Arizona republican., 1920-12-07

few weeks ago. who are thoroughly familiar with every crook and turn in Bright Angel trail and who are expert animal packers.
 This steel cable, which is to stretch
 from one rock promontory on the south
 side of the Colorado to a similar promontory on the north bank, will be about 550 feet long and will weigh in the neighborhood of 1,200 pounds. This 1 immense rope will have to be carried ] intact for distance of more than eight miles down a trail. which in places clings to the sides of cliffs where the drop is hundreds of feet and the path | is barely wide enought to furnish foot | ing for the surest footed of domestic
 animals-the Missouri mule.
 Six Mules to One Gable As 200 pounds dead weight is a full | load for 8 mule on Bright Angel trail it
 will require at least six mules to make up the train to pack this cable. As the load on each mule will be connect
 ed up with the preceding and follow ing mules, it is expected that the loads
 will have to be made lighter, necessi-
 tating a greater number of mules.
 There are a number of sharp turns
 around cliffs along the trail and at each of these the journey will be ha-
 zardous. A misstep, throwing over one
 of the mules, would probably mean the carrying over of the entire train with the loss of the cable.
 } My two packers have assured me that they can load this cable on a train , of mules and land it safely at the foot of Bright Angel trail and I am pinnins
 my faith on them." stated Superintend- ent Rayburn. At this time I don't know just how they are going to do it Anl1 simply leaving it up to them. "They have been packing up ant \ down that trail for years, but admi r this is a job different from any the! ever tackled. But with their knowl l edge of the trail and their exper y knowledge of packing. they should ge $ away with 1t, if anybody can, an, e there hasn't been any job tackle
 around here yet that hasn't been ne n lgotiated."
 Veto Aerial Tramway Plan II The vetoing by Secretary Payne c . the plans of the Santa Fe for the con - struction of an aerial tramway acros IF the canyon is accepted in proper spiri T by officials of the railway, is til
 statement of Director Mather. Thes ,e plans had just been completed afte ', more than two years spent in stud
 and preparation by some of the fines
 engineers in the United States at a
 expense of more than $20,000 to tt !, railroad company.
 is Under the plans of these engineer it was proposed to stretch a series Y cables from a point near Fl Tovar lt the north rim of the canyon, using Il St buttes and peaks that rise nearly 10 mile in height inside the great gorf I- for the abutments. The longe le stretch of cable, it was estimated LII 10 der the plans, would have be an son1' le thing more than 5000 feet
 On these cables were to have bet Fl operated travelling cars which wou o. have taken passenge from Fl Toy ne to the north rim, bringing that side r. the canyon within easy reach Of tou n- fsts. A camp, consisting of lunt re room, tea house and other conver on ences and attractions was to ha or been established by the Santa Fe cy connection with the hotel servi u- maintained at Fl Tovar.
 he The north rim. which is from 10 lis to 1900 feet higher than the sou r. rim. is said to have numerous poin a from which may be had views tn . surpass any to be seen from the sou n rim. Superintendent Rayburn stat that the bridging of the river will pc | init visitors to the canyon to get | benefit of these.
 At the present time visitors to | canyon make the trip by mule doy n Bright Angel trail and back the sar
 day, leaving Fl Tovar about nj ., o'clock in the morning and returni A about five in the afternoon. With { ,72 building of the bridge, these part 2, may continue on up to the north ri