular and goes around several spurs
of the mountain. The roughness of
the road is indescribable, and a horse
is of no use for a week after the trip.
The top Of the mountain is about 1000
feet above the plain.
There is nothing at the top and the
adventurer wonders when he gets there
what the road was built for-New
York Recorder.