Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-12
IN THE YUKON RAPIDS.
EXPLORER HAZARD WELLS PERIL
Gus SHOOT THROUGH THEM.

Canyon-rhe Hardship. Attending Er-
piorstIons In the Great Northern Terri
tory.
The evening OF July 9 and part Of the fol-
lowing day were spent in making an exam
nation Of the Grand canyon, through which
We had been in imminent peril Of making an
unexpected and involuntary trip. We found
IL TO be crooked passage Of about three
quarters OF a mile in length, In which the
water turns and twists between two perpan-
dicular walls Of basalt.J rock forty feet high,
confronting each other at distance OF about
$50 feet Midway Of the canyon Is a gigantic
basin, in which the stream pauses and whirls
around as N hesitating 10 make the final
plunge through the lower half of the way.
For purposes Of navigation the southern half
OF the canyon Is the more dangerous, because
near the entrance the walls rapidly approach
each other, aud the stream surges through
the contracted channel with terrific force.
We were glad. however, to observe that
there we're no rocks to be encountered, and
that the only real danger to the raft would
be that Of striking against the sharp angles
OF the winding walls OF the canyon. From
miners at juneau we learned that the CANYON
can be run" and we made up our minds
that we would run IT,
CRAVINGS GALORE
We had been told, however, that cargoes
are always portrayed. and that only RATS,
without crew or cargo, are allowed to drift
through. Even skifTs and boats are portrayed
to the smooth water below, and skids have
boon erected with windlass for the purpose
Of raising boats from the water TO the top Of
Ina MI rha raj - ha rfrrbf Il. ~
the canyon, and is well beaten by the passage
Of hundreds of miners, who have used it dur
ing the past ten years.
As the City OF Paris is a stanch and well
built raft, which can easily be enlarged and
strengthened, we determined 70 make the run
with crew and cargo on board, instead OF
spending time and labor in making the port
age.
Having come 10 this conclusion, we in
dulged in little sport with rod and line In
the great whirlpool near which our raft Law
we observed grayling leaping out of the ed
dies after the small brown millers with which
the air was filed Taking the hint, we Of
fered inducements to the finny beauties 10
mako other experiments. In very short
time had landed fifteen Of them and some
OF them weighed over pound. / found that
brown hackle answered very good pur-
pose and flshed with it most Of the time. De
Has had an odd experience. He had a
leaden sinker about twelve inches above his
fy which seemed TO attract particular atten-
ton, the grayling leaping fully foot out of
the water TO catch 1t, and taking no notice
whatever OF the fly. Presently he lowered
the sinker 10 the ly, and with excellent re-
suits, as he presently had seven fish on the
bank beside him.
We spent the anniversary Of national indie
pendence in repairing and strengthening the
City OF Paris, adding two heavy side logs and
staying her with four additional and well
pinned cross beams The hurricane deck was
strongly brnced and the mast removed; and
when daylight was passing into twilight,
White, who Is a veteran river miner de-
clared our raft 10 be the stoutest he had ever
seen
By 9:3j a. m, July 3, the cargo was all
aboard the raft we'll secured and carefully
wrapped In tent cloth 10 protect il from the
wet ~ which il was soon to be exposed The
raft was towed several feet up the NhiIl pool
basin, 80 as 10 get her near the main current;
the lines were cast of, we jumped aboard and
the descent was begun. The bow and stern
oars were vigorously piled We swept into
the tumultuous waters, and with head on the
City Of Paris went boldly on her way, turn
ease and grace, and shipping hardly any
water, 40 that our freight was quite unin-
Jured. Six minutes from our start we shot
out Of the canyon without starting a log or
touching an obstruction.
TIE WHITE HORSE RAPIDS
When portage Is made on the right OF
the Grand canyon the RATS have to be cap
tured at the mouth and reloaded for a short
trip OF only two miles to the opposite side Of
the stream, at the head Of the White Horse
rapids, where another portage is always
made. The White Horse has an evil reputa-
ton. II Is two miles long and DISTRACTED 10y
broken rocks, dividing the stream into mar
row channels, the largest OF which is near
the left bank, and Is sixty feet wide From
the head Of the Grand canyon TO the foot of
the White HORSE is distance Of four miles,
with fall Of thirty-two feet, most Of the de-
scent being In the White Horse. To run
White Horse Is seldom attempted. even with
an empty raft, and never with a boat. The
government explorer, Lieut. Schwatka, did
indeed make the passage on a raft without
cargo; but though piloted by several stout
men, he did not pass unscsthed.
Thres Frenchmen were less fortunate
Having portrayed their boat around the
Grand canyon, they failed to get across the
stream TO take the next portage ON the left
bank, and were drawn into the suction Of the
rapids, which whirled them into the torrent.
Their boat was swanped, the cargo was lost,
and two OF the three men were drowned
The third managed 10 make his way TO Ju-
neau- A brief account OF this tragedy we
found written on a board and posted on a
tree at the foot OF the White Horse
Notwithstanding the bad reputation OF
these rapids we concluded, after a careful ex-
ploration, 70 make the run with crew and |
cargo on board our raft, so az 20 save the la |
Dor Of a portage and establish the reputation |
Of the city Of Paris as the stanchest raft |
aioat. Our boat, however was left behind |
to 10 AftsrWard "snubbed down at our leis-
ure. Having 80 decided, our raft was cast |
OH AMI got into the current and down we |
went over the mile stretch, steadily holding |
tue middle VI the channel Ia lust eight |
minutes from the start e were riding Saf.ly
Ia smooth water, with the White Hors,
fJaIniug behind US.
] confess ] cannot understand whv this
place has 50 terrible reputation, unless 1t lie
that tho water IS sometimes much higher
than it Is now. Perhaps the White Horse Is
not really 50 black as it has been painted; but
be that 1t may, the City of Paris is the
hTst craft, so far a. We know, that has ever
made the run OF the White Horse with crew
and cargo. Next day We snubbed our boat
down and did not fail 10 post an account OF
our exploit for the information and envy OF |
future voyages
From the White Horse 20 Lake Labarge |
the river varies greatly in width-at some |
places being little over 300 feet and at others |
nearly mile across. The current runs about |
two miles an hour. At AS p IN. Of July |
We passed the mouth Of large muddy river,
the Tahk-heen-a, which empties its muddy |
stream into the Yukon, changing the color |
Of the latter TO a light brown. Yukon River |
(B. c. Letter u Scr1pps League.