Arizona silver belt., 1890-03-22
Tue Grand Canyon Explored.
lMnhnya Miner |

Engineer Robert E. Stanton reached
 Diamond Greek Canyon, twenty miles
 north of Peach Springs. on the 1st
 inst. The party is surveying a route
 down the Colorado River for the Den
 yer, Colorado & Pacific Railway Co.
 The writer spent an evening with Mr.
 Stanton, who related many incidents
 of the perilous trip of the party.
 They left Denver on the 26th of No.
 vember last, and by land and water reached the point in Marble Canyon
 where the expedition of last summer lost their leader and three members of the party.
 The boats in which the party made their trip ere of oak strips, copper rlvited; and twenty feet long and four 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 Sl,000. All the supplies were placed in rubber bags. On the trip one of the boats was caught on the rocks and so badly in- jurea that it was abandoned. The rlver through the canyon is full of rapids which vary in length from few rods to two miles, but no abrupt falls exist. The water IS very swift and in every bend in tue river eddies occur, but DO whirlpools or sucks were encountered The great danger to the boats were the rocks under water, the boats either running agalnst them or catching on them. In many Of the rapids waves twenty feet high wero run over, the spray of the wafer drenchrng the men. All the party wore cork jackets and every precau- tion was taken against loss of life.
 The entire length of the canyon the scenery is grand and awe inspiring, and words are inadequate to describe its wonderful beauties.
 About thirty five miles above Dia- mend Creek Canyon, on the north side Of the river, Mr. Stanton discovered the crater of an extinct volcano. The whole country around the crater is covered with lava, and the overflow at one time choked up the Colorado River, and the ilow of lava Is shown in the river bed within 6 few miles above Diamond Greek.
 The walls of the canyon are not, as Is generally supposed, precipitous, but are bench upon bench until they reach the height of 5000 to 1000 feet, Tho high water mark n the narrowest portions of the canyon IS eighty feet
 Since Major Powell's trip through the canyon many changes have taken place. The rapids winch were de- scribed by him as dangerous, were not so. Bat other rapids not noted by him were found, and in number of places which required portage then there is plenty of water now. Of the half dozen pillars of lava winch Powell but one IS standing, as the case of tue three columns of sandstone, one only being left. With each great rise of water changes are made in the stream.
 Mir Stanton is confident that he can take properly constructed steam launch safely up the canyon, and 1t may ae in years to come that pleasure parties may make the trip in this 
 The fall of the river from Grand River Junction 10 Diamond Creek is 1 GOO feet, distance of less than 600 miles. Some idea of the swiftness of the stream may be gained from this. The river IS something less than 20G feet wide in the narrowest part of the and the boats would pass many of the rapids wl.h the speed ot an express tram.
 Mir. Stanton is reticent on the sub feet of railroad down the banks of the Colorado, and talks to no one about it's practihility, although he leaves the impression that so far as be has explored the river road can be bullt. But as to the cost he has no dea. He is just now making the sur gey and will, when he IS through and | his data, be able to tell pretty nearly the cost, and as to the practibicability of the construction of 5he road, the projectors can determine when he makes his report.
 It is excellent news to the people of |