Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-08-04
S1o1rio 'GriGt.t,e.
Seni-Weelxly.
Published Wednesdays and Saturdays
~ BODEEN.
Publishers.
CORRESPONDENTS.
More frOme the Mountains

\ few plain facts about the great
Canon of the Arkansas may give YOU
a completer idea of it. 1t is called
also the Royal Gorge, 50 that i'll this
case gorge and canon mean the same,
viz: deep, narrow precipitous
passage, usually with IL stream OF
water running in the bottom of it.
This one is where the Arkansas River
passes, between too ranges of the
Rocky mountains, and is famous for
its length, depth and precipitousness
1t is not the only one, but has become
famous. The Black Canon on the
Gunnison River is wilder, and in some
ways more picturesque than this.
How they come to be | am not
scientist enough to tell, and no one
can do more than to say, 1T may be
this way or that The rock is the
| hardest granite. The winds have
sprinkled dust on the rocks and 81
| furnished little soil and nature, who
puts seeds wherever there is any
chance for them to grow, has planted
them there some how, and so some
places have trees or shrubs growing.
Then again it is bare rock. All the.
authorities have give the heights as
great as 200 feet, and that looks quite
giddy when sheer perpendicularity is
run. The Denver and Rio Grande
Railway follows the Arkansas River
Pueplo up to the source above Lead
vile and if it We're not for the rivers
and "parks' and fertile valleys along
them, there would be no chance for
railroads in this country. Through
the Canon it hugs the river, which is
so winding that it would seem that
only narrow guage could follow 1t.
A flat car fitted with seats As an "ob-
servation car " is attached to trains |
as they go through so passengers can
have good view. AS we were going |
through gentleman motiOned to me |
and pointed head to the locomotive |
it was winding around a sharp curve |
and for all we could see would butt |
right against perpendicular wall of
granite a thousand feet high. The |
river is from two TO four rods wide, | |
Judge, in the Canon and in the places
makes fearful noise by the daShing |
among the rocks, and short curves,
That with the noise of the train was
deafening and added to the terrible
ness of the sane. The perpendicular
sides, and great fissures iii the rGcks
echoed the sound and heightened the
effect. One with the idea of economy
would suppose nature would cut a
course through such great and
solid mountains but she don't. She
has plenty of time and great resources
so she cuts as crooked path for a
little stream through the mountains
as through the prairies OF parks.
Here is a hint at the infinite and
eternal, as much as we can get except |
the ocean.
There is one nice little piece of work
by hands in the Canon--the bridge
near the upper end of it. Though
small it IS spoken Of as quite an
original bit of Engineering. 1t is the
place i'll the canon and
where the sides of it are perpendicular
and run down into the water, it is
said, to great depth. One man said
no bottom to the river had been found
there another said it was not so.
I think, possibly, to mediate between
the two, that the truth may be that
the river is very deep there, and so
swift and furious that it has been
quite impossible to gain the bottom.
Places for the timbers Of the track
were made in the rock for one side
ofthe railroad, and the engineering is
seen in the opposite side which is
over the miGie of the stream. Great
iron raftcrs, just like those for house
are thrown across the stream and press
against the opposite sides ofthe Canon
and thus have their support: Then