River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-14
A Story of the Grand Canon.

The Denver, Col, Tribune tells the fol
lowing story of the Grand Canon:
"Charles Nav and his brother Robert
in the spring of 1870, offered to pass co.
900 railroad ties down the Arkansas from
the mountain source. He says; Our of
ter was accepted, when we started into
he upper entrance OF the canon with d
large skIff and provided with SIX days
provisions and 200 feet of rope, with
which we could lower our boat a hun
bred feet at time. IN this way, at the
end of three days, having set adrilt many
hundred ties, We reached the entrance tc
the Royal Gorge. Here we discovered
that an attempt to descend the first wa
tcrfall with two in the boat was ce tain
destruction. and to return was impossible
Accordingly, determined to lower my
brother do IN the fall in the boat, dis
lance of 200 feet, give him the rope, anC
| let him take the chance of the canon diff
seemed more certain in that direction,
while would risk my physical ability
! to climb the canon wall, which was abou
| 1000 feet high.
About ten o'clock in the morning
shook hands with my brother, lowered
| him safely to the foot of the iall, gave
| him the rope and saw him no more. Their
| throwing aside my coat, hat and boots
and stripping the socks from my feet,
commenced my climbing way, Otter
reaching the height of one or two hun
bred feet. only to be compelled to return
/ to try some other way. At length, abou
/ / O'Clock in the afternoon, | reached
| height upon the smooth cauOn wall o
about a thousand feet. Here my furthe
progress was arrested by a shelving ledg
! Of rock that iutted out from the canon
side foot or more. To advance wa
without hope; to return, certain death
Reaching upward and outward, graspot
the arm of the ledge with one hard anC
| then with the other, my feet slipped iron
| the smooth of the canon, and my bod,
| hung suspended in the air Thousand
feet above the roaring waters Of the Ar
| kansas.
At that moment, | looked dOHnwar,
| to measure the distance | would have t
| fall when the strength of my arms CAV
out. \ singing sensation crept through
my hair as my eye caught the strong
root Of cedar bush that projected on
over the ledge, little beyond my reach
MY grasp upon the rim of the ledge va
fast yielding TO G eight of my person
Then determined to make my best ct
tort to raise my body and throw it side
WAYS, toward the root, so as to bring
within my grasp. At the moment Q
commencing the eff TT. saw my moth
ers's face as she leaned out over the ledge
reached down her hand and caught NJ
by the hair. Stranger, my mother die
when vet young woman, hen | an
my brother were small boys, but L IT
mem Der her face WIS successful i
ma ing the side leap of my arms, whe
| drew myself upon the ledge and reste
for time. From here upward my clint
ing way was Iuborious, but not danger
lous. | reached the top of the canon jus
as the sun was sinking down behiHd tn
snowy range, and fastened to our cam
at the mouth of the canon where l foun
my brother all safe Charlie" said h.
shave you had your head in a tlou
sack! Ii was then l discovered that m
hair was white as you see 1t now.