The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-14
OFF TO BLEAK LABRADOR
A Philadelphia Lawyer and a George
town Professor on a Big
Expedition.
Grand Falls on the Hamilton River
the Object in
View.
Only Two White Men, IL is Relieved, Have
Ever Looked on the Scene
Before.

The mystery which has always hung over
the Grand Falls in the interior of Labrador
is to be cleared way at last, and in a few
months the scientific world will know
whether the falls in Grand or Hamilton
river are the greatest in the world, or
whether the previous accounts have been
greatly exaggerated, says the Philadelphia
Record. Henry G. Bryant, a member of
the Philadelphia bar, accompanied by Pro
fessor Kenistor, of Georgetown Univer-
si.y, is now on his way to visit the falls,
and has sailed from st. Johns, New
~foudland, on the next to the last stage of
the journey.
Only two white men have ever seen the
falls, SO far as is known, and they both
place the height at 1000 feet. Both of the
men stood high in the service of the Hud-
son Bay conrany, and, although they saw
the falls at different times, their accounts
ngree in almost every particular. Maclean.
the first to reach the scene, conducted an
expedition into the interior in 1929, and
was stopped by these falls. Kennedy
reached them under the guidance of an
lroquois Indian. who had spent most of his
life in Labrado-. The native Indians give
the falls ii wide berth. owing to a tradition
long current among them that they are
haunted by evil spirits, and that no man
can look upon them and live.
Above the falls the river is said to be 800
yards broad, contracting to fifty yards at
the falls themselves. II this account be
true, then in the whole world there is nc
other fall having auch a volume of water
descending at a bound from such a stu
~o,lo,, i.I.l{
is far greater, but its height is only lGl feet,
The famous falls of Zambesi are but 100
feet. In the Yosemite valley there is a fall
of :, $50 feet, but this is broken INTO three
leaps, and the volume of water is not equal
to that of the Grand Falls of Labrador.
Thus, taking INTO account the combination
of height a!o volume, these q and Falls of
Labrador tLro" all cthers mo the shade.
A fall of 1000 feet has generally been re-
garded as utterly inconceivable, however.
and various efforts have been made to
verify the reports of Siaclean and Ken
nedy. In 1887 Eundle F. Aolmc, of Oxford
University, MADE an effort to reach tho falls,
but his PROVISIONS gave out when he sup
posed himself within fifty miles of his
Journeys end, nnd he WIS absolutely forced
to so back. MIR. Bryant has carefully
studlrd tho situation, and has made his
preparations with SO much care that his
noSsSsc 10 tSbAdSo aS ttSSIftl. lie sailed
from Kew 70 X OF Jun %, and reached St,
JONAS two days later. All his supplies
were purchased there and his final arrange
ments completed, end nov 10 sails tor
Battle Ha.bor. on the Straits of Belle Isle.
Another steamer will take him to Rigolet,
a post of the Hudson Bay Company, in
Hamilton inlet, from where Il two DAYS sail
will land him at Northwest. from where ne
will begin his last Journey of 800 miles up
the Grand river.
Besides himself and Professor Kenistor
Nj. Bryant hopes to take about eight IN