Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-07-29

TIE COLORADO EXPEDITION.
Letter RS from Col. Powell-Ru the
GaHons-The gateway OF the Colora'
do Reached iu Safety.

do Reached An Safety.
The Chicago Tribune publishes three let
Iers from Col. Powell, dated respectively
June %, 9th and 9TH, detailing the progress
of the expedition up to that date. These
letters conclusively prove the reported loss
of the expedition canard, as at the date
of the last letter the party had passed the
point where il was said to have taken place.
The party had. however, just reached the
gateway of the Great Canon, where the
greatest dangers lie, and what fhte may
have overtaien them since, we wait with
much anxiety tn learn. As the reported
loss of the party has invested the expedi-
ton with peculiar interest to the public,
VIC republish portion of the two last let
tiers of Col Powell:
JUNE Eve left camp at Flaming Gorge
on the 30th of May, and quickly run thro'
the gorge; then wheeled TO the left on the
swiftly gliding current into another canon.
with direct run of nearly mile; then the
river turned sharply around the point of a
narrow cliff 10 the right, about fifteen hun
dred feet high, and rolled in great waves
back again to the west ford another mile;
the,l became quiet stream in little val
lev. As this was our first experience with
canon rapids, We called it Canon OF the
RAPIDS. Soon we entered another canon
i'm The gray rocks, and made n ride to the
point where the river makes its grand turn
to the east, and camped for the night.
This camp was on the south side OF the
river, Just opposite a dome-shaped noun
tain, around which the Green makes fits
turn, and we called it Beehive Point.
Down the river the mountains were of red
sandstone, and the evening sun played
i'm roseaie flashes from the rocks
and shimmering green from the &C.
lar spray and shimmered and flashed along
the dancing waves away down the river. =
The landscape revelled in beautiful sun
shine. The next day we started down
through what we called Red Canon, and
soon came to rapids, which were made
dangerous by huge rocks lying In the chan
mel. So we ran ashore and let our boats
down with lines. In the afternoon we
came TO moro dangerous rapids aud stopped
to examine them, and found that we had to
let down with lines and were on the wrong
side of the river, but must first cross. No
very easy matter in such n current, with
dangerous rocks below and rapids above.
First L sent the pioneer boat, EMMA
Dean over to unload on The opposite
bank; then she returned to get another
load, and, running back and forth, she
soon had nearly half the freight over. -
Then one of the large boats was manned
and taken across, but carried down almost
20 the rocks, in spite of hard rowing. Tn,
other boats soon followed, and we wen
into camp for tho night. AT the foot o
| the cliff on this side, there was a long
slope covered with pines. Under thes'
pines we made our beds, and soon afte
| 81
cliffs on either side were of rich, red sand
stone, and stretched up toward the heavens
two thousand five hundred feet. On thi,
side, the long pine-clad slope was sur
mounted by n perpendicuim GILL Will
pines ON its summit The cliff on TN,
other side vas bare reck from the water
edge up two thousand feet, and then siopeG
back, giving footing to pines and cellars
As twilight deepened the rocks grew darl
and sombre. The threatening roar of thu
waters was loud and constant, and L lait
awake with thoughts of the morrow anf
the canons TO come, Interrupted now and
then by characters in the scenery thai
would attract my attention. And here
made n discovery that has been interesting
and useful to me since On looking at O
mountain directly in front, the inclination
of the slope to the horizon IL greatly exag-
gerated, and the distance to its summit and
its true altitude is correspondingly dimin-
ished. To iudge of the slope of n noun
tain side you must sec IL III profile.
Now, In coming down to this point during
the afternoon, had noticed the slope Of a
particular part of the cliff, and had made
an estimate Of its altitude. While at sup
per / had noticed the same chill from a
position facing il, and it seemed vertical
but not half high But lying ON my
side and looking Mt the same its true pro
portions appeared. This seemed wonder
ful. and ! got up to take view of 1T stand
ing erect; twas the same chff as at supper
time. Lying down again IT was the cliff as
seen in profile in proportions, with the adj
vantage of seeing the features of Its full
face. And musing on this forgot the
morrow and the canons tn come. i fonnd
way TO judge of altitude and slope az
could Judge of distance and trend along
the horizontal. The reason, too. is simple;
n reference to the stereoscope will suggest
it at once. Since then | have often laid
down on my side TO search the canon wall
far away TO its summit.
The day following We had an exciting
ride. The river glided and rolled down
the canon at wonderful rate No rocks
IL the way TO stop us, We made almost
railroad speed. Here and there the water
would rush into n narrow gorge, the rocks
at the side rolling it TO the centre in great
waves, and the boats would go leaping and
bounding over these like things Of life.
They reminded me of scenes L had wit
messed in Middle Park. Herds of startled
deer bounded through forests beset with
fallen timber. j mentioned the resem-
blance to some of the hunters, and so
striking was il that IL came TO be common
expression, ''See the blacktails jumping
the logs" Sometimes these waves would
break, and their waters roll over the boats,
which nceessitated much bailing, and
sometimes We had 10 stop for that purpose
II was thought by members of the party
that at some points We ian at the rate OF a
mile per minute
estimated that we ian twelve miles in
one hour, sioppages included. The dis
lance was thought to be much more by 9TH
ers of the party. Last spring had con
versation with an old Indian who told me
of one of his tribe making tho attempt &c
run this canyon in q canoe with his wifi,
and little boy. ''The rocks, lie said, hold
ing his hands above his head, his arms yer
teal, and looking between them to tn,
heavens, 'the rocks heap he mp high
The water goes hoo-woOgh, hoo-woogh
hoo woogh Water pony Che boat h-e-a-
buck Water ketch EN- No sec EN- Ingii
any more no see EN- squaw any moro M
see EN- pappoose any more y Those wh'
have seen these wild Indian ponies rear al
ternately before and behind, or 'buck, o.
it is called In the vernacular. viii appreciat.
his description.
AT last turninga point we came to cain
| water. but with n threatening. roar in tia.
distance. Gradually approaching thii
roar, We came TO falls, and tied up JUS
above them on the left bank. Here VIZ
had TO male a portage. We unloaded thu
boats; then fastening long line to th,
bow and another to the stern of one W.
moored it close to the edge of tho falls
The stern line was taken below the fall
and made fast, the bow line was taken by
Eve or 81 X men and the boat let down al
long as they could hold 1t; then, letting
go, the boat rnn over and was caught by
the lower rope Getting one boat over tina
night We rested until morning; then mad,