Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-05-02
DOWN 1000 FEET.
Exciting Details OF Trip to the Royal
forge Of the Grand Canyon OF
the Arkansas, in Colorado.
(Rocky Mountain Tourist.)


lowing an early breakfast. next
morning, drive Of IL miles brings
us to the grand canyon Of the Ark
ansas. Disappointment is bitter, and
feelings of resentment almost beyond
control. as nowhere can the eye dis
cover the canyon. In the immediate
foreground the pinion growth is rank
and dense: just beyond, great bleak
ridges of bare. cold rock contrast
strongly with the profusion OF foliage
hiding everything beneath from
sight, while away in the dim dis
lance the snow-crowned peaks Of the
continental divide are outlined sharp
and clear against the dark solid blue
of the morning sky. Though grand
beyond anything we have seen in
amazing extent OF vision, the mind is
so wrapped up in the anticipation OF
full realization Of the gloom and
vastness and solemn grandeur Of the
Grand Canon, as to resent almost an
grily the apparent absence. HALF a
dozen steps from the clump Of pin
ion trees where the horses have been
fastened, and all thoughts Of resent
ment, of disappointment and chagrin,
vanish, and very cry of absolute
terror escapes US. At our feet is the
canon-another step would hurl US
into eternity. Shuddering, we peer
down the awful slopes; fascinated,
we steal little nearer to circumvent
a very mountain that has rolled into
the chasm, and at last the eye reaches
down the sharp incline 5000 feet to
the bed of the river, the impetuous
Arkansas, forty to sixty feet in width,
yet to US a mere ribbon OF molten
silver. Though surging madIy against
its rocky sides, leaping wildly over
gigantic masses Of rock, and hoarse-
IL mumuring against its prison bars,
we see not nor do we hear, aught Of
its fury. The solemn stiffness of
death pervades the scene; the waters
IS we see them are as il polished, and
as stationary as the mighty walls
that look down on them from such
fearful height. Fairly awed into a
bravado as reckless as it is strange
to US, we crawl out upon the totter-
ingledges to peer into the sheer depths
of untold ruggedness; we grasp
with deathlike clutch some overhang-
ing limb and swing outon promon-
tory beside which the tallest cathe-
dral spira in the world would be as a
sapling in hight. We crawl where at
home we would scarcely dare look
with telescope and in the mad ex-
element OF the hour tread with per-
feet abandon Drinks, the bare thought
OF which in subsequent sober mo-
ments makes US faint OF heart and
dizzy Of head Eager now for still
greater horrors Of depth, blind to
everything but an intolerable desire
to behold the most savage of natures
uphevals, the short ride to the Royal
Gorge is made with ill-concealed i'm
patience. II our first experience
upon the brink of the Grand canyon
was starting, this is absolutely terri
flying, and the bravest at one point
become most abject towards in
comparison at the other. At the
first point of observation, the walls
though frightfully steep, are never
theless sloping to more or less ex-
tent; here at the Royal Gorge they
are sheer precipices, as perpendicu-
lar as the tallest house. as straight as
il built by line. So narrow is the
gorge that one would think the
throwing Of stone from side to side
the easiest Of accomplishments, YET
no living man has ever done it, Oh
succeeded in throwing any object SC
that itwould not fall into the water be-
low. Many tourists are content with
the appalling view from the main
walls, but others more venturesome
work their way GOO to 1000 feet down
the ragged edges OF a mountain that
has parted and &C 5ually slid into the
chasm; and as we have come to see il
all, the Chamber down must be ac.
complished. For some distance We
scramble over and between mon.
strous boulders, and then reach the
narrow and almost absolutely per.
pendicular creyice OF gigantic
mass of rock, down which we mus
let ourselves 160 feet or more. As
we reach the shelf or ledge of rock
upon which the great rock has faller
and been sundered, we glance back
but only for q second-the thought
Of our daring making us grow sick
and dizzy. But step or two more
and the descent just made sinks into
utter insignifcance, compared tc
what is before us. Then we had the
huge walls OF the parted rock as the
rails OF a staircase; now we have
naught but the smooth, rounded sur
face of the storm-washed boulders to
cling to- and on either side of ON
narrow way depths at the bottom Of
which a mans body could never be
discovered with human eye. Behind
us the precipitous rocks over and
through which we came; ahead of us
the slender barrier OF rock overhang-
ing the appalling chasm, and all