The morning call., 1890-11-09
IN THE GREAT
COLORADO CANYON.
Exploring the Wonderful Marble
Canyon.
From Point Retreat Down to the Little Colo
RADIO = Magnificent Natural Scenery
Marble Walls and Flowers.

TAHROUGH the Grand Canyon of the
XXX Colorado" is the title of most enter
ey1SS tanning sketch written by K. b. Stan
ton published in the November issue OF
Scribner's Magazine, and the following In
terestiEg extracts are taken from 1t:
Our second outfit was vastly different
from the first. 1t consisted of three boats
twenty-five feet long, four and half feet
beam and twenty-five inches deep. These
were built of oak from plans of my own,
with ribs one and half by three-quarters
of an inch, placed four inches apart, and
planked with half-inch oak, all riyeted to-
gether with copper riyets. Each boat had
ten separate air-tight compartments running
all round the sides The best cork life-pre-
servers were provided for all the men, and
they were required to wear them whenever
they were upon the water. All stores and
provisions were packed in water-tight rub
Der bags made Tor the purpose.
The Great Granite Gorge is about forty
miles in length. That portion from its head
10 tie Bright Angel Creek, some fifteen
miles, is narrow, dark and gloomy. 1t stands
at the upper gateway of the great canyon as
if by its very frown to keep back the lntru-
der and guard from vulgar eyes ana sordld
green the grandeur, the beauty, the hidden
treasure of the lower canyon. At the Bright
Angel Creek everything cnanges-the gran
tie slopes are tlatter, they are OF softer
black granite, cut into sharp pinnacles and
cragS and seem more as IL formed OF very
coarsely stratified slate.
The canon grows more and more pictur-
esque aud beautiful the farther we proceed.
The granite has lost its awful and threaten
ing look, and slopes back in beautiful hill
sides of variegated black, gray and green.
At the side and from the DeQuS
of the river, the upper portions oil the
whole gorge are brought into view, showing
the great marble and sandstone clfs,
benched back far away from the river, while
canyons and washes nearly mile and a
quarter in hight. AS we look down the
| river, or up Il low side canyon, with the
placid water between its polished walls OF
black, and gray, and green, for fore
ground, there rise above the dark sand
stone, tier upon tier, bench upon bench,
terrace upon terrace, stepping back farther
| and farther, and
HIGHER AND HIGHER,
| And in immensely of height and proportion
| seeming to tower almost over our heads.
| First above the dark sandstone come the
flattened slopes of the lime and mineralized
| matter in horizontal layers of yellow, brown,
| white, red and gteen.
Then rise sheer walls of stained marble
one thousand feet or more. the lower por-
lions yellow, brown and red, the coioriog of
red growing brighter as it nears the top.
Above this smaller benches of marble. at
the top of each q little mesa covered with
green buncIl-grass and bushes, and above
these dozen or more terraces OF scarlet
and fiame-colored sandstone, stained on
their outer points wish black, and the little
benches between them relieved by the
| bright green OF the greasewood aud bunch
grass, the whole crowned with perhaps a
couple of thousand feet of the lighter gray,
yellow and white sandstone lodges, capped
by pnnacles and spires, turretS and domes,
in every Imaginable shape, size and proper
On the morning of July 9th, Mr. Brown
and the supplies having arrived, we started
| into the unknown depths of Marble Canyon
with three boats and our little party Of
| eight. That night we camped at the lower
end of the Soap Greek rapid President
| Brown seemed lonely and troubled, and
asked me to sit by his bed and talk. We sat
| there late, smoking and talking of our homes
and our journey en- the morrow. When l
| awoke in the morning Mr.. Brown was up,
and as soon as he saw Inc he said, stanton,
| dreamed OF the rapids last night, the first
time since we started" After breakfast we
were again on the river in very swift water.
Mr.. Browns boat. with himself and Nc
Donald, was ahead; my boat, getting out
from shore with some difficulty, was little
| distance behind. In two minutes we were
| DIV tHe utAt IdpIu. just us We udSlitu lut0
| the head of it l saw Mcdonald running up
the bank waving both arms. We had for a
| few moments all we could do to manage
| our own boat 1t was but moment. We
were through the rapid. and turning out into
the eddy. | heard Mcdonald shout, "Mr.
| but saw nothing. As our boat turned
AROUND THE WHIRLPOOL ON THE LEFT
| The notebook which Mr. Brown ALWAYS
| carried shot up on top of the water, and we
! picked it up as we passed.
| Mr.. Browns boat was about half min
ute ahead of mine. His boat went safely
| through the worst part of the rapid. but in
wave, so common in that river between the
current and the whirlpools and eddies on
the side, upset it without moments warn
| ing. Brown was thrown into the whirlpool
| while Mcdonald was thrown into the cur
| rent. Mcdonald as he came up saw Brown
on the side of the current and shouted to
! him, "Come on" He answered with a
cheerful "All right" Mcdonald, carried
| down by the stream, was three times thrown
| under by the terrific tossings of the mad wa
tiers; and with great effort reached the left
| bank, where the current rushed upon the
| shore at a sudden turn to the right. As
soon as he recovered himself he saw Brown
| still in the whirlpool, swimming round and
round. Rushing up the bank he shouted to
| us for help. In that whirlpool poor Brown
odttiou lUI us uubil tAuduSttu III Lie
| fight he sank, hero and martyr to what
| some day will be successful cause. y
| Marble Canyon, from Point Retreat for
| thirty-fve miles down to the Little Colo
| RADIO, is by far the most beautiful and
interesting canyon we have yet passed
through at Point Retreat the marble
walls stand perpendicuiarly 800 feet from
the waters edge, while the sandstone above
benches back in slopes and cliffs to $500 feet
high. Just below this the canyon is mar
rowest. being but little over 800
feet from wall TO wall. As we 60 on,
the marble rapidly rises till it stands
in perpendicular cliffs 700 to 500 feet
high. colored with all the tints of the
rainbow, but mostly red. In many places
toward the top it is honeycombed with
caves, arches and grottoes, with here
and there natural bridge left from one
crag to another over some sidewash, making
grotesque and wonderful picture as our
little boats glide along this quiet portion of
the river, so many hundred feet below.
At the foot of these cliffs. in many places,
are fountains Of pure sparkling water gush-
ing from the rock-in one place, Vassey's
Paradise, several hundred feet up the wall
and dropping among shrubbery. ferns and
flowers. some of which even at this time of
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