Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-13
COLORADO CANYON.
An Account Of It's Dangers and
 It's Unique Grandeura
Some Interesting Facts Furnished by Ma0or Powell, tho Only Man Who Ever Explored It-Thc Il-Fated
 Brown Expedition.

V grown to survey the Colorado river to as. certain the feasibility of railroad between US nlgh banks, and the end of the enter. prise In the death of Brown and two mem.
 Ders or his party in the canyon, induced me, says New York Tribune correspond. ent, to make some inquiries of Major J. W. fowel!, director of the Geological Survey, the only man whose parties have ever sue. ceeoed In traversing the deadly gorge. Asked why Brown failed Major Powell answered:
 "For the same reason think the other parties have always failed. He underesti- mated the perils to be encountered. The colorado Canyon, to speak of many canyons as one, is unique. There is nothing else nke 1t in the world; none but itself can be It's parallel, and so it is difficult for the imagination to foresee and appreciate it's furious whirlpools, dangerous rapids and tremendous abysses. think that Brown Tailed to comprehend the significant fact that nothing can get through the Colorado canyon that can not float. Boats are re- peatedly upset and inferior boats are mashed like eggshells."
 "Did you know Mir. Browne"
 "Xes, somewhat Last winter Ireceived ietters from various persons interested in locating railroad route down the Colorado river. It was believed that 0 water grade Tor railroad could be found, and that thus the vast coal-felds of Utah and Colorado could be connected with tide-water in the Gulf of California-a most desirable thing to accomplish. The president of the Den yer company, Mir. Brown, finally visited Washington and called upon me and made inquiries about the best method of making the survey. He seemed courageous and 1udlcious. But in my judgment the plan was quite impracticable, and told him so and fully stated to him my reasons for such conclusion"
 "What were the reasonsa'
 They can not be repeated in limits moro brief than magazine article furnishes. But can outline them in a word. No rail- road can run along the rocks at the top of the canyon, because the whole region is g labyrinth of stupendous lateral gorges from half mile to milo deep and running back from the Colorado for many miles on both sides, and no engineering known to man can bridge them. In the main canyon the river often rises forty to sixty feet, so that the road-bed would have to hang upon the sides of the cliff, which much of the way is perpendicular. The floods here surpass in size and suddenness any others on the globe"
 "Was Browns party overwhelmed in the most difficult part of the descenta"
 "Oh, no, by no means. Brown had just be- gun to encounter the real difficulties when he met with disaster in Marble Canyon. It IS a bad place, but he had not yet reached tho most dangerous portion of the river. He had descended less than six hundred feet, while the fall of the Colorado below was more than two thousand feet"
 "Was the boat a suitable one?"
 Il would not have gone in it, by any means. was anxious about it even before he started. It did not seem to me adapted to canyon waters. It seemed too fat-bot- toned, and must have been at the mercy of. the swirling currents"
 Major Powell was asked about the stories that various parties had succeeded in de- scending the Grand Canyon at different times, and answered.:
 "Nobody has ever success sfully traversed the Colorado Canyon but my parties. The story that raft once lived to get through is preposterous and was long since ex- ploded. Invariably all attempts have been suspended or have met with disaster. The boat to go down the Colorado Canyon must be sturdily built on pattern which experi- ence has proved the strongest and should have three air-tight compartments the men should wear life -preservers at all places of danger, and all tools, clothing and rations should be carried in air-tight ocean mail sacks, so that they will float. If these conditions are fulfilled, if the boats are tough enough, and the men at once plucky, intelligent and prudent enough, and at the maximum of their health and strength, the canyon may yet be run again."
 could not forbear saying: ssYou do not seem to have been quite up to this mark, for you first attacked the canyon long after you had lost an arm at Shiloh.'
 Major Powell smiled whimsically and said: tT was luckyn