Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-04-01

ne seen in this almost inaccessible Sec
ton. There we're stories about arches
and natural stone bridges that were
said to be larger than any others in the
known world. II took only a visit TO
the edge Of this country to believe the
tales that were told Mighty cliffs that
projected themselves hundreds II not
thousands of feet into the azure deep
were on every hand. Box canyons and
overhanging walls. watch-towers ana
ruins of cliff dwellers, tumultuous cat
aracts and streams so far down IN the
eroded rock as to look like mere threads
Of silver vending and winding their
way 10 the famous Grand canyon
through coursngs that defied the power
OF man to penetrate, or cross, all con-
tributed to make picture Of rugged
grandeur that may yet make Utah one
of the most attractive scenic sections OF
the globe
TWO YEARS AGO.
Comparatively few white men had
even peeped into these wllds. Such as
had dared to enter even for a short dis
lance were either cowboys or outlaws.
Just two years ago this spring Scorup
and Long visited them. On the way in,
at a point called Soldiers Crossing, they
halted for brief rest. There they dis
covered the graves OF two of Uncle
Sans soldiers who had been killer
years before, by the Ute Indians A
| sand tombstone told the story and gave
| their names and the date Of their bur-
| ial as March &c. 1885.
NATURES GREATEST BRIDGES.
The Journey was continued to the OBJ
| jective point, which was reached with
much difficulty Miles Of barren rock
were crossed, Sometimes the course
was up, sometimes down and occasion
ally over corrugated undulating sur
face, but always difficult. The wind,
| which sweeps In season through these
wilds with the biting breath of winter
| end the torrid heat Of summer had laid
| bare the face of the whole region.
| Scarcely was there soil enough left for
| even a sagebrush or mountain pine,
| but now and again one Of these was en-
| countered. When the Elk mountains
were reached the explorers paused and
| looked upward toward their majestic
heights and frowning face furrowed
| with the eroslQns Of ages and covered
with pine and scraggy growths Of un-
derbrush. The place where they stood
was about as unlnvlting as 1t could be,
and Of comforts It offered none at all.
WITH THE CLIFF DwELLERs.
In the White canyon are numerous ev-
licences Of the place once being inhab-
! tied by prehistoric race. One OF these
was where Scorup and Long passed the
! night. IL was but short distance from
| the bed OF the canyon, and on a ledge
| where the crude and crumbling habita-
tlon OF a cln-dweller remained to tell
story that has mystery woven
about II such as they sought In vain
10 explain 10 each other. II was much
like the watch-tower shown In this ar
tlcle though not so well preserved Al
though Injured to the hardships OF the
| scout. The prospector and the frontiers
man the night was not as pleasantly
passed as might be Imagined The sur
roundlngs were not conducive 10 rest,
nor did the anticpations OF the NOR
row furnish soperlhc potlons to the
weary and daring explorers,
DISCOVERY AND CHRISTENING.
Early in the morning they were astlr,
both men apprehenslye and doubtful
as to the disclosures the day would
bring forth. Scorup had once before
glanced at the objects OF their present
search. He had told In glowing colors
what they might expect to see. He
! didn't want Long to think ne had over
estimated the case, The sequel shows
that he could not well have done that.
/ for before nlghtfall they had beheld
three mighty natural bridges which arc
without counterpnrts In the discoveries
of the world. They run from canyons
edge TO canyons edge In proportions 30
colossal and In heights so altitudinal as
to cause man to wonder II nature has
ever carved out any object as great or
as wonderful as they are
SOME COMPARISONS.
The explorers carried no instruments
! with which they could accurately deter
mine the height, length or breadth OF
these marvellous chaam connections
but they had some, and with them
made some calculations which show
| that the mighty capitol building at
' Washington could be placed beneath