The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-11-05


lustrated in southern Utah. where
three great natural bridges, one the
largest in the world, span the canyon
Of the White river AT the present
time this magnificent, romantic, wild +
scenery Is almost inaccessible being /
hundreds ot miles from the nearest 1
railroad line, hut the government pro |
poses to create two new national I
marks 50 as to include these spatural !
wonders. and as a result they will be
made more accessible, AS the new
reservations become popular with the
tourists.
Expanding a cliff-dwelling hunt into
4 search for new natural wonders
party Of geongists. archaeologists and
engineers spent six weeks last sum-
mer IN San Juan county. Utah the
party carried commissions from the
government to map the uncharted ter
ritory where the natural bridges are
found and to make survey Of the
country. incidentally the party made
an archaeological map of the elm
dwellings found profusely in the
canyon caves and the ruined puc5lns
that dot the mesas.
san Juan county has an area Of ll,-
600 square miles. and, according to-
the Utah state board OF statistics,
there are less than 800 persons In the
whole pnnntv Not more than a few
score Of these citizens live outside the
towns Of Monticello and BIN City,
frontier settlements, whose popula-
tion consists Of cattle and sheep own
ers.
The exploring party, led BY Prof..
Byron Cummings. Of the University of
Utah and Prof. Edgar L. Hewett, Of
| me department Of the interior, left
ThompsoA's Springs, Utah, on the Rio
/ Grande railroad. went BY stage 30
miles south OF Moad, gathered an
outft Of horses and pack mules and
crossed 65 miles Of desert to Month
cello. AZ the east base Of the Blue
mountains. From Monticello the
party struck OF to the east and then
took southerly course through
Montezuma canyon, tributary Of the
san Juan river. After spending ten
days among the cliff dwellings and
ruined villages OF the canyon the party
reached the san Juan, Is miles east
Of Bluff and close To the Colorado
| line. Bluff ID IS miles south Of Monti-
cello and u miles vest Of Mancosl
1 Col. the nearest railroad point.
/ Supplies we're taken on at Bluff. and
the caravan of nine persons moved
westward toward the Colorado river
across country that is seldom trav
ersed by q white man Utes and Pal
utes leave their summer wicky-dps
near the san Juan and Colorado
rivers for cooler places high up On
the Elk Ridge or the Blue mountains;
trails are almost unknown and water
il as scarce as trails The guide LED
the party over broken country
through waterless canyons and across
desert rocky wastes toward White
canyon. which writhes and twists
down from the Elk Ridge to the Colo
rado river.
Near Bears Ears peaks, at the sum
NIT of the ridge, White canyon SPRING
out OF the pine forest winds through
tumbled rocks and deepens into AZ
impassable split in the earth. in II
course toward the Colorado rive
White canyon covers over 100 miles
and there is only one place IN III
whole distance where entrance cal
Be eHected without The greatest dan
ger. This IS through Armstr0ni
canyon. Z small tributary. reaches
after a days ride north Of the genera
course through a forest Of scrub pinon
Following this canyon down q feV
miles the first camp was struck 4
the shadow Of the Edwin NatnEa
Bridge. the smallest Of the three nai
urai wonders
The entire formation Of the splendi
arch i 81 white sandstone Here an
there streak of gray and the brow
stain ~ water lend weird effect 9
the picture. Towering 1000 Zee
above tie canyon On either side Is
solid background q dark red roci
| with dashes Of crimson. This re
beds were originally ) paFt q the EI
. Ridge. and dip TO the south and wes
, toward the Colorado The water 9
another age cut through the upHe
] formation into the white sandstone
! which slants from An elevation +
J 1000 fees into oblivion AZ The rive
] level at Dandy crossing
. The Edwin bridge spans sma
! branch of Armstrong canyon. and q
! abufments are Set upon q natural ris
I far above the general level The 60
. ernment measurements. taken thl
6 sumner. ahoN Il to ha 104 feet frus
2 the bed 0l the creek ~ the TOD Of IL
arch. The floor 0f the bridge IS
ieet wide, ten feet thick and il4 ies
long. It. like the others ii the gfoul
/ was formed solely hy the water ths
boiled down over the rocks aud gouge
z 5 hoie d the narrow #all, leaving