The Ordway new era., 1920-01-23
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covery of gorge crowded with
natural wonders within few
hours motor ride of busy city. says
London Graphic. Yet such is the story
Of Red Rock canyon. in southern Cali
fornia. an enchanted spot. so rich In
It's unique beauty, and of such scien-
tific import that the president of the
United States is asked by some of
the leading men and organizations OF
the Pacific coast to set 1t apart as
national monument. This romantic.
rainbow-hued gorge contains wealth
Of amazing structures reared and
carved and even painted by the ele-
ments, and yet comparable only to the
classics of ancient and modern archi-
lecture. Its fossil beds. practically un-
touched. give promise Of paleontolos-
ical treasure. and recent finds in its
caves interest ethnologists,
The canyon is n cash in the SOUTH
ern end of the Sierra Nevada noun
tains. Its mouth opens upon the
northwestern edge of the MojaNe des-
ert 1t is 126 miles from Los Angeles.
For nearly a century the prOsaic pio-
neers who passed that remote way paid
no heed TO its vivid charm. II was
the decision to extend the state high
way from Los Angeles to Bishop that
led to the discovery of the beauties
of this gorge. Until the surveyors re-
turned and reported the existence OF
strange and wonderful rock formations
no one knew of their presence. This
is all the more remarkable when we
remember the Americans love of
travel, and that these are the days
of railways and motorcars. Shortly
now the canyon with its many won
ders will be on the main trail of civ
ilization. and tens of thousands OF
tourists and others will soon admire
1t with rapture and nstonishment. The
new roadway approaches to within so
feet of the scenic marvels which the
government is petitioned to protect and
preserve.
Miracles Of Form and Color.
That section of the canyon which
contains the inspiring works embraces
little more than four square miles. Is
several miles removed from the desert.
and lies at an altitude of 5000 feet.
On approach from either direction n
turn brings the walled-in miracles of
form and color suddenly into view-an
| enhancing picture; pillars and col
umns, plain and fluted and chased: :
pilasters and colonnades. tiny and IT,
tanic, tier upon tier. mile after mile.
far skyward; arcades, balustrades. cor
ridOrs; temples. castles, cathedrals,
towers, domes. spires. sphinxes. gar
goyles-all perfectly nodded and eN-
quisitely adorned by the lord of crea-
tion.
Moreover, they are untouched and
unmarried as yet by the laundering
vandaI hand Of man; a buried city.
an acropOlis. and scores OF other fan
cies become realities. On an eminence
at the canyons head stands the Tenn
pie OF the Sun. an impressive gray
pile. 1876 feet high. approached through
series of terraced entranceways,
with partially crumbled walls forming
an elliptical inclosure approximately
$50 feet in diameter-an ideal amphi-
theater Those who look upon this
temple find 1t difficult to believe that
1t is not human handiwOrk. Near by.
dominating the mystic region, rises the
massive Sentinel Tower, imposing
rather than beautiful. II is apparent
ly harder and more substantial than
its neighbor. Biologists say IL has
held its commanding bulk aloft for
thousands of centuries. The'walls are
pinkish gray, and the pondcrous fiinty
capstones brilliant red. A mile di-
agonany opposite is the colossal pie
known as the Acropolis. This is. per-
haps, the crowning feature. More than
$50 feet high and 1000 feet long and
solemnly aIoof. 1t has been likened to
the Athenian Acropolis because of a
marked resemblance, and ms wen to
the mammoth temple ruins of Baalbec
in northern Syria. Seen from any angle
1t is mysterious. awe-compelling. cer-
tain to leave lasting imprint on the
mind of all observers.
The Closed Cathedral.
Still is another masterpiece In the
Closed Cathedral. study In magnifi-
cent coloring, so gorgeous and yet so
softly harmonious that no wieder of
the brush dares hope TO equal II. 1t
is of tremendous size with an en-
trance % feet high and 10 feet wide.
soIidIy blocked at depth of II feet.
Pure white, deep blue. yellow. red.
green. and all the intervening shades
figure in the decorative scheme. and
in places give the suggestion or
s:ained-glass windows. The whole as
pect is OF antiquity, enhanced by
crack or fault diagonally through the
front-evidence of slide before the
processes of erosion began. The ca
thedrai effect is so realistic that one
involuntarily listens for bells TO in
tone the hour or call to prayers.