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Show A COMMENSURATE PASTIME Shooting the Chutes in Zion Cannon, Can-non, in an open frame astride a log chain, from the brink of a perpendicular perpendic-ular cliff 3.000 feet high to the floor of the canyon, is the latest thrill indulged in-dulged in at Southern Utah's popular popu-lar national park. Compared with this looping the loop with automo-i biles or aeroplanes seems tame and commonplace. In this part of the world the country, the mountains and everything it contains is so big. that nothing but a sport in proportion propor-tion to the surroundings is deemed worthy of consideration. The first of this week, five intrepid persons, led by A. N. Leonard, tried this fascinating fas-cinating and thrilling toboggan slide from the clouds to the bottom of the gorge. It takes five hours to climb the steep trail to the top of the cliff and about two minutes to glide smoothly and swiftly back. The labor la-bor of the climb is slightly out of proportion to the time consumed in the plunge through space, but it is said that the participant lives a long while in that two minutes of time. The cable is a slender affair, cheaply constructed for the purpose of transporting lumber from the top of the cliff to the valley below for domestic purposes, and while it has been in use a number of years, only some three or four daring spirits have had the audacity to risk their lives in the perilous trip, and this was some years ago. A story was current some years ago, shortly after Inventor Flanigan conceived the idea of the cable and constructed the first one of baling wire, three strands on one side and five on the other, of a dog which was securely tied in a basket and lowered over the cliff, to see if it was possible pos-sible for any living thing to endure the awful experience. It is said that when the dog reached the bottom of the canyon its hair or fur was perfectly per-fectly white, and that the animal was a maniac, wild eyed and frenzied, fren-zied, and that as soon as it was liberated lib-erated it took to the wilds and was never seen or heard of again. It was a long time after this before any human hu-man being tried the experiment, but when they did the ordeal was taken more philosophically than by the canine. Then two or three others tried it, including one woman. But apparently the undertaking was too harrowing for comfort and it never became popular as a pastime. The workman in charge advised the tourists tour-ists strongly against the risk, stating stat-ing that he would not go over the cable for $50,000. t Now that the ice is broken, and that Zion Canyon has come into its own as a resort for tourists, there is talk of constructing a substantial passenger cable, with cage for from four to six persons, to pass government govern-ment inspection and be operated under un-der a government franchise or concession. con-cession. If -this is done it is sure to become a big drawing card and immensely im-mensely popular. In its present condition, con-dition, however, only stout hearts will care to try the nerve-racking ordeal. or-deal. Iron County Record. |