The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-30
GREAT COLORADO CANYON.
Recent Attempt tn Survey the
Colorado River.
Frank u. Brown ard Two Members
If Hss Party Meet Death TIA
The Atssmrs.


Brown - survey the Colorado rivel
F Ia a-eetiain the feasibility q, rail
rssad between rs high hanks, and shs
end ct the enterprise IN the death 81
Brown and t@o members of his pSrty
IN the canyons, induced me 10 make
some inquiries Of Major j. W. Powell
director OF the geological survey. the
eais man whose parties have ever
stscceessed IN trayerSing the deadly
gorge
ASKED Why Rrown failed. Major
foaeil ans scTel.
"for The same reason | shink the
other parties aase always failed. lie
aaderestimated the peTils In be en-
countered. The Coiorsds Canyon. 81
speak IF many canyons as enc. Is
unique. There Is nothing else like il
IN The world; none bar itself can b,
its parallel, aud 50 IL Is difficult Tor ihs
imagination to forsee and appreciate
its furious whirspools. dangerous rap.
ids and tremendous abysSes. 1 think
that Brown failed to comprehend the
significant fact that nothing can gei
through the Colorado canyon that can
not Heat. Boats are repeatedly upset
and inferior boats are mashed like
cggshesls.
Did soa know Mr.. Browns"
les, somewhat. Last winter ! re-
ceised letters irom various persons in-
ierested IN locating railroad route
down The Colorado river. liz Was be-
heyed that a " alter grade for rail-
road could he found, and that thus
the vast coaliielsis OF Utah and Colo
raao could he connected with tide wa.
ter IN the gull OF California MOS.
desirable thing 10 accomplish. The
president OF the Denver company, Mr..
Brown, finally visited Washington
and called upon me and made iitqul-
ries about the hest method of making
the survey. He seemed COURAGEOUS
ami ptaiclous. tiuI in my isldg nent
the plan was quite imprseticsole ana
told tTlia - aud nlily stated "a hin
my reasons fsr such conclusion"
W hat weie the reasons -
hey cannot be repeated Ia limits
mcre oriei than a magazine article
iurnlrhes. But | can outline them Ia
word. No railroad can run along
the rocks at the top of the canon. be-
caose the whole region is labyrinth
oi stupemieus lateral gurges from half
miie Ia 8 mile deep and running
back from The Colorado Tor many
miles ON both sides, and no engineer.
ing Known 10 man can bridge hem
In the main canyon the river often rises
forty 20 sixty i.et, 81 that the road bed
would have 10 hang upon the sides of
the eiitf. which much OF the way Is PER
pendleaiar- The floods here suFpass
IN size and saddenness any Others ON
the globe.
Was Browns party verwhelmed
in the most difficult part OF the de-
scent 2"
''0h, no, by no means. Brown had
just begun to encounter tie real Diff
culties when he met with disaster in
Marble canyon. Ii Is bad place, hut
he had not vet reached the most
dangerous portion of the river. lie
had descended less that go feet. while
the fall of the Colorado below was
more than 900 feet.
Was his boat a suitable one"
II would not have gone In il by any
means. | vas anxious about il even
me adapted To CANYON waters, In
seemed too Hat .boitomed, and must
have been at the mercy OF the ssirl-
ing currents.
Major Powell was asked about the
stories that various parties had sue
eeeded IN descending the Grand can
yon at different times, and answered
"Nosody has successfully sraversed
the Colorado canyon but my parties.
he story that raft once lived 10 get
through Is prepoSterous and was long
since exploded. Invariably ali at
tempts have been suspended or have
met with disaster. The boat la 10
down the Colorado canyon must he
sturdiiy built on pattern which ex-
refience has proved the strongest and
/ should nave three alright compart-
I ments; the men should wear life pre-.
servers at all places Ut danger; and all
I tools. clothing and rations should la
carried in alright ocean mail sacks
50 that they will fioat. II these con.
ditions are fulfilled. II the boats are
tough enough and the men at once
/ plucky. intelligent and prudent
enough, and Mt the maximum Of th.i
/ health and strength. the canyon may
I Yet I've run again.
! could not fofbear saving, lyon
do not seem Ia have been quite up 10
this mark, for You first attacked the
CANYON long after you had lost an arm
at shiloh. +"
Major Powell smiled whimsically
and said. was lucky"