The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-26
The Grand Canyon on the Colorado.

dDu, Is we Wo1Q our way up IL SccIuS
a. if we were in grand park, as the
ground is entirely clear of under5rush,
and we got nearer and finer views of
the three snow-covered peaks of Mt.
San Francisco. 12.50O feet high. At
Flagstaff, in the heart of the noun
tains, we ind busy little town with =
large planning mill owned by Chica-
goan. On the western slope of the
mountains the scenery is grand; the
road winds, down the side of johnson
Canyon for miles, with the bottom hun
dreds of feet below, and we cannot
help thinking of the result of broken
rail. As we feel our way along, but
few miles further on, we reach more
open country. and soon arrive at Peach
Springs, 465 miles from Albuquerque,
and here we leave the railroad to visit
the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
We leave Peach Springs about nine in
The morning for our drive OF twenty
three miles to the canyon, and right here
we must say word or two about Mr..
J. H. Farlee, who is the owner OF the
stage line and the road into the canyon;
we found him a good driver and guide,
possessed of fund of information
about the canyon and the surrounding
country, and withal, a good cook, and
rs we had to depend upon him for our
meals while away from town, and our
appetites were unusually sharp, we val
ued his services very highly. The road
climbs n small hill back of the town to
an elevation of ), 100 feet, thence to the
river, which is / 200 feet above the sea,
the descent is steady. Our road for a
few miles leads through an open coun-
try with no indications of anything out
of the common, but soon we get into a
little valley with hills Il few hundred
feet high around US; gradually we
descend until we are in a narrow valley
with sides 1000 feet high; then we reach
New Creek Canyon, and now the walls
are from 5000 to 5000 feet high and
gradually close in upon us; for eight
miles we 90 on down the canyon, each
turn of the read bringing some new
point into view, increasing the grandeur
Of the scene, until we arrive ut the
house: then we turn and look back up
the CANYON for miles, then on either side
to cliffs 1000 feet high and in front to
the Pyramid. towering 5000 feet above
us. The house (Which is used only for
visitors) stands at the junction of New
Creek and Diamond Greek; the former
is dry, except during the rainy season,
but Diamond Creek is pure, cool water
and never runs dry; it is q mile from
the Colorado River. which cannot be
seen from this point, and is most con
veliently located. as it is at the foot OF
Diamond Greek Canyon, which boasts
some of the grandest scenery IN the
vicinity. Before going down to the
river we went up Diamond Creek Can
Won; at the foot it is about 400 feet
wide, but as we 90 up 1t gradually be-
comes narrower, our way is over rocks
and stones, and we have to jump the
little stream very often during the dry
season it is only a few feet wide), but
we forgot all about the rough walk IN
the grandeur of the scene; the walls
are now less than 100 feet apart, and
each turn seems rs if it must be the
last. but still we 90 on, until two and a
half miles up, we come to a place where
the opening is only twelve feet wide at
the base and the walls tower 2,1OJ feet
above, and we are literally in crack
in the earth half a mile deep. Our
puide tells us that this canyon con-
tinues forty miles further, but we are
satisfied, and slowly retrace our steps,
and as we reach the house in the dark,
we look up to Sunset Peak. 5000 feet
HIGH and see it still gilded with the rays
of the sun that had bid us good night
long before.
Next morning we went down to the
river, and. as we picked our way over
the rocks, it was but repetition of the
dav before: at every turn we were
obliged to stand still and look with awe
upon the wonderful scene around us,
until, at last, we reached the river,
where we sat down and tried to realize
the grandeur of the surroundings.
At our feet the rushing. muddy
river. $50 feet wide, 125 feet deep: Just
below it narrows to 225 feet and is -
feet deep. while a short distance above
it is half mile wide; then we raise
our ewes. up and ever up the side of the
cliffs opposite, until they reach the
pinnacle OF the grand mass of rock
called SolOmon's Temple, 5000 feet
above where we are sitting, but words
fail to convey any idea of the scene,
and the effect is OverpOwcring.
We slowly retrace our steps and as
we turn to look back an immense mass
of rock rises into view; it is on the op-
posite side of the river, above Solo
mons Temple. but could not be seen
from the bank; it is known as the
Tower of Babel, and is over five thou
sand feet high. As we journey back
to town up New Greek Canyon we see
the cliffs from new points of view, and
they are more impressive than on the
way down; on the left hand is the
Sphinx, towering up above all the
others and about the same height a
Sunset Peak, and on the right. fur
ther up. we have Westminster Abbey,
an immense rock 1000 feet high, So
called from its resemblance to that
noted building.
There is no vegetation in the canyon.
except some varieties of cactus and
great numbers of wild flowers; some of
them we have never seen elsewhere,
and many of them are beautiful, but
there is so little verdure the awful
grandeur of the scene is ever present.
1t seemed to us last year. as We
stood in the Yosemite Valley and saw
its beauty and grandeur, that this
world could not show anything to sur
pass it. but we have seen the Grand
Canyon of the Colorado, and it is
grander than Yosemite. which we
thought was unsurpassed. and yet we
saw only small portion of the canyon:
aS it is more than 300 miles long. and
there are many lateral canyons, which,
perhaps. surpass Diamond Creek in
wild beauty, but they are inaccessible
as yet. We got back to town soon