Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-04-28
WONDER OF ARIZONA.
rHE GREATEST NATURAL BRIDGE
KNOWN

Vt 6Rt AIEST NATURAL BRIDGE
KNOWN.
ia Height span of Eighty Feet,
sad one Hundred aud Fifty Feet
WIDE.
The great natural bridge OF Arizona,
distant ~ II il from the transcontin-
entail lines of travel. has escaped thus
lar the initials Of the tourist and the
pastors ut patent medicine advertise
mcni'. II is situated on Pine crack, a
tributary Of the east fork OF the Verde,
~ nearly the geographical center of
the territory, and is at the head Of
Ionto basin, a region more famous for
Indian fights and cowboy feuds than
Tor the beauties OF its natural scenery.
On recent trip through Tonto bas,
~, correspondent visited a mining
camp only seven miles destant from
thc great curiosity, and with COM
panion. hvailcd himself of the oppor.
tunity Ia see it, We were ut Gowan
mine. he writes. and saddling our
horses one lazy afternoon, we soon left
seven miles Of mountain trail behind
u- and found ourselves on the summit
Of cypress crowned hill, whose steep
eastern slope descended abruptly for
800 feet Ia cozy little valley hemmed
in on the opposite side of the pre-.
cipitous cliffs of rough, craggy
mountain. Making the descent, with
difficulty. We reached large level
clearing containing an area of proba-
bly, one hundred acres, part OF which
was cultivated and planted in corn,
beans, potatoes and other vegetables.
At the far side of this clearing we saw
log house half hidden in the
shade Of u grove Of walnut trees, but
could discover no signs of the bridge.
On inquiring from man who ap-
preached us from the house, we found
that we were already standing ON the
bridge and did not know it, for this
beautiful garden spot is fringed on all
sides by shrubbery. tall ferns and
graceful trees, and we followed our
guide 100 yards to the south and des-
cended into deep, precipitous canyon
before we were made aware of the
huge tunnel that nature has bored
through the solid rock beneath our
feet
With the mid of long fish line we
ascertaincI the next day that the
crown OF the bridge at the southern
spring is 262 feet in height, with
span of so feet, and a total width up
and down stream of $50 yards. About
eight feet from the southern or down
stream edge of the arch there is
natural hole through the rock, at
this place ten feet in thickness, where
one may lay on his face and obtain a
birds eye view Of the interior, with
the channel OF Pine creek widening
among the huge boulders that strew
the floor, 262 feet beneath him. But
full idea OF the grandeur OF the
beautiful arch il not obtained until
one stands beneath il and looks aloft.
Here, in q semi.d darkness. the leafy
roof is barely visible. and the huge
pillars and groin of solid rock, vanish
ing to the upper obscurity, make one
imagine himself in an immense
cathedral. The underground trail to
the other side is difficult, though not
imprscticable, and winds between i'm.
mense masses of slippery limestone
and dark pools Of unknown depth,
where a ray of sunshine never intrudes.
The perpendicular walls of this
cavern are pierced by scores OF caves
and grottOes. whose numerous cham
bers and alleyways lead one far into
the bowels Of the superintendent
mountains. Some OF these We ex.
plored, and many others, whose en-
frances cannot be reached without
ladders, have never been trodded by
the foot of white man. They are
beautifully ornamented by nature with
stalactites and stalsgmites Of every
imaginable form, and any article,
whether OF wood or any other soft sub.
stance. if placed beneath the streams
OF lime water that constantly trickle
from above, will in q short time be.
come petrified.