OCR Text |
Show Dedication of Zion Mt. Carmel Highway Colorful Intermountain Historical Event if WvsSsb- f?r5r Km4 " 4l . "hy r ?; -f?S& --vat f !l ! ; h iv 1 v jf i ; , li ' . Scene 1 Governor Dern of Utah speaking at the formal dedication dedi-cation ceremonies of the Zion Mount Carmel Highway, July 4th. This picture was taken in the tunnel during the dedication ceremony. Scene 2 The east entrance to the Highway Tunnel. Scene 3 Looking out over Zion Canyon from one of the six "galleries" through which ventilation and sunlight are -Emitted to the Zion Mount Carmel Highway Tunnel. HE most unusual Indepen-kV Indepen-kV dence Day observance held In the United States oecurel when governors of seventeen states met within the famous Zion Mount Carmel Highway Tunnel in Southern Utah to participate In Its formal dedication to public use. Although It Is only 20 miles long, this highway is the greatest project of Its kind ever undertaken by the . 0. S. National Park Service and Bureau of Public Roads. Its cost was close to two million dollars, and it Incorporates two tunnels, one 5,600 feet long, and the other more than 400 feet long, in its short length. Dedication ceremonies were held within the longest of the tunnels, whose outer wall is pierced with six "galleries" through which ven-; ven-; tilation and sunlight are admitted. Gallery 1, the largest of them all, was the scene of the formal dedication. dedi-cation. Within this gallery the stand from which various governors, National Park Service and Unlou Pacific officers, and other representatives repre-sentatives of the U. S. government and the state of Utah made their address, was erected. Marvelous accoustlcs prevail at this point in the tunnel, and there was ample room for the two thousand spectators, all of whom could hear every word spoken by the speakers even when an ordinary conversational tone of voice was w used. Patriotic music was supplied for the occasion by sixty male members mem-bers of the chorus of the St. George, Utah, temple. With the massive bulk of East Temple mountain rearing Its head 3,200 feet and glaring In frames of red and white splendor above the tunnel gallery, the audience heard Mr. Albright, as master of ceremonies recall that the day was the sixty third birthday of Stephen ' T. Mather, his predecessor as sup erintendent of the parks service, to whom he gave credit for inception of the ZIou-Mouut Carmel highway, as the road is officially known. Mather died last January, after making his last official trip of inspection in-spection of tlie work on the tunnel. With B. S. Scoyen, superintendent superinten-dent of Zion and Bryce Canyon national na-tional parks, presiding, President Heber J. Grant, gave an invocation in which he asked the divine blessing bless-ing upon the undertaking. He praised the cooperation of the parks service and the states of Utah and Arizona, without whose help, he said, the task would have been impossible. im-possible. Many engineering difficulties were encountered in building the road nnd tunnel through the mountain range, which is 10,000 feet high, involving scnllng precipitous cliffs on ropes and ladders. So close was the calculation on the tunnel which is D.OOO feet long and 22 by 15 feet in size, that they varied ouly by inches when the bores met from two directions. Declaring the work of the engineers en-gineers had only to place the road where nature had intended it should be built millions of years ago, Mac-donukl Mac-donukl hailed it as "the symbol of a bigger idea -of the cooperation and faith that is taking possession of the people of the United States." Governor Dern, in the same view, said the people of Utah do not "need or want national parks within their borders as playgrounds for local people alone,- but are proud to share these natural marvels mar-vels with people of other states." The audience included hundreds of people of southern Utah,' who had assembled within the portal of the tunnel to join with the governors' gov-ernors' party in dedication of the road and observance of Independence Indepen-dence day. They found the tunnel portal and gallery gaily decked with flags and bunting and chairs placed for their comfort within a rock-hewn ampilheatre. Work on the highway has been In progress for the past three years, and Its construction embodied some unusual and remarkable engineering engi-neering feats. Its purpose la to Scene 4 An interior view of the new Highway Tunnel showing show-ing some of the difficult construction work which was put through by the National Park Service and Bureau of Public Roads in completing the Zion Mount Carmel ' Highway. Scene 5 Scene in Bryce Canyon showing some of the spectacular spec-tacular canyon walls viewed by members of the National Governor's Conference. shorten the distance between three national parks, Zion, where the highway begins, and Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon national parks to the south and northeast respectively. Beginning near the Park Hanger station at the entrance to Zion National Park, the road ascends In a long series of gently rising switchbacks until it reaches the sheer face of one of the crimson cliffs of Zion National Park. Here the longer of the two tunnels begins, be-gins, and penetrates this cliff for a distance of more than a mile. The road finally emerges at the top of the plateau from which Zion Canyon - has been etched eons of time by one small river. It accomplishes its purpose of shortening the distances between the three most colorful of all of the twenty-two national parks In the United States. Gov. Dern Dedicates Zion- ljjjjr Mount Carmel Highway ;' Governor Dern, in his' address at the dedication ceremonies, stressed some of the beauties of Utah scenery : "It Is pecularly appropriate that this great highway should be dedicated dedi-cated to the use of the people of the United States on our country's birthday. birth-day. "It is also fitting that this ceremony cere-mony should be held in the presence of the governors of so many of Utah's sister states. Their presence here is emblematical of the interest of all the states in this project . It is as if the people of the whole nation na-tion were here this morning to see this marvelous undertaking placed at their service. "There may be differences of opinion opin-ion among the western states In regard re-gard to the national policy of reserving reser-ving their land and minerals from private entry, hut there is no difference differ-ence of opinion among them in regard re-gard to the national parks. These areas of outstanding beauty are chiefly valuable for their recreational recreation-al uses. "We do not need them nor want them as playgrounds for our own people alone. We are happy that they have been set aside for the enjoyment of all who may be attracted at-tracted by their charm. They are the show places of our nation, in , which every American holds a share of ownership. While Zion National park and Bryce canyon happen to be situated within the boundaries of the state of Utah, yet we are proud to share our ownership of these natural marvels with all the rest of our fellow Americans, and we say to them : Come out and inspect in-spect your property. Xou will be proud of It, and your pride of ownership own-ership will make you a better, more patriotic American in the best sense. "Zion National park has sometimes some-times been referred to as Yosemite done in oil. I trust you have all experienced the sense of hush and awe and mystery that comes over one as he looks up at the Great White Throne or gazes from the Temple of Sinawawa over toward Angel's Landing. With its gloomy gorge inclosed by sheer red and white cliffs 3000 feet high on either side, it is no wonder the Indians regarded it as a spirit land, to be entered only with fear and veneration. "Wrhen you come to Bryce Canyon Can-yon National park you will find an entrancing fairyland with its spires, towers and minarets of the most exquisite hues, so delicately carved by nature that 'stone resembles lace.' Statues, monuments, cathedrals cathed-rals the eye can pick them out. Their beauty lingers long in the memory as a masterpiece of the Giver of all good and perfect gifts. "Drive 00 miles through the incomparable in-comparable Kaibab forest, the largest larg-est tract of virgin timber In the United States, seeing herds of deer as you pass along. Proceed to Bright Angel Point, or Cape Royal on the Colorado, and if the majesty of that sublime spectacle does not impress you, you must Indeed be impervious to the beauties of nature." na-ture." - |