Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1921-06-17

surrounding country. For the Norh
rim is l,5O0 feet higher than the South rim
Presumably you will be able to use this suspen
sion bridge this season. The national park service
is working on the bridge now and has been Tor
some time. But you can easily guess that building
this bridge is some considerable job-especlaiiy
If you have Travelled Bright Angel trail. down
which ali the materials and tools have to be
packed. Anyway, here's sample Of the kind of
doings that may happen any minute on that
famous trail.
Homer J. Arm Is one of the packers engaged in
getting stuff down Bright Angel trail. The other
day he was taking down string of animals. Sew
eral of them were lOnded with INT for blasting.
AT one of the sudden turns or the pack animals
slipped. The rest got excited Pretty soon
animal went Off the trail. All eleven In the string
were tied together. Before long two more were
dragged off the trail. About this time Arm sue
ceeded In getting into the middle OF the mlxup.
He cut the other eight animals loose and they
staid On the trail.
OF course all three of the animals that fell on
were killed One fell 1000 feet-without injurIng
his pack. One fell 200 feet-without exploding
the $50 pounds of INT I'm his pack. And that's
what getting the bridge stun down Bright Angel
trail is like
look at the map gives the lay of the land
Bright Angel trail begins near HI T0var on the
South rim and winds down to the Colorado at
the bottom OF Granite gorge. Hermit trail begus
farther to the west and also goes down to the
river. Part OF the way down. the Tonic trail,
running east and west. connects Hermit and
Bright Angel trails.
At the foot of Bright Angel trail there IL an
aerial cabletram, which is used TO ferry across
venturesome visitors. The cross marks the site
| of the suspension bridge. The trail viii run
north along Bright Angel creek. The visitor Will
ascend 10 the North rim at Bright Angel point
! II is 16 miles across the Grand canyon here
The descent from El Tovar to the river is about
$500 feet. The North river Is about 5000 feet
above the floor of the Grand canyon.
The view from the North rim Is radically differ
! ent The temples lie In its foreground. One looks
down upon them at close range. The Granite
gorge is miles In the background and the opposite
Run presents apparently straight wall. The OBJ
server Is twelve fifteen hundred feet higher
/ than the south rim and over Il the desert
/ plain for many miles south, with far horizon
! OF distant mountains. Many who have seen both
| prefer the south rim view which has the temples
In broad perspective and confines the eye to the
spectacle Of the canyon. Others prefer the north
rim because OF Its cIoseness 20 the temples and It's
grasp of distant horizons In the future thousands
of travellers viii not be content until they see the
| canyon from both rims.
Building the suspension bridge, once the ma.
teriaI is On the spot, will not be cificI'lt. The
worst OF the job is getting the stun to the site
| On mule-back. The material for the bridge will
consist principally OF steel wire seven-eighths and
three-eIghths of inch respectively in diameter
/
| foot length and tools and blasting powder. The
matter of getting the long cables down Is going 10
require the Harvesting of at least four mules aD-
| dem and strInging of the load between them. The
| main cables Will weigh between 700 and eOU
| pounds apiece. A cable will be gathered Into sew
| eral coils with about twenty TO thirty feet Of
slack between ench coll. These coIled cables Will
then be put on mules. a coil TO each.
At the bridge site anchor Of steel rails and
concrete will be constructed In the solid rock.
The upper cables will then be carried across 10 the
north side and secured In like fashion. From end
to end these upper cables will measure about 5OU
feet Eighty feet below them the floor OF the
bridge will be anchored to tie walls Of the gorge
From the overhead cables side cables viii come
down and run through the heavy tImbers. The
nnefoOt pIanking will be riyeted to these rafters
and hog mesh wiring win be strung along either
de Of the bridge TO protect tourists. The bridge
III be built forty feet above ths ordinary height