Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-01-25
NATURAL BRIDGES.
The Biggest In the World Are In
the Utah Desert.
WONDERS OF WHITE CANYON.
Three Massive Towering Arches. Ma
jestie In Their Rugged Grandeur,
Span the Lonely, Picturesque Gorge,
Far From the Beaten Paths OF Man.

Jcetic IN tncir rugged dranoeur'
Span the Lonely, Picturesque Gorge.
Far From the Beaten Paths OF Man.
Among the wonders OF the west
which the government hns taken un.
der its care are the remarkable natural
liz known. without a peer. In 1908
these three bridges. the Caroline. Au-
gusta and Edwin, were set aside as ma
tiona monuments. and Inter certain
caves and springs near by We're added
TO the reserved area.
II Is difficult 10 give an adequate
idea OF these stupcndous arches. and
so far they have been seen by few
persons. for II IL n trip Of days across
the desert TO reach them. but accurate
measurements have been taken and
convey some notion OF their size and
shape. The popular way Of reaching
these curiositles is from Bluff. Utah,
where one can obtain guide and out
1T. Thence you proceed through dry
washes. old stream beds and sage Gov
cred mesas TO the great bridges. which
loom up in White canyon far from the
beaten path of man.
The White canyon itself is many
miles long. and the bridges spring
from its steep, light buff walls, the
three being within n distance OF five
miles. They seem carved by Titanic
forces. for the largest is 222 feet high
and G5 feet thick at the top OF the
arch. The arch Is 2s feet wide. the
span II 2Gl feet. and the height OF the
span Is i57 feet
The Natural bridge OF Virginia Is
baby In comparison with any OF the
three Utah formations. II Is 10 be re-
GREETED that these wonderful bridges
are not easier Of access. Figures give
little idea OF their immensely, and
words but suggest their beauty.
The first account Of them given to
the world was that OF Horace j. Long.
who visited the bridges In 1908. Long
was an engineer and prospecting In
Utah. one day he fell In with a cattle
man named Scorup. who was familiar
with Utah aud IN particular with the
region lying around the San Juan river.
Scorup, after some preliminary con.
versation. said that he had seen some
remarkable bridges so immense and
wonderful that he disliked TO talk about
them for fear he would be accused Of
manufacturing the story He added
| that though he had seen them In lS.'s
he had always desired TO go back and
| II Long would accompany him and take
photographs he would guarantee To
guide the engineer TO the place.
Accordingly the two men set out with
pack horses and provisions. aud after
a lonely trip through deserts and
canyons and wide stretches where no
animal was TO be seen they descended
into the gorge Of the White canyon. the
sides OF which are filed with deserted
cliff dwellings. Two days later they
came to the wonderful bridges. the first
of which. Of pink sandstone. Scorup
called Caroline In honor OF his mother.
Long was fairly dazed ut the beauty
and size Of this natural wonder The
pink walls were streaked with delicate
colored lichens aud stood out In bold
relief against sky of blue More than
this. both men felt that they were gaz.
ing on one of the wonders OF the world.
They pushed rapidly down the can.
yon and came 10 another arch, more
symmetrical and more beautiful than
the first. with lightness aud grace and
charm Of colorinI that made II splen-
did work Of mature. Long named this
the Augusta after his wife and man
aged TO get fair photograph. The
arch was so high that the trees OF cal-
| .fornia would seem dwnrfed beside H.
and the men took what measurements
they could by climbing and clineing 20
| the canyons sides
They found the Edwin, or Little
bridge. several miles down the canyon.
the arch IN reality Of immense dimen-
slons. but small In comparison with
those that they had measured. All
around these bridges are crags and
strange formations. cave dwellings
springs and other objects 81 interest.
but the center NJ attraction Is aud Will
always be these three towering arches
which span the White canyon
Undoubtedly these bridges are OF
great scientific interest. not alone he
cause they are 80 far rs known the
largest natural bridges In the world.
but because they are extraordinary ex-
amples OF stream erosion. An ancient
river probably carved these great
arches. which may have been known to
prehistoric dwellcrs OF the desert west
New York sun.