The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-13
THE CANYONS OF TIE COLORADO.


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Lecture by Professor J. w. Powe,l-Intercst-
ing Account of the Late Exploring Expedi-
tion-tseoiosicai Character CT the Country
Narrow Escapes.
Professor j W. Powell who commanded the late
Colorado exploring expedition, aud whose fate oc.
copied large share OF public atteatou last sum
mer, delivered lecture at Detroit Tuesday even
ing last.
MAJOR Powell! sad the basin OF the Colorado ex-
tends over continent equal TO Iowa. llnois, W IS
c0nsln. Minnesota ana Missouri 100 miles In leng.n
ana 5oo IN breadth. snow fails on nearly all sues.
In summer tueSe SHOWS met into millions ol cara
racts, these swell INTO rivers ami these form the
great dorado. Ii should be borne in mlnt tnat
these waters ial on lhe rim OF the Dasla ana pour
lng down, wear deeper and deeper INTO the solid
rock, forming basn rarely penetrated by white
men. lew indian cnels mold swaj over this ialu
Of myths. lie region has great many legends
some oi which The speaker related. He naa been
making u series OF geological experiments Tor three
or four years and thought II the Colorado canyons
could be explored It would be llSe opening reyela-
ton.
1t was The plan OF The expedition to measure the
height Of the walls al least every twenty miles.
Wnile passing aioug one morning they round tae.l-
selves enclosed IN an alnpintleatre. wa only mar
row sneyng passage, with the ROCKS 800 ieet auoye
anu the river leet below. lne party penetrated
q cave III The rex nc the end oil the passage aud
found a ssyIrnt which they reached by pressing
themselves between fissare tn minds ana feet
untii the top was reached, an. one OF t1e sraudest
scenes IN nature was beleld. There were
night OF the soaring cage. After taxing an obseiya
ton aud nndiug tue altitude TO he 1900 feet they
projected 70 refresh themselves. Their ylctuals
were none Oh Inc best, am he found one OF the
wants Niih telescope and instruments oat, wac, III
response, sad he was trying 10 ind the latne and
longitude OF The nearest PIE. Reaching tile river
again they were peset WITH danger irom The wnirt-
ing ana edaSing wBcn would Toes their BOAT against
the ROCKS. very often they could rda bstNeen
the lines OF the great waves. 1hey launcned
out, and or forty miles the caaraets succeetfea
otneg al distances OF 300 rods 70 nan a mile apart
No. he non
the explorers frequently Climbed and earned tneIr
boats over. sometimes they nad 20 unoai but gem
orally shute was TO be found They haQ fear
water Tor their boats were decked lore ana ait but
there danger 81 being dashed against the rocks.
Proceeding on tney came 10 point where tue walls
had increased 10 2, 200 feet hgl, aud looking
the starting point, where fney were l,3Jo ieet II
seemed ike RIBBON meeting tile blue ky. soon
they came 10 place where another river entered
tile Colorado. The party were IN tue haDt OF pro-
curing supplies OF dsn rs they went along. On DIS
covering one river. after passing TIE 1rai aad the
Green, one Of the men in tle advance, III answer 10
what kind Of river II was sad II was a dirty
devil" lhe speaker said the water nab an odor
ike the democratic ointment III the little ala.
baster vessels which used ~ he thrown at Abolition
ISIS heaas-i r. ancient egs5-so they called the
. river DIRTY Deyii.n
The speaker proceeded 10 give geoloucal descrlp-
ton OF the country. The earth, ne sai, was com
posed Of variety u formations and he explained
Inc .wfhhies" VI Hfegularlues N ~ sutiace as
attributable 10 the contraction resulting IRON the
cooling process The dips, contfactlons loids oil
the Inherent formations were maao pain 10 the
audience bS NUMBER OF colored diagrams Part OF
the progress tue party maize was along dipping
slopes OF 1lese upturned formations Of orange sand
stone. sometimes theyswoaid hni caves anu aInphi-
theatres 80 large that al army could enter AID then
suddenly watelworn passages, covered with beauti-
iu ferns anh liverworss so narrow THAT could
hardly turn IN them. An extinct volcano, wulch
had thrown Up vast amounts OF scora was fonnI
hi. scora, mixing with sand and rain, creates holes
or ''p0cseis ~ tue indians call them and III winch
u few poplar trees are occasionally tcund growing
Reaching a point called Mound Caayon where
| they encamped they came on anotner OF
| the hundred thoHsana amphltneatres which
abound. Looking up about two hundred leet 10 a
skyiIg1t almost covered with tue rel rocks small
stream wa seen pouring down, and this sur
rounuei With beautiful FERNS TAcy called It Music
Temple, and many song the party sang there wlie
| resting on the warm days.
AZ the next or Mountain Canyon the strata began
| Is siope towards them the party pa sing tnrougn
the limestone formation and striking beautiful
marble. The walls increased 10 800 ieet hign,
! Wlta cascades oi bright red mud puDging over.
At distance beyond the party Deheld wall seem
ngy set Tilh Drlliants, but on nearing found II tc
be fountain springing up from Inc rock and git
ble c2nyQn, another cataract, which the party
| so absorbed with the beauty OF tile scene anos
reached unuoticed. ana Tie consequence was tha
the eadD5 Doat vent over. losing nearly az u con-
| tanned ID IYinS - reach an unseen catagac
6oyond over passage rev feet vide
shoulders sGey found the leise 70 "run out, and
| could have PROCEEDED no iurtHer mad they not DIS
| covered small assure ia fAs rock through which
| they climbed ~ The rock SIN dipplag IA tAell
dIecuon meg were yst ascending one strata after
another. The walls here 1900 10 900 or T. O0C
ieet high. IL was dlricut to give the correct height
of me rocks, the tops sometimes neug broken on
5000 Or 1900 feet ior mile Or more Oack. Tho
speaker wanted the audience TO fancy gorge mile
deep no wider than one OF our streets, and as Ion.
| a. RON uerc 10 Chicago. Inis canyon was 80 ct
| ana sGbdiylded INTO different staia that passag,
! through It was next 20 impossible. Almost every
where The roar o cat8taets aud creeks DC hcart
! pouring over or through inc worn assures Ia III
side, The granite formation IS here 800 eet thick
ono OF he greatest dincaites the party met was Il
fanainq cue u tug rapids, wncu would require tel
days, Nhlle they had out eight days ratl0ns. In tn
| NpiIf VI ldt stream " Ja IDCk lgdlSt WHICH tu