Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-09-29
6eneral antelliQenle.
THE CANONS OF THE COLORADO.

Ocitfrnl cHntflliQfn(e.
THE CANONS or THE COLORADO. F
Letter from samuel Adasas. a Govern
aent Explorer Descent of the Rap
Ids 5000 Feet Fall I'm TOO Miles
Fertile Valleys West of the Rocky
Mountain Range Rich Mineral De-
p0sffs.
From tue Omaha Republican. sept. Id.
Samuel Adams. Esp, a gentleman who
has been for the lasi four years In the SER
vice of the War Department, engaged in
exploring the Colorado River, and the I'M
explored region of country lying west of
the Rocky Mountain range. contiguous to
that river. arrived in this city on yesterday,
on his way 70 Washington. where hs will
submit tO the Secretary of War an official
report of his explorations anda discoveries
Mr.. Adams has kindly furnished us tho fol-
lowing synopsis of his forthcoming report.
which seaissns iniesinaiisn Of The most in
teresti - ssna -ssllIal,e g b. - xeier of vast
region OF county, of whicn little or moth
thing Of reliable nature has hitherto been
known. We commend it to the attention
of the readers Of the Republican,:
Editor Repsl|icsn:
SIR At your request. give you few
hasty faets respecting the inf1ividuaf ex-
Poring enterprise with which have been
connected for the last -four years having for
Its object the exploration of the Colorado
River and its tributaries. This river, and
the almost unknown country through which
it wends lis way from the Rocky Mountains
10 The Gulf of California, fI-s been 40 much
misrepresented by professional litter writ
ers, and a more recent explorer, who has
expended nothing individually and incur
red none of the har,iships inseparably con-
nected with the development of the terra
ineOgnitaD West. the public, IN consequence,
have becn much sleeeiyed. end very great
injustice las been done to the mineral and
agricultural resources OF neglected seq
ton of territory which must sOon attract
the attention of the government
''It is impossible for me, in this brief
communication, to enter into subject st
length upon which you have expressed so
much interest, as have done IN my official
report, which will be published i'll 9 lew
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 L, 1869, for the
purpose of descending that stream to the
Grand (the main tributary ofthe Colorado)
to a point ON the Colombo River, where l
had ascend.d 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, fonnd the descent of the
river to beoyer 8, 900 feet The Rocky and
Cave Canons Of the Biue, and the Grand
n sCs-- ~ IF fla prxax
1 found to be swifter and much more dam
serous tLsn the .Mcjave. ,sPaiufed. 'I,ong,
4 BLACK and Bic Csnons of tho Colorado
River. through all of which I have as
cended an descended several times within
the hast thre, years. A description of the
current, depth and length of canons, etc.,
L gave in my published report Where /
left the river hast TO the Gulf of California,
a distance Of about eleven hundred miles,
the descent OF water cannot be over 600
feet, or more than five feet to the mile, thus
substantiatinss the statement made in my
frsf report In descending through sue
eession ur rapid canons lost all my boats
instruments, maps, etc. The Instruments
were replaced, when, with my companions
-four mem, procseded upon cedar raft
This was broken mp, and all our provisions
lost, except four days rations. For seventy
five miles the falling water would average
seventy feet to the mile; and in some places,
three hundred to the mile. While this was
a source Of satisfaction to myself, and an
z additional assurance tlat tho fall Of water
must necessarily bc 3css below, it was a
cause of alarm to the balance of my party,
who left me in the Rocky Cave Canon. In
these the perpcndicnIar wallis arose from
500 to 1880 feet
''In descending tho river upon our raft,
as we'll for seventy-hve miles above
where We constructed it, We passed through
a succession of valleys from one mile 10
fifty in length, where We unexpectedly
found wild oats. wheat, rye, barley, timo-
thy and clover growing spontaneously,
while the fine cedar and oak timber in
creased IN size. The mineral resources we
found to be OF the most 1attering character.
Time will not permit me TO enter into a fall
description of these or the superior facili-
ties for making them available. Soon the
pnblic will know and appreciate these facts.
and the press of the East will no longer be
led astrsy by descriptions of the canons OF
the Colorado, given by a recent explorer in
this. the eleventh hour, whose vision was 30
remarkably acute that at the distance OF
three huBdrsd 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 iirst 10 ascend the
summit OF Longs Peak, when il is matter
of public notoriety That women and men
have gone before him for the last ten
years. 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 Itimei would enter upon
IL at length and speak of it as its import
ance demands. Respectfully yours,
''SAMUEL ADANs"