| Show Utah Contains the Last of Weird 0 II i Mystery Lands in the United States I Utah's mystery land on the theof banks of the Colorado river seldom heard outside world and little of by the o i known by bY native is described following article from the ed In the tle Washington Star The last region of complete mystery mystery mystery mys mys- tery inside the continental limits of the United States an area as large as New Jersey uninhabited unmapped un unmapped un- un 1 and aull absolutely absolutely ab- ab mapped unnamed d unknown desolate has been explored for the fir first t time this fall faU by an expedition expedition expedition ex ex- from the National Geographic Geographic Geographic Geo Geo- graphic society commanded command ell by hy r. r L' L Neil Nell R. R Judd of ot the department of American anthropology New National National National Na Na- Museum Judd and E. E L L. Washington Wash ash ashington ington photographer have just l' l returned returned re re- turned here after nearly two months of ot complete isolation In do this section of ot Utah bordering on the tIle Colorado river During During the entire time lime the only traces of human beings encountered encountered encountered ered were those o of prehistoric Indians Indians In In- and the party did dill not sight Right a single wild animal although there I wore were evidences of or some life Ute in the I country On Last Page jI LAST OF Oli WEIRD LAND I Fr From m Wage Page One Topographers of he National l Geographic society here bere working on data furnished by hy Judd now are preparing the first reaps Maps ever made of ot this wild territory which is so situated that it is almost Impossible for human beings to enter it ft Carried Eleven Mules The expedition outfitted with eleven mules mule at Kayenta Ariz Adz Ariz early ear early early ear ear- ly in October and x proceeded cd north over the S San Juan river then in flood to the C Colorado lora a distance of about miles inies across bare bale rocks locks sand and almost impassable canyons Sometimes they would spend an entire entire entire en en- tire day and only make four or five miles mUes of or actual progress The canyons canyons can can- make male the country practically Impossible to enter It Is probable according to Mr rr Judd that a lew few roving Indians have traversed it and cattlemen and go gold d prospectors have penetrated the region for a short distance All All previous Information on the he region was found to be entirely baseless at the st start rt Reported trails lid did not exist Everything wason was wason on a grander scale than had been beel ex ex- The country is nearly bare of ot vegetation and almost waterless Its canyons are traversed traverse b by subterranean nean rivers which rarely rise to the surface Practically the only w way y to obtain water is to dig for or it The expedition was obliged to carry all of its provisions since th there re Is absolutely absolutely absolutely ab ab- ab- ab nothing in the country ca capable capable capable ca- ca pable of ot sustaining human life Even the rare water holes sometimes were so foul that even the he thirsty mules would not touch the water The provisions included oats for the animals since there was no assurance assurance assurance assur assur- ance that even rare patches of ot grass would be found From the first the expedition ran into the dangers da of or quicksand The canyon bottoms were covered with a afine afine afine fine sand like yellow flour due to the water flowing far underneath Frequently Frequently Frequently Fre Fre- the men had haa difficulty in saving saving saving sav sav- ing ing the mules from being buried alive and several times the animals were pulled out with difficulty by ropes Looking over the country Mr Ir Judd says gave him tIle the impression of a great r rotting rolling rock mesa with rare stunted cottonwood trees trees and cedars This vegetation existed where sand has been Deen blown into hollows of the rock surface The canyons which followed one after another throughout the tIle entire journey journey journey jour jour- ney were not visible until the party party party par par- ty came carne almost on top of them Then it was necessary ary to and nd a trail trait across It was sometimes advis advisable ble to travel up or down for fifteen o or twenty miles before a sate safe passage was found Found 1 Prehistoric Trails Mr Judds Judd's expert knowledge of or orthe the lore of the desert Indians Indians' proved I very valuable By signs placed on the rocks thousands of y years ars ago by long-extinct long native tribes It was as sometimes possible to locate trails up apparently inaccessible steeps from the canyon bottoms In one pla place e these signs enabled the party to climb over practically sheer rock mules and all to the surface In all two thirty-two dayS days were were spent in the unknown region itself the remainder remainder re re- of the time being passed in outfitting and in reaching tIle the borders borders borders bord bord- ers of the country The expedition was undertaken The expedition was undertaken during October and November in hope that the great rainfalls which sweep that part of the United States would have left pools of ot water in hollows of the rock This hope proved proved proved ed false The rocks were porous and had drunk in In the water almost as soon as it gathered Rare springs were found A num number er of prehistoric Indian houses were seen nestled in canyon walls ails the homes of th the last human inhabitants of this region Present- Present day Indians Judd reports Ita nave have va a horror of the country The whole area probably is of no economic im- im but is a country of rare beauty to anyone with an appreciation tion of desert scenery The sandstone sandstone sandstone sand sand- stone walls vary from a aUght tight light yellow approaching white to blood red ana and the shadows hanging over the canyons canyons canyons can can- range from hazy blue to deep purple with occasional patches of green marking the rare vegetation The largest of the canyons was found to bo be about eighteen miles long It was necessary to travel clear round some of them When nearly the at-the end of the exploration Judd and his guide left the time rest lest of tHe party and went on alone into the roughest section of the country where it would have been difficult for the mules to keep alive The Time procedure followed was to start before before before be be- fore daybreak and push ahead as rapidly as possible until lentil either a awater awater awater water hole bole or surface indications I I that water could be obtained by digging digging dig dig- dig I ging were found Then the time expedition expedition I tion would pi pitch ch camp for the day dayo Sometimes this water would b bround be I found round early in the afternoon and amI sometimes not until toward evening I Judd and his party entered the unknown unknown unknown un un- un- un known region after he h had d spent the summer at Pueblo Bonita N N. M. M where the most pretentious archeological archeological archeological archeo- archeo logical excavations on the North Ame American ican continent are in rn progress Considerable work was accomplished accomplish accomplish- ed in uncovering the walls of the largest of prehistoric apartment houses The of th the project project project pro pro- Mr Judd reports grows with each succeeding summer The work this year proved that the great structure found burled under the New sands contained at least rooms which may have accommodated between 1200 and 1400 people The plan of this prehistoric prehistoric pre pre prehistoric historic building a city In itself was strikingly like that of or some modern city apartment houses It was built 1 I in square hollow-square formation around a center court with a single entrance Facing on the court it was story one-story high It It sloped up to four tour stories on the outer walls which are about fifty feet high The rooms consisted consist consist- I ed of living and storage quarters and temp temples es or 01 divas where the ancient ancient ancient an an- people worshiped Evidently the inhabitants of this great apartment apartment apart apart- ment house were of varying creeds for forR fora a number of these rooms devoted to secret ceremonials have been un un- un- un covered Mr Judd estimates that in two more summers the great building will be entirely uncovered 1 A great many objects illustrating the lives of the prehistoric trl tribes es people have I been found The excavation w work rk is carried on by Judd with a large crew of local laborers and a dummy railroad has been set Bet up to can carry awa away the time sand sand dug off oft ruins 0 p- p |
