The Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1865-1870, 1868-12-04
NAVIGATION OF THE COLORADO
RIVER.

mend itself to the appreciation of Il
people of this State, il the accompau.
ing report and remarks annexed, b
Hon. Samuel Adams, than by anythir
VIC have yet seen in print. I'm exper
ence of over four years has convince
him that the river is uaviga5le f.
steamers, at al seasons, for 500 mile
from It's mouth to Callv;lle. Why Ii
people of Nevada have not had regua
steam communication with Tie Pacji
Ocean will appear by Il perusal of III,
report;
Hon. Z. ". Stanton, Secretary Of jiar.
SIR: take the liberty il this communica
'iun to call your attention TO few facts in
reference to the great commercial importance
Of the Colorado of the West, as being the
central route between the Atlantic and Pa
cite Oceans. In the individual AMI diiiicul,
enterprise Of demonstrating that it was Capl-
bic Of being assembled with steamer for over
G2j miles from its mouth, have, IL connec-
ton with Capt. Trueworthv, been engaged
Tor the last three years. In the Spring Of
1851 I descended the river $50 miles on a
small raft, everywhere seeing the most I'M
nlistakable evidence that this natural thor
oughfare had been much nui>repreSen.ed BY
published reports as well by the exagger-
ated statements of those who professed to be
familiar with the rapids can9nS, etc, of the
same. | made NY representations to Capt.
T.aeworthy of San Francisco, who c. DseG.ed
20 come to the Colorado for the purpose of
relieving the mining community Of the i'm
position which was pTacticed upon them,
well as upon the Government, by the only
steam navigation company on the river
which. for over ten years, mad non0polZoL
the entire trade OF the Colorado for $40 miles
from the Gull. This company. being q
branch of the powerful comtina ton Nayisa-
ton Company of California, which controls
at will the commercial interests rs well as
each Of the nayIgahle waters Of tie State.
every effort WAS made in San Francisco to
prevent the expedition from starting upon it
mission. Insurance companies lent their /
aid, b. refusing 10 grant policy of insurance
upon the steamer, schooner anu cargo going
TO the mouth of the river, after agreeing to
insure these upon the same terms As they /
had other vessels going to the same destina- /
tion. Arriving at the mouth of the river .
without insurance. opposition manifested it |
self in more formidable manner to defeat !
the purpose Of demonstrating that the uav!-
CATION of this highway Is national in its
character. At this time there oil. /
drawn sl7 to secure from Congress an arpIo-
priation OF each alternate section of the most
valuable mineral lands along the river, for
700 miles, and also to get the sum Of $>2j1.-
900 appropriated fcr the purpose Of removing
obstruc,ionS, SAID to prevent the navigation
OF the river, which have subsequently been
proved TO have existed only in TIE imagina-
ton of those seeking To practice a gigantic
fraud upon the Government. In proportion
as the steamer assembled, in that proportion
we're she means the most revolving in their
character adopted to prevent the success o!
lie enterprise, by frequent efforts TO injur2
ler boiler, fire her cabin. DESTROY her ma
'hinery. and by c.l:ting down aAd floating of
he timber for miles along the most destitute :
acalitieS, that sufficient wood might not be ,
obtained for steam Purposes. These are bu, ::
few Of the efforts which were made by those
Interested in raiSrepreSertint the Colorado ,
River. In my communication in the Sciea- :
isc Press, Of San Francisco. and in either ,
'apers published il that city, (Row il my i,
'ossession), have given the facts ii full. :;
As we approached localities SAID no. 10 be :
avi-able, the river increased in depth. from Il
he fact that it became narrower and was con
aed generally for the last 100 miles, in a suc-
essi0a OF csions, where the rock in many v
laces on both sides rose perpenilcttaTly 81
-lrl 80 to 1000 feet. At these places We >
UNEXPECTEDLY found the current to run, with -
IL single exception Of the rapids, but % -
lilies an hour. where the fall Was from eight =
N inches to four feet, in from l2l t. 4J9 +.
.rds. Our steamer vas 49, feet in length. :,
'wins barge l35 feet, with cvsr 100 tens of =
eight, passed 50 Explorers Rock " before u
9 were aware of the fact. This was the -
'ot where the steamer EXplorer (5t feet =,
HC}, of Lieut.. lies expedition, struck, and ''
turne1. | mads an examination Of this .
elk, and found it to be two inches nule. the at
rface, one foot across the top. in the shape 81
4 cone. On each side of this there was =.
smooth current OF water from 81 to 80 Ia
ct in breadth, the water running 81 miles u
T hour, with an average depth of lrotI u i II.
feet. "a
The most diif;cult rapids W. encountered :.
ere Roaring Rapids" the engraving Of l"
iich is given i'll Lieut.. Ives report. The el'
"a -ner and barSa was seven minutes in as - u
:idins these. The fall here WAS four feet ID
80 yards. when VIC entered upon smooth M liz
Get OF water. - d,
At this paics we met several persons COM ~
down the river from Call.iI!e (Utah) who -.
f1rmei uS that :he persons who had ex- YAK
cted the freigls Gy the steamer had lcft, in %
nseluence Of having received letters from L :,
,se who had opposed the enterprise from us
> first, informing them that the steamer "a.
. broken down and The expedition aGaud-
ed. / he steamer, barge and cargo then
'cended the river to "Eldorado Cannn," tos
en- Captain Trueworthy and / crossed the ma
Intry to Salt Lake City, arriving in ,iiae to II
d the ,telegraphic dispatches from San nav
lnci<co confirming the foregoing unfound- ~!