Show 1 i MASTON PICTOGRAPH D DESTROYED BY LANDSLIDE AND NOT BY EXPLOSION N OFFICERS STATE A TE The famous pictograph of ofa a mastodon located on the Colorado canyon walls some four tour miles below Moab was wa destroyed by natural causes and not by blasting In in the opinion of Sheriff J J. J n. n The Tho 8 sheriff It e r 1 f f 1 In n company with Deputy George Durck and Photographer liar liar- Harry ry Reed visited the site Mon lon day Mr Reed Heed and R Ralph lph A. A Badger Badger Bad- Bad ger cr of Salt Lake City discovered the he ruins of the carving on March 14 when they went down the river to photograph the famed attraction Due to the Fact that a huge cavern eavern had formed In the cliff where the 1 pictograph had been they were of the opinion the disturbance could have been caused only by bya byn a n terrific explosion and they so reported on their ret return rn to town A close examination by the sheriff and deputy showed that the cliff cUff was I broken rokel roker by many crocks cracks and seams and In their opinion the freezing of water in these cracks had caused the There was no trace of jf smoke or powder marks to indicate there had been an explosion ex cx- they reported The findings of the sheriff were corroborated by Charles T. T Hl field examiner of the bur bureau au of land management and Dale M CM Kinnamon district range manager who visited the site Tuesday and conducted an investigation atlon Mr Hohenthal I made the following statement Tuesday evening Examination of the site sUe gives weight to the Ue belief belle that the over-heavy over wall on which the carving was made had bad buckled and fallen due possibly In part to the fact that a cavity in behind it had gradually enlarged enlarge enlarged en en- large and worn away the support support support sup sup- port of the wall There re Is fro o in indication In In- Indication of vandalism sm The i bureau of land management acted to investigate the matter In accordance with the provisions provisIons provisions provis provis- ions of the Antiquities sl Act which provides s for the prot protection tion of f prehistoric monuments etc on government owned or or controlled lands land I |