The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-24
THE COLORADO.
Exploration of the Cnnyons-A Governmental

exploration oil the HanY9ns-A Governmental
The Omaha Republican has the following:
Samuel Adams, Esq, gentleman who has
been for the last four years in the service of
the War Department, engaged in exploring
the Colorado river and the unexplored region
of country lying West of the Rocky Mountain
range contiguous to that river, arrived in this
city yesterday on his way to Washington,
where he will submit to the Secretary of War
an official report of his explorations and dis.
coveries. Mr.. Adams has furnished the fol-
ing synopsis of his forthcoming report
At your request, ! give you a few hasty
facts respecting the individual exploring en-
terprise with which have been connected for
the last four years, having for it's object the
exploration of the Colorado river and it's
tributaries. This river and the almost un-
known country through which it wends its
way from the hocky Mountains to the Gulf of
California has been so much misrepresented
by professional letter-writers and a more re-
cent explorer, who has expended nothing indi-
vidually and incurred none of the hardships
inseparately connected with the development
of the terra mcOgnita) West. The public, in
consequence, have been much deceived, and
very great injustice has been done to the
mineral and agricultural resources of q neg
attract the attention of the Government 1t
is impossible for me- in this brief communi-
cation, to enter into subject at length upon
which you have expressed so much interest,
| as l have done in my official report, which
will be published in a few days.
My exploring party of eleven men, with
| four boats constructed on the Blue river left
| point on that stream eight miles from the
| main divide or summit of the Rocky Noun
| I'm fba Of 10
| scending that stream to the Grand (the main
| tributary of the Colorado) to a point on the
| Colorado river, where L had assembled from
| the Gulf of California over three years SINCE
the facts of which were given in my published
report to the Secretary of War. For the first
100 miles, after starting, 1 found the descent
of the river to be over 5000 feet. The Rocky
and Cave Canyons of the Blue, and the
''Grand" and "Swift" Canyons of the Grand
river found to be swifter and much more
dangerous than the "Moiave," painted, 4"
Long ''Blacl," and "Big" Canyons of
the Colorado river, through all of which 1
have assembled and descended several times
within the last three years. A description of
the current, depth, and length of canyons
etc., gave in my published report, Where
| / left the river last to the Gulf of California,
| distance of about 100 miles, the descent of
water cannot be over 500 feet, or less than
five feet to the mile, thus substantiating the
statement made in my first report. In de-
scending through succession of rapid
canyons / lost all my boats, instruments,
maps, etc. The instruments were replaced,
when, with my companions (two men
/ proceeded upon a cedar raft. This
was broken up and all our provisions
lost, except four days rations For seventy
five miles the fall of water would average
seventy feet to the mile; in some places 300
to the mile. While this was a source of salts
faction to myself, and an additional assurance
that the fall of water must necessarily be les
below, it was cause of alarm to the balance
of my party, who left me in the rocky Cav
Canyon. In these the perpendicular wall
arose from 500 to 1900 feet