River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-21
THE DEEPEST GORGE.
Looking Down Two Miles Upon
Dashing stream OfWater.
Ariyona Miner

Looking Down Two Miles Upon
Dashing stream of Water.
Arizona Miner
In March last party Of prospectors,
thirteen in number, procured the neces
sary papers from General Wilcox al
| lowing them to visit the Indian village,
on Cataract creek, inhabited by the
Ava Supais, a tribe of Indians number
ing all told 200 souls. The party went
from Williamson valley to the Big Will
Hams range, and thence to Pine Spring
Here they found every indication of an
old sea bed, the gravel and rocks being
round and smooth, similar to those of
the ocean bed. From Pine Spring the
party directed their course for the Ava
Supai village, which Is reached by de-
| scending from the table land down one
of the toughest trails ever travelled by
man for distance of fourteen miles,
dropping 5000 feet. At places along
the trail we are told that it is not TWEEN
ty inches wide, and winds around the
perpendicular walls of sandstone that
loom above for hundreds, while on the
other side dark, deep canons exist,
hundreds upon hundreds Of feet deep,
! where by one false step or move man
or beast would be sent to eternity With
great care and good luck, ten Of the
party succeeded in reaching the village
| three of the number returning rather
than run the gauntlet in passing down
into this awful yet marvellous crevice
in the earth.
The Ava Supais practice polygamy,
each male having about three wives.
They have 900 acres of farming land
which is described rs being of a yellow
ish color and mostly composed of sand
However, it is said to produce good
corn, pumpkins, melons and beans
with the aid of irrigating water, OF
which they have an abundance. They
have peach orchard OF 80 trees
which were on the LIST of April loaded
with small peaches about the size OF
acons.
The party was well received by these
red people who stated that their great
est desire was to be left alone in the en-
jovment of their land and property
Their houses are built with poles in {
rude manner, matched over with beal
grass and tule A few popies are al
the stock they have.
Cataract creek heads in the Big Will
Jams and San Francisco Mountains, the
streams connecting some distance above
the Indian village The stream empties
into the Big Colorado fifteen miles be
low the Ava Supai town, and shor
distance south of the junction of the
Little and Big Colorado rivers
The party attempted to explore Gaia
ract creek to its confluence with the
! Colorado, but were unable to do 81
from the fact they encountered preci
| pice after precipice from 100 to 200 fee
! perpendicular, and it was in the fool
hardy attempt of ID. W. Mooney, 0
! Williams valley to descend one of these
perpendicular precipices 100 feet down
that he was dashed to a sudden anC
rocky tomb, where he now rests where
! he fell, his companions being unable tC
rescue the body Mr.. Mooney took 3
small rope hardly half an inch in di
ameter, tied the end to bank, suspend
ed ii over the bank; then taking hold O
! the rope, was sooIl dangling between
| the bright heavens and the dark gorge
below. Evidently cramp came in hi
arms, OF his mind gave way, and he fel
almost from the top of his rocky, lonely
grave below The party remained near
ly two days, deyising means and plans
to rescue the corpse, but with failure
as no one cared to risk descent upon
a weak rope. The Indians Informed
the party that no man had ever passed
Through the canon; that, in fact, the
passage was only possible for the birds
of the air or spirits of the dead.
The party retraced their steps and
went around Cataract creek to the
Grand Canon of the Colorado. They
took in this peculiar freak of nature
and describe the walls, which are per.
pendicular, 1T being about two miles
from the apex to the water Where
they beheld the Grand Canon the water
is described as being zoe yards across
still, from the elevated view of the ex
plorers the furious sream appeared tc
be silver thread of only 2 few inches
in width A canon two miles deep is 4
great wonder, which will, when the
thirty-fifth parallel road is completed
draw thousands of wonder-seeker
annually.