The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-04
NEW BRIDGE IS
FOUND IN UTAH
Explorers in Southern Part of
the State Make VaIu-
able Discovery.
LARGEST NATURAL SPAN
SECTION OF COUNTRY NEVER
PREVIOUSLY TRoD BY MAN.

Hard on the heels of the news of the
discovery of the north pole by an Amer
lean comes the word that the LARGEST MAJ
Ural bridge in the world has been discov-
cred in southern Utah by Professor By
ron Cummings ana party. Professor
Cummings is continuing his EXPLORATIONS
in southern Utah, but the news of the
discovery has been brought TO Salt Lake
by members Of his party who have just
returned.
The new bridge is i'm the southern mart
of San Juan county four miles north of
the Arizona line and six miles east Of
the Colorado river 1t is nearly one hun
dred miles due south from the Augusta
natural bridge Of san Juan county, which
until now was the largest known natural
bridge IN the world. The new natural
bridge Is on the southwest slope of the
Navajo mountains and was evidently
formed centuries ago by a great wash
down the mountain side OF this great
wash now only an insignificant brook re-
mains.
The natural bridge is 31 feet in height.
measured from the center Of the over
hanging arch TO the stream below, and
aus span is 2li feet. The Augusta bridge
IS 70 feet high and its span * PSI feet
10 Is in district, probably never before
IdFeISeG Dy white man and perhaps
never traversed by Indians. The coun-
Try IS desolate. There are no trails and
noting 70 indicate that the country was
ever INHABITED even by animals Most Of
IN San Juan county were learned Of
through the Indians or their traditions
put or TINS bridge there seems to have
peen no prior knowledge. 1t was apart
from the district formerly Inhabited by
she cliff jewellers, and so perhaps was not
eVen known to this ancient civilization.
Party Enters WIlds.
The party which discovered the bridge
LETT Salt Lake on an archaeological eX-
ploraJlon trip on June 7. The members
went from here to ThOmpsOn's BY rail
and drove from there to Moab and then
TO Monticello, At Monticello saddle and
berS or the party rode to Bluff and Oh
1ato, and then pushed on through the
mountains directly TO Arizona, discover
ing the bridge en- route.
The cliff dwellers' ruins were all found
in the neighborhoOd in which previous
ruins were discovered and there was no
trace OF them near the newly discovered
natural bridge. A large number OF new
ruins were discovered that viii probably
prove OF great aTChae Biological value
blummles, in remarkably well preserved
Jomps OF masonry, palatial residences,
tOruflcauOns, granaCles filled with grains
and seeds of various kinds, specimens Of
advanced workmanship il basketrv and
pottery, all were found in the dwellings
or the ancient race. A collection of more
than five hundred relies was secured for
the archaeological society. These will be
preserved and studied with a view to as
pertaining something of the history ana
char acterlsttcs of the cliff dwellers
NELL P Judd, Donald Beauregard and
stuart Young. members Of the party
nave returned to Salt Lake. Others of
the party, including Professor Cummings
VIII remain in this section Of the coun-
Try Tor ten days or two weeks longer.