, 1885-07-01
A S%TUPENDOUS RIFT.
THE CANON OF THE COLORADO,
FIVE HUNDRED NILES LONG
A Maximum Depth Of $500 Feet. and
an Average That Exceeds 5000
A Muddy Ribbon In
tho Depths


V1hRA htF ~ 80 A11 VIZ
known than the Colorado OF the West
Rising in Colorado and Wyoming. 1t runs
through u country Of peerless beauty
through pleasant valleys, rocky noun
lains, high plnteaus and arid deserts.
finally debouching into the California
gulf. nearly 1000 miles from It's starting
place 1t drains an area-of nearly fO0.O 900
iquare miles 1t is the river Of canons.
From the junction OF the Green and
Grand rivers TO Col,ille 1t has but few
breaks In what forms probably the most
stupendous rift in The world Five hun.
1red miles in length is the cut. with a
maximum depth of $500 feet. and an
average that exceeds 1000. Americans
arc too apt to overlook their own coun-
try and travel to other lands in search Of
the picturesque To the geologist. the
earnest student of nature, the artist. or
10 the mere sight seer. this country offers
Inducements unparalleled
Looking south across the House Rock
valley. in northern Arizona, one notices
4 few broken bluffs, about ten miles dis
liant apparently about twenty feet high.
Only five or six of these occur scattered
at irregular intervals There lies the canon.
Riding across the level plain toward the
bluffs, one finds II hard to conceive how
such IA canon can exist, with SO few signs
Of existence. Here and there we are
obliged TO make long detours, to avoid
yawning crevasses that streams have
worn on their downward rush to the Col
orndo. The country here. probably, es-
capped the grand glacial epoch
tina elsewhere narrowed this con.
tertiary wash outs. Until we como within
half a mile of the canon we get no hint
of It's existence. Gradually it unfolds to
nearer advance. until on its brink its aw-
full sublimity bursts upon us AS We
walk out upon a pro Getting tongue OF
rock. we gradually, dimly. begin to APP
preciate the chasm. Great rock walls
around Us ou every side stretch down
ward, seemingly fathomless.
Far below. looking like a muddy rib
bon. lies the river. At first sight the
mansions of this gorge. Men whom l
have seen declared stoutly, That can't be
the Colorado. for the Colorado is u good
200 yards across. and that creek isn't over
six feet at most far below us floats
lazily a bald eagle; so far that he re-
sembles a mere speck, and yet he isn't
half way down. A stone about as large
as ones fist turns the course of the river
ut a certain point, Were we down there.
we should lind that stone to be about
three times as large as the Boston post
office.
On the loose soil of the banks grow
thousands of century plants. with tall
stalks. reminding me OF the pictures Of
the Jewish candlesticks | used to see in
the big Bible at home when a youngster.
Pulling up one of these. we send 1t whist
ling down into the abyss. 1t grows
smaller and smaller until it vauishes, and
presently a puff Of dust announces it has
struck And yet these "yant" often
measure six feet across.
Opposite where we stand is the mouth
of the Colorado Chiquito. Where it en-
tiers the parent canon 1t is of the same
depth as the latter and yet 1t starts scarce
300 miles away, and up to about 100 miles
distant flows on top Of the ground.
The walls Of these canons furnish the
most magnificent rock paintings | ever be-
held. Black and gray porphyry. white
and pink limestone. broad and narrow
veined marble. sandstone from vermillion
to light gray, and sturdy old granite,
blend their many strata in colors no
painter dare initiate. AT sunset and sun
rise. when the sunbeams strike slantingly
across the rocky face. the effect is indie
scribable. Ii is as If the gates of heaven
were thrown open. and the city, with its
jasper walls and dazzling gateways, shone
before us.
Probably long before the earliest date
OF human history this river fretted and
chafed its rocky banks While Europe
was plunged in ignorant night, this oun
try saw the growth of a civilization second
only TO hat of to-day. While the Old
World nations were yet In their infancy,
the jewellers on the banks Of this stream
were adopts in casting metals, in archi-
lecture. in sculpture. in gold and silver
smithery, and in mosaic painting. Their
feather paintings have never been
e1ualled. The river witnessed their
southern migration and saw the sacred
fire die from the estufas on its banks 1t
saw the whirlwind of northern tribes,
that swung like a whip upon the Moquis
and Zunis and forced them TO dwell in
forts. that chased the mild Coconinas un-
I'll. in despair, they found refuge in the
deepest canons and breaks, where n
wretched remnant still exist