Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-19
THE GRAND CANON.
A TRAIN OF CARS PASSES THROUGH
THE GREAT GORGE FOR THE
FIRST TIME.

FIRST TIME.
On the 7th ult the Atchison, Tope-
ka and Santa Fe Railroad Company
made the passage Of the Grand Canon
of the Arkansas with train of ears
containing two hundred persons. 1t
was the crown of the most stupendous
achievement in railway engineering.
The Grand Canon of the Arkansas is
now known TO he nine miles in length,
being the narrow winding way of that
river through converse paiisadc of
granite rock, rising i'll many places to
the height of $500 feet. This rock
bound river pathway became known to
the Spanish missionaries rs early rs the
year 1912. From that time it was
not known that any animal life had
ever passed through it successfully un-
I'll the summer of 1870. The long pas
sengcr train that accompanied us
through this mountain gorge was pre-
ccded by number of open platform
ears, securely guarded by Il baustradc
of railing, and provided with comfort.
able seats. Here the passengers assem-
blcd, and, being either seated or stand
ing, silently gazed upon the grandure
of the scene, above, around and beneath
them. A. the train wound slowly in
to the entrance of the mountain gorge
the whistle gave the widest scream,
which echoed through the windings of
this causeway, mingling it, distant,
softer murmurs with the roar of the
passing swift Arkansas. Immediately
upon entering the canon a chilly sen
sation seemed to creep over each pas
sengcr, while n yellowish hue appeared
to impart its coloring to surrounding
objects. The waters OF the Arkansas
at once became confined 10 width of
forty feet, which it retains for n dis
tance of four miles. At the end of this
reach the Royal Gorge commences it,
granite pali-ade on either side rising
out Of the river with convex forma.
tion aud towering TO the height OF ..
800 feet. He who looks upon this
scene and then upon Niagara. height
of 60 feet. will be inclined to regard his
view of the latter n a temporary, show
cr-madc stream, to turn the water
wheel of a school.boy. Everywhere
through the ROYAL Gorge the palisades
on either side have narrowed the path
way of the river 10 a width Of from
sixteen to thirty feet. Many places
may be seen where supple acrobat
could leap the roaring waters of the
river at single bound. Along the
convex palisade that forms the north.
crn boundary of the gorge, and about
ten feet above the boiling waters, the
engineer for miles has carved Il path
way for the iron horse, where solitude
has rcigncd for countless ages uudis-
turbed by the sound of human art.
CHARLES STORY.
Accompanying our party was Charles
May. who told US of an adventure be
once had here. He and his brother Rob
crt in the year Of 1870 offered to pass
10000 railroad ties down the Arkau-
sas from the mountain source. lie
says: Our offer was accepted, when
we started into the upper entrance of
the canon with large skif provided
with six days provisions and two hun
drcd feet of rope, with which, by TAX
ing a running turn around some firm.
ly planted object, we could lower our
boat hundred feet at time. In this
way, at the end of three days, having
set adrift many hundred tics, we reach.
ed the entrance TO the Royal Gorge.
Here we discovered that an attempt to
descend the first waterfall with two in
the boat was certain destruction. and
to return was impossible. Accordingly
| determined to lower my brother down
the fall in the boat. distance of two
hundred feet, give him the rope and
let him take the chance of the canon
(liic seemed more certain in that direc-
tom while | would risk my physical
ability to climb the canon wall, which
was about two thousand feet high.
About ten o'clock in the morning |
shook hands with my brother, lowered
him in the boat safely to the foot of
the fall, gave him the rope and saw
him no more. Then throwing aside
my coat, hat and boots, and stripping
the socks from my feet, commenced
my climbing way, often reaching the
height of one or two hundred feet.
only to be compelled to return to try
some other way. At length, about
four o'clock in the afternoon, reached
a height upon the smooth canon wall
of about thousand feet. Here my
further progress was arrested by
shelving ledge of rock that juttcd out
from the canon side foot or more.
To advance was without hope; to re.
turn, certain death. Reaching upward