The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-10

Powelps Colorado ExpIoration-The Amcri
can AbyssInia.
Professor Powell, of Illinois, in his recent
exploration of that hitherto mysterious river,
the Colorado of the West, has rendered great
service to the cause Of science, the government
and the country. The Colorado river (known
as Green river to its junction with Grand
rises In the main chain of the Rocky Noun
tains, on the west side, its sources interlocking
with those of tho Platte and the Missouri,
which flow out on the eastern side. From its
head to it's outlet the Colorado passes in its
sinuous course through ten degrees of latitude
to the Gulf of California. A river rising In
Southern New York and emptying into the
Gulf of Mexico would be about the length of
this wild and wonderful Western stream.
Between the backbone of the Rocky Mountains
and the Wasatch chain, which divides it from
the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada, this
river drains great tableland like Abyssinia,
several hundred miles in width, elevated from
four to five thousand feet above the sea, and
profusely ornamentsd with mountains from
five thousand to ten thousand feet higher
Through the whole course of the river
passed by Professor Powell, some nine hun
bred miles, it's channel is narrow cafon, or
chasm, cut down into the tableland some two
or three thousand feet, the chasm, with pre-
cipitous walls on both sides, deepening in the
descent of the torrent to its outlet in the lower
plains Of Arizona, where it becomes navigable
to the Gulf for small steamers. All the tribu-
taries of this strange river, and their branches
on both sides, have cut for themselves, in the
abrasions of thousands of years, similar chasnfs
to that Of the main stream, so that the whole
country thus drained is cut up into labyrinth
Of abysses, impossible, except in occasional
slopes or depressions, to the traveller or
the trapper. From our special correspondence
Of the famous Napier expedition, the lofty
plateau Of Abyssinia, with its system Of
deep gorges and torrents, is the counter
part in Africa Of this most wonderful
region of the American Continent. While the
tablelands of Abyssinia, however, are COM
paratively fruitful, this Colorado country is
represented as utterly sterile and worthless,
excepting few patches here and there on the
borders of the streams.
Nor does it appear that in the deep excava-
lions of the Colorado Professor Powell has
discovered any valuable mineral deposits. He
reports no strata of iron ore, coal, lead,
copper, gold or silver-nothing but successive
layers of limestones and sandstones of different
coiors, with granite towards the outlet of the
grand caiion. There is fine picture of this
Colorado cahon on view in the American
Institute Fair, by Carvalho, an artist attached
to Fremonts exploring expedition of
1915. The different colored strata of the
sandstones in this picture will afford some idea
of the astonishing scenery of these Colorado
gorges. Fremont, however, did not waste his
time in exploring this river. His mission was
the exploration Of the then equally mysterious
and unknown regions westward to the Pacific.
So with the subsequent government expeditions
sent out to find way for Pacific Railroad.
They rather avoided than sought the imprac-
ticabie route across the deep caHons Of the
Colorado river region.
The inhabited and mining districts of the
Territory Of Colorado lie far eastward of the
river, among the ridges, parks and valleys Of
the main chain Of the Rocky Mountains, and on
the eastern side system of mountains,
streams, lakes valleys and parks, which
constitute the Switzerland Of America. The
course of the Colorado river Is through the
Territories Of Utah and Arizona to the point
where it strikes the eastern boundary Of Nevada.
For manufacturing purposes hereafter the Colo
RADIO and its tributary torrents may be turned
to good account; but for years 10 come they
will perhaps continue to be only the attractions
of adventurous tourists and scientific explorers,
like the grand canon of the Niagara from the
Falls down to its outlet from the Lake Erie ter
race into the plain below.
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Woe PRESIDENT CoLrAx ON MORMON PoLYG-
AMY. President Colfax has been giving
the Mormons at Great Salt Lake City little
wholesome advice on polygamy. But why all
this talk and no action2 In 1854, If we are
not mistaken, in tho very organization OF the
n