, 1869-07-03
FEARFUL DISASTER.
Reported Loss Of the Powell E1.
ploring Expedition Con-
.firmea. -:
Twenty-one Men Engulfed in
a Moment.
Arrival Of the Only Survivor at
Springfield.
His Statement Of the Manner Of the
Accident
FEARFUL DISASTER.

Special Despatch to The Chicago Tribune.
SrKtkGF1gLD, July e.
The fate Z! tile Powell expedition tas censed
feeling Il tntctsc anxiety among hfs friends and
tic IlLiic generally, und L. now determined by
the report, Us brought by the only survivor of the
tl-fAted party. ana Send you ths story tod TO
nle to-day by HIN which settles the fate Of Major
Powell and PUTTY:
The survivor + name IL John 4. Risdon, aud WAS
= member O! the Powell expedition. Joined
Aujoz PoweIls party on the luth day Of July 1sG5,
Ut Ii eai!e- Hts duttts weE" to nsslst 81 chain
man, and Whsteter he could do to be N .ie nseful.
Hc has ltcn with The purity every day hince II left
Illinois. and, OF COURSE, Il well acquainted with all
Who composed It.
On the ith OR 5th day Of May the party rcached
The Colorado IaEe1,!at point called Hllllaus-
burg, small Indian settlement ii that uE,e tho
party consisted OF Major Powell, WILL
tam c. Dur!cy, Charles Durley, Andrew
k1o1on, r. r. Smith, William s. Dottop,
Charles Sherman, Wu. scott, PeHJ Duncan,
John 4. Jones, Frederick Buckingham, David
Sellers, Edward Spencer, VIZ Murray, Isaac
Thomas, Thomas Heughs, a ha!f-breed Named
Chick the guide, and Two men who lived
at Fa!fbu.y, Ill; who acaed as runners, and
whose names he could not remember. There
were also two teamater1 named Fred Myers and
Thomas NAch. The party remained nt Williams
burg kereu or eight carz, the Anjor sending out
ecouttaX and parties Of observation during the
tiEc.
On the leth or 18th Of May .hc camp wss broken
up, and tho hole parry moved down the riFer for
the purpose Of exploring two tributaries
Of The Colorado paIncd BIZ Black and the Deleban.
At point 40 yards above i3tg Black the party
embarked on board Of i large hsII canoe, called
ynwl BY the Indians the boats the Major had haF-
Ing been left behnd> with the exception os III.
1s.sdon. who was directed by Major Powell to 60
below the Colorado iapidR, which had fall Of
about 160 feet between the mouth Of the Zig
Black and ne}ebanr 3 dtsanee Of mile and q
quarter, and to sec II the party could 10 up the
BELGIAN, aud then to zeturn and aFait the return
Of the paH5 from It's exploration Of
tho mouth Of Big Black. Nj. RIs.
Gou and four or nge others Of tho party
tlel to persuade the Major from crossing ut thA.
Ioiot, ns they considered by obseryatiors made
day O. tro before tha. the attempt would hc very
danseIouA Hut Major Powell tald langningy
In reply, "Ho have crossed worse rapids than
thesr, boys. You must TIC getting cowardly. II
segtn or eight men cannot paddle NJ across there
We WILL hasc to 70 unler." When the5 LETT the
snore, there were enty Ave men IN the boat with
surveying Instruments. and all OF tho Ma
1or's notebooks, etc. They pushed out
Into the river with three hearty cheers.
ullnQ hsven paddles, the Major standing
III the stern Steering RBdon stood On the shore
Haslug his hat, and said: " You must be back In
tine Tor dinner, for will have good lunch fo1
you when you return" They cried back in fcp1y:
" Goodbye Jack; you will neser see Us agnln."
A moment afterwards, Rtsdon saw the boat COM
nence #htrt!ng around. md Ike living thing
dive down into the depths Of the river With it,
living freight, Major Powell standing q, h!s
post, and was the last men i!sdou
eAw Of this noble and Inflated expedition, aad
Risdop Was LETT alone, the only surr1rog Of the
party. Hi feelings can he better imagined than
described IN his own language, "Fut two
hours lug on the bank Of the nrer crying like a
hahy.'' He then went up and down the river for
half mile or more 10 see Il he could ind any re-
nlalas Of the party, but could not DO 30. lie then
vent doHu the river for aoout three Or
four miles, and while sitting on
the river bank resting Mnscl3, he
saw catpet-bas nuating dorm the stream, about
four rods frotu hin lie bad no o:he. way TO
reach 1t hut to swim, which he did, md brought 1t
to the shore. II proved to be Major PowelI's, and
contained memorandum and sketch bookA K.sdon
continued four da5a sel1rhinR for the rena!ns OF
the lost patty without finding anything but the
caspvt-bas, and, then gathering up al! the elects
Of the party le1. behind, and TAX
Ing the tTo teams and wagons,
started for the bor,ie7, OF Civilization, and
after eight days Of travel he teached L. Hoy, a
small military ropt aud settlement on Red R!reE,
afsut the lst Of June. In reaching this place R,-
Ion wAs obliged to ford different rircss aud
streams twenty ,imea, and several times came
ncar loFirs one Of the teaHa. At Lc Roy 1as,ion
reported 10 Colonel siuith, commanding the post,
and turned over 10 him ali lie property be had
brought through. Colonel Smith received him
kindly. and did all In his power 10 make h!a conl-
Portable after l!s long, luncsunc lEr, nnd ut
the cnt OF ttrce days, EaEe Illsdon
transportation to ST: Louis, where be arrived atout
three lay ago, and Ii now In this city on hs way
10 Lasaie, his home. AL Of Major powell's ba-.
gage, together With the ca1pet-bag found h5 Rs
don, were sen; to Ars. Powell by express. yeater-
day, from st. Louis.
have Written this sketch aa=t!ly Is II fell from
the lips Of Nj. R!edon, Eho has the appearance OF
an honest, reliable man. au,i we'll posted In the
doings Of the expedition: and hy his words and
By the taHg,ne proofs he brings with him. the tate
Of Major Powclla expedition Is left withou,
doubt. and another name Is added to the long
Fut Of frattsrs to Rcitnce. HI. RIsfon served up-
der Major Powell In Company 4, First Illinois Al.
tll'eE9, 70. th'tt years, duElng the late wa1.