Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-07-29

COLORADO RIVER EXPLORING Ex- /
PEDIT1oN, CAMP IN RED CANON,


GREEN RIVER, July 3, 1869.
To the Editor Of the Chicago Evening
Journal:
The object of the expedition of which
am member Is we'll known to the
readers OF your paper, and anything in
regard To il is unnecessary AT this time.
Our boats having arrived at Green Riv-
er City, ola the Union Pacific Railroad,
were launched on The 2ltli of May, and
loaded with tile freight, consisting of
the instruments necessary for the scien-
titic work of the expedition, and provi-
sions, chiefly -four, bacon, coffee and
| sugar, with such other creature comforts
as the nature of the voyage and the Ca
pacity of the boats would allow.
We were thoroughly tired of our So
journ at Green River City, which is
situated in desolate region, surrounded
Fby sandy, barren bluffs, and at one
O'Clock III the afternoon of the 24th we
ruwed into the stream and were soon
out of sight of the town. Dropping
down the river ten or twelve miles, we
landed and camped in cotton wood
| grove, well satisfied with tue trial trip
OF our little fleet of four small boats.
which were built with ali the "Iogic'i
displayed in the construction of the
WVuuCiiul Ouc-uObS Suay.
Continuing on our voyage the next
| morning we made distance of seventy
miles during the 25th and 26th, and on
the 9th passed the mouth of Henry's
FOrk-a small stream flowing into Green
river from the west-when the vertical
walls of "Flaming GORGE the entrance
to the upper canon of t.ie Green, came
in view but few miles distant. AS we
entered the narrow canon the wallr OF
brilliant red sandstone, rising TO a
height OF 200 feet, looked Threatening
ana ominous. The low, narrow banks
net" ten the river and the walls were
covered with cotton wood and box ell
der. @
We remained at this place during the
2Sth and 18th, engaged in measuring
the height of the walls of the canon.
collecting fossiis, mending broken in
struntnts, etc, and resumed our voyage
again on he 3ihh Through this canon
the river has cut :, harrow channel a
distance OF fifty miles, with often lust
sufflclent room ior Ti,.. water to flow be-
tween the walls, leaving no bank of,lirt
or rock on either side. Sometimes. at
Irregular Intervals, are low, narrow
banks of sandy soil, dotted with small
sr'rr- 'li cotton wood trees, with All
vines irail on the ground or iestoon the
underground of the groves. FIocks of
wild geese paddle in the shouI water
along the banks or hurry across the
rapid current in front oi our b,,ats Al w,
pass. The stream is compapatiyeIy sing
ylsli lof some distance from the entrance
aud then rapidly increases in speed till
IL becomes a mountain torrent. with of
ten succession OF rapids ANA catarscts,
when the bed OF the river is encountered
Win foc-,s, that sometimes rise num-
Der of feet above the, water, IA ras.i
On the night OF the s0til we calDped
ut bend of the river, which we called !
Bee Hive Point, from the appearance of
cliff on the left side of the river. !
rounded to the shape of u dome ut the
top and covered with cells carved by the
action OF the water during some past
age, in which hundreds of Swallows had
built their nests of clay As the swal-
lows Tit about the cliff they. look like
swarms OF bees, and the cliff has the ap-
pearance OF COLOSSAL bee hive, Oppo-
site tins ciid, aud where we camped, is
vast amphithestre, composed of a sue
session o OF terraces, rising to a hight of
built OF red sandstone, and the spaee
between is gentle slope clothed in
green rerdure, and on which row of
pine trees grow In the arc of a circle.
and the amphitheatre Is painted with
alternate bands of green and red. AS
we near this marvellous work of nature
ia our little boats, 9 herd of mountain
sheep are standing i'm line on a terrace
2dD OF 800 feet above the river. and As
taey remain motionless, watching our
approach, they look like statues exotis-
itely Schiseled by some master artist.
and we are half surprised to see them |
suddenly wheel around, like a platoon
of well-drilled soldiers, and ieaping |
gracefully to platform above, fiie |
again into line, aud eye us with suspi-
ei0n as We land our boats. This animal |
is much larger than the domestic sheen. I
and Is pursued by hunters on account of /
Lhe nhe navor OF his meat, but is less /,
frequently secured than other game be- /
cause OF tue ease aud rapidity with /
Which ne ciimos the highest cliffs and I
most PERCEPTIONS peaks. of which he is !
sovereign and sole inheritorl
Continuing our way from this plaee |
on the morning of the 3lst. it became /
necessary TO proceed with the greatest !
caution, a. tile rapids became more and I
more dangerous; and THE most skilful /
hanuiih" Oh the oarS was. required to !
prevent tiia ooat+ from being hurled by !
the water against the rocks that strewed |
the bed of the river, and dashed to
Pieces. Finding now only succession /
% rapids. rnany of which we had TO let /
go over with ropes, We proceeded in this /
manner rhe light boat, CARRYING no !
freight. and manned ny two oarsmen 4
and apii0t, The commander of the expe- I
dition, took the lesd. The pilot, closely
titp best cnurse to take to (
avoid ttIe fGeks. Jan the boat ashore as
soon ~ possible after running the rap
Ids, and then siynalled the direction,
Will RED Nag, TO the other boats. After /
bailing the water from the boats which
were often half filed by the waves and
breakers of the rapids, and If the next 4
rapid was thought to be practicable. We
rowed into the stream, and the current
soon carried US to the next signal sta
ton. In this manner 25 or 80 miles
were made during the 3lst of May and
the 1st day OF June, and on the after
noon of the latter day we came to q d.
rect fall of II or IA feet. The current ia
perceptible for some distance
above the falls, and we ran our boat
ashore, without danger, within but a
few feet of where the water makes a
perpendicular descent, and Is beaten /
into foam on the rocks below. On the
of the I'd we nnloaded our boats
and let them over the falls by tying a
ropo to either end of boat. and then
fastening one of the ropes to a rock be-
low the falls. held the boat with the
other till taken from our hands by the
tsrce OF the water, but held by the rope
below, and by eleven o'clock in the
morning the portage was made, and we
continued down the stream. The veloc-
ty OF the current now steadily increas
ed till We attained rate of almost rail-
road speed. The river, however, was
comparatively free from rocks, and we
stopped only to bail the water from the
boats. And now, as we looked down the