Iconic stone arch collapses in southern Utah park (Breaking News, Bush's Fault)

comcast.net ^ | 8/10/2008 | AP

[Robert A Cook PE]

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Utah — One of the largest and most photographed arches in Arches National Park has collapsed.

Paul Henderson, the park's chief of interpretation, said Wall Arch collapsed sometime late Monday or early Tuesday.

The arch is along Devils Garden Trail, one of the most popular in the park. For years, the arch has been a favorite stopping point for photographers.

Henderson said the arch was claimed by forces that will eventually destroy others in the park: gravity and erosion.

"They all let go after a while," he said Friday.

He said it's the first collapse of a major arch in the park since nearby Landscape Arch fell in 1991. No one has reported seeing it fall.

Like others in the park, Wall Arch was formed by entrada sandstone that was whittled down over time into its distinctive and photogenic formation.

The arch, first reported and named in 1948, was more than 33 feet tall and 71 feet across. It ranked 12th in size among the park's estimated 2,000 arches.

Rock has continued to fall from the remaining arms of the arch forcing the closure of a portion of the trail.

Officials from the National Park Service and the Utah Geological Survey visited the site Thursday, noting stress fractures in the remaining formation. The trail won't be opened until the debris is cleared away and it's safe for visitors, Henderson said.

[maggief]

BUSH KNEW

Arch enemy numero uno.

[bigheadfred]

I question the timing.

Exactly. It is all Walmart's fault for shoving cheap Chinese junk at us, and to protest I am watching the Limpicks without picture and sound.

The good news is that Dr. Scholl's has the remedy for fallen arches.

And to blame it on bush is really silly, cause in the before and after pics it shows it wasn't involved. It is doing nothing.

[tubebender]

OK...what were you guys doing early in the week?

[Robert A Cook PE]

8<)

More money raised for Obama’s National Rock Arch Park Memorial Fund?

[umgud]

Good thing there wasn’t a buch of greenies under it when it fell.

[al baby]

I think its great to much beauty in the world

[bigheadfred]

Good thing there wasn’t a buch of greenies under it when it fell.

My public reaction is Exactly, but in my secret heart I find just the opposite to be true.

[Robert A Cook PE]

And to blame it on bush is really silly, cause in the before and after pics it shows it wasn't involved. It is doing nothing.

There is a very distinct trace of Bush in the lower photo BEFORE the Arch fell! (But Cheney removed all traces of Bush in the AFTER-the-fall photo!)

(It's still summer; clearly must have big oil greased its skids before the fall....)

[Kimmers]

When an arch in the middle of the desert falls and no one is there to hear it does it still make a noise ?

Seriously, I always wanted to see that, all the pictures were beautiful.

[NordP]

Someone should tell McDonalds about this.

[dbacks]

Bush knew and rocks flew. Women and children hardest hit.

[bigheadfred]

Seriously, I always wanted to see that, all the pictures were beautiful.

Don't wait, go now, things are on a downhill slide.

[Drango]

Perhaps with a government grant and some super glue we can put it back together? Obama would.

[MinuteGal]

Not to worry......we still have tens of thousands of MacDonald arches.

Leni

[popdonnelly]

Nonsense. When Obama is President, arches won’t fall.

[bigheadfred]

Isn’t Bush in China? Doesn’t he know the country is falling apart?

[Sacajaweau]

God Rocks?...or God’s Rock?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Someone set up us the bomb.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Congress needs to repeal the Law of Gravity NOW!

But Cheney and Halliburton are making too much money from it, so it will NEVER happen.

[hosepipe]

The park to be re-named.. FALLEN ARCHES NATIONAL PARK..