Tombstone epitaph., 1890-03-15
DOWN THE GRAND CANYON.
The Engineering Party Reach Diamond Greek
 4 Talk With Chief Engineer Stanton.

nOrIH Ol Teacn 0pTluSs, oH tue 4SI inst. The party is surveying a route down the Colorado River for the Denver, Colorado & Pacific Railway Go. The writer spent an evening with Mir. Stanton, who related many incidents of the perilous trip of the party.
 They left Denver on the 26h of November last, and by land and water reached the point in Marble Caflon where the expedition of last summer lost their leader and three members of the party.
 The boats in which the party made l their trip are of oak strips, copper rTverer; arG u------vv Tper fOrr., ,rrr-s-+-,---- and half beam, and contain ten air tight compartments, and are so con structed that 1t Is almost impossible to upset them. Three of these boats were made and they cost about $1 900. All the supplies were placed in rubber bags. On the trip one of the boats was caught on the rocks and so badly injured that it was abandoned. All the supplies except one bag were saved.
 The river through the canon is full of rapids which vary in length from a few rods to two miles, but no abrupt falls exist The water is very swift and in every bend in the river eddies occur, but no whirlpools or sucks were encountered. The great danger to the boats were the rocks under water, the boats either running against them or catching on them. In many of the rapids waves twenty feet high were run over, the spray of the water drenching the men. All the party wore cork jackets and every precau- ton was taken against loss of life On leaving Lees Ferry the party were twelve in number, but Mr. Nimms, the photographer, was injured by falling from the rocks, and was sent 10 Den yer. At Kanab Wash, Macdonald, an old prospPctor, and a boatman of experience deserted the party having had enough of ,he trip.
 The entire length of the canon the  scenery is grand and awe inspiring, and words are inadequate to describe its wonderful beauties.
 About thirty-five miles above Dia- mond Creek Canon, on the north siie of the river, Mir. Stanton discovered the crater Of an extinct volcano. The whole country around the enter i covered with lava, and the overflow at one time choked up the Colorado river, and the flow of lava Is shown in the river bed within few miles above Diamond Creek. The party were greatly interested in this wonderful throe of nature, and for the time be- ing forgot everything else but an ex- animation of the grand but destructive work done in ages past.
 The walls of the canon are not, as is generally supposed, p,.ecipiious, but are bench upon bench until they reach the height of COCO to 1000 feet
 
 The high water mark in the narrowest portions ot '.ne canon is eighty feet.
 Since -Major Powell's trip through the e7p on many changes have ta- CT place The rapids which were de se' ibed hy him as dangerous, were no so. But other rapils not noted b! him were found, and in number O 'r places which required portage ther there is plenty of water now. O' tn half dozen pillars of lava whicl y Powell reported, but one Is standing as the case of the three columns 0 y sandstone, one only being left. Witt each great rise of water changes ar made in the stream.
 T Mir. Stanton is confident that he cal take properly constructed stean lc launch safely up tue canon, and ] may be in years to come that pleasur parties may make the trip in thi st manner.
 The fall of the river from Gran 10 River Junction to Diamond Creek ., 4,O00 feet, distance oi less than 6O miles. Some idea of the swiftness ed the stream may be gained from thi' The river is something less than 2O ee feet wide in the narrowest part of tn canon, and the boats would pas
 through many of the rapids with Ih 1g speed of an express train.
 As to the discoveries of mountain H. of pure rock salt and valuable deposit ,. of coal along the river, MT. Stanto
 says that all reports that such al 10 coyeries were made are the sheere'
 nonsense. No prospecting for miner; y was done. No one familiar wiih pro l)ecting for ores was with inc part T fter the departure of McDonai'