Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-09-29
6eueral s8ntelliaeilfe.
THE CANoNs OF THE COLORADO.

ment ExpIorer-Descemt of the Rap
tds-5,o0O Feet Fall I'm 100 Miles
Mountain Ramge-Rich Mineral De-
pOsits.
From the Omaha Republican, Sept. 16.
Samuel Adams, ESQ.,, n gentleman who
has been for the last four years in the ser
vice of the War Department, engaged in
exploring the Colorado River and the un-
explored region Of country lying west of
the Rocky Mountain range contiguous to
that river, arrived in this city on yesterday,
on his way to Washington, where he will
submit to the Secretary of War an official
report of his explorations and discoveries.
Mr. Adams has kindly furnished us the fol-
lowing synopsis of his forthcoming report,
which contains information of the most in
teresting and valuable character, of vast
region of country, of which little or moth
thing of reliable nature has hitherto been
known. We commend it to the attention
of the readers of the Republican,:
editor Republican,:
''SIR:- AT your request give you few
hasty facts respecting the individual ex-
ploring enterprise with which [ have been
connected for the last four years, having for
it's object the exploration of the Colorado
River and its tributaries. This river, and
the almost unknown country through which
it wends its way from the Rocky Mountains
to the Gulf of California, has been so much
misrepresented by professional letter writ
ers, and a more recent explorer, who has
expended nothing individually and incur
red none of the hardships inseparably con-
nected with the development of the terra
incoanita) West, the public in consequence,
have been much deceived, and very great
Injustice has been done to the mineral and
agricultural resources of q neglected sec.
ton of territory which must soon attract
the attention OF the government.
sIt is impossible for me, in this brief
communication, to enter into q subject at
length upon which you have expressed SO
much interest, as / have done IN my official
report, which viii be published in few
days.
my exploring party of eleven men, with
four boats constructed on the Blue River,
left a point on that stream, eight miles
from the main divide or summit of the
Rocky Mountains, July Il, 1869, for the
purpose of descending that stream to the
Grand Cthe main tributary of the ColOradO)
to a point on the Colorado River where l
had ascended from the Gulf of California
over three years since, the facts OF which
were given in my published report to the
Secretary of War, and published IN the New
York Tribune, and other papers of the
East and West For the first 100 miles,
after starting, | found the descent of the
river to be over 5, ZOO feet. The Rocky and
Cave Canons of the Blue, and the Grand
and Swift Canons of the Grand River
/ found to be swifter and much more dan
gerous than the 'Mojave, Painted, Long,
Black, and Big Canons OF the Colorado
River, through all of which [ have as
cended an descended several times within
n. -, 4 fIn11 of t1a
current, depth and length of canons, ETC.,
| gave in my published report. Where [
left the river last to the Gulf of California,
a distance of about eleven hundred miles,
the descent of water cannot be over 500
feet. or more than five feet TO the mile, thus
substantiating the statement made III my
first report In descending through sue
cession of rapid canons [ lost all my boats,
instruments, maps, etc. The instruments
were replaced, when, with my companions
(four mem, proceeded upon cedar raft.
This was broken up, and all our provisions
lost, except four days rations For seventy
five miles the falling water would average
seventy feet to the mile; and III some places,
three hundred to the mile. While this was
a source of satisfaction to myself, and an
additional assurance that the fall of water
must necessarily be less below, it was
cause of alarm to the balance Of my party,
who left me in the Rocky Cave Canon. In
these the perpendicular walls arose from
800 to 1900 feet.
s'In descerd ding the river upon our raft,
as well as for seventy-five miles above
where we constructed it, we passed through
a succession of valleys from one mile to
fifty IN length, where we unexpectedly
found wild oats, wheat, rye, barley, timo-
thy ana clover growing spontaneously,
while the fine cedar and oak timber in
creased in size. The mineral resources we
found to be of the most tfatterlng character.
Time viii not permit meto enter into full
description of these or the superior tacili
ties for making them available. Soon the
public will know and appreciate these facts,
and the press of the East will no longer be
led astray by descriptions of the canons of
the Colorado, given by recent explorer in
this the eleventh hour, whose vision was so
remarkably acute that at the distance of
three hundred miles from Green River, he
could see the canons of the Colorado in all
their length and depth, and whose letters
stated that he was the first to ascend the
summit OF Longs Peak, when it is a matter
OF public notoriety that women and men
have gone before him for the last ten
wears, the day and date of whose ascent
was marked upon the place of his triumph.
feel that | am depressing from my object
in writing Had timel would enter upon
it at length and speak of 1t as its import
ance demands. Respectfully yours,
SAMUEL ADAMS"