New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-30
SCENERY OF THE COLORADO.

SHOOTING RAPIDS AND CASCADEs-HAIR-
BREADTH 'sCAPES-LOSs OF THREE MEN
ANCIENT INDIAN TOWNS-A FASCINATING
STORY.
| To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: In the great southwest region Of the terri.
tory of the United States there is belt of country
that has long been the region of myths. Gorges
with cliffs overhanging to shut out the day. under
| ground courses of great river that carries the
melted SHOWS of vast mountain cisterns great cat
aracts, whose plunging waters make roaring music,
heard on the distant mountain SUBMITS with thou.
sand imaginative embellishments, have been given
the characteristics of this region known vaguely
as the Grand Canon of the Colorado
Many stories of wild adventure have been
told by Indians, trappers and prospecters of
walking along the brink of the canon walls in search
of passage down to the waters, but vainly travel
ing for days and then pershng for thirst in sight OF
the river below, which rOared its hooking into dying
ears. Other stories are current OF men who have
entered the gorge only to be overwhelmed IN an
abyss of waters; still others, of boats, and boats
crews gliding down the swift river into under
ground passages to be lost forever from the light,
Such are the legends told in the hunters cabin and
prospecter's camp away ont among the mountains,
and now and then these have found their way into
public print.
Expeditions sent out by the Government 10 ex-
plore the Colorado and the region round about have
reported the caflon inaccessible. The traditions of
| the early Spanish adventures make it land un.
| known and forever to be unknown. The Indians OF
the countries adjacent have woven the mysteries OF
it into the myths of their religion. So, Indians and
Spanish adventures hunters and prospecters have
all united in telling fabulous stories of its wonders
and terrors. For two or three years have been
making some geographical studies in the mountains
to the east and north and while pursuing them, the
| hiatt NON
be book of revelations in the rock leaved bible of
geology. The thought fruited with deter
termination to read the book sought for all the
available information with regard to the canon land
| talked with the Indians and hunters; went
among the Mormons to learn what they knew oftbis
country adjacent to the Kingdom of God" the
home of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter
Day Saints" read the reports of the surveys, and
| explored cations of the tributary streams that
thought would represent somewhat the nature OF the
Grand Canon on account of similar geological and
physical characteristics. From these fabulous stories
and reports, facts, and from knowledge of other
canons, came to the belief that the Grand Canon
| of the Colorado" could be explored by descending
the river in small boats. / also arrived at the con-
clusiOn that what was known as tho Grand Canon
in fact series of canOns forming the banks or
walls of the Upper Colorado, and the lower portions
of the Green and Grand that unite to form it, These
two streams unite in caIlOns, and persons held
that the vaguely defined Grand CanOn' was
tinued up the Green, and others that it
tinued up the Grand, while others still asserted
that these streams united in valley. One man
assured me that he with several Others had laid
q city at the junction, but was driven away by
Indians.
With this end in view. came from the mountains
to Chicago last Spring, to procure outfit and build
boats. Four of these were made on a model devised
for the purpose of navigating canon streams; and
taking them out to Green River Station where tho
Union Pacific Railroad crosses the Green, was
ready to embark. There had party of nine men
awaiting my arrival, and anxious to enter the great
unknown" with me-men all experienced iu the wild
life of the country and most of them in boating OH
dangerous streams On the 9th of May we started.
For few days our way was through a river of low
canons, and small green vaes, until reached
the Uintah Mountains. Through this range the
river has cut a winding channel, forming the
Untah system of caMons. Near the lower
end of this series Yampa River enters the
Green by a canon. Further down. in valley portion
of the river. the Uintah and White come in. Below
this point about 30 miles we enter still another
series. Low walls of gray, buff, and rust-cooret
sandstone shut us in These walls slowly increase in
hight as advance. The gray rocks are lost; dark
red sandstones appear; the walls are broken down
by lateral canons increasing in number until we
in the heart of the "CaGOn Of DesOatOn." Some
times these lateral Gallons are crowded that tho
rock between them stands "a narrow wall, humid
reds of feet high. the end toward the main canon.
Some lateral CanOns have their own lateral cahons-
third series-cutting the walls into sections, whose
towering SUBMITS, though large enough to support
cathedras. seem scarcely to furnish footing fora
man. Two thousand fcet-tbree thousand feet over
head is the summit of the walls, while rocks and
crags and peaks rise higher, and still higher away
back from the river until they reach an altitude Of
nearly 5000 feet These rusty gray and dark red sand
stones have no beauty of color. few greenish gray
cedars are SEEM looking not like pyramids of
green spray but like clumps of knOtty clubs be-
decked with spines These, with little sage, con.
stitute all the yerdure
We next ran through Coal Canon, and passed the
month of Little White River, then a valley region
passed the mouth of the San Rafael, and we enter
Still Water Canon. The river winds through this
with quiet current if in no haste to leave tina
beautiful canon carved out of the orange Sandstone
All along its walls domed acOves and amphitheater
ha,a been cut out of the solid rock; grottoes and
caves abound, narrow lateral cations, channels Of
riyulets, born of a shower and born again of
shower are cut as clefts in the rocks and at every
I've on the inner side is spot of willowbOrdered
meadow Then the walls grow higher, the river
swifter and we glide around 10 the junction of the
Grand and Green Here the walls nearly thirteen
hundred feet high. But away back from the river,
are lateral callons and canon valleys, the floors Of
which are at about the altitude the immedi-
ate walls OF the main canon, and the walls of this up
per set are hundreds of fce5 high. Lateral to the
second there is often thild SERIES with floors at
greater altitude than the doors of the second; then
the country back is cut into labyrinth of eanons
The main walls at the junction not vertical but
hive the slone of broken rocks tumbled down while