The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1891-12-05
HIGHER THAN NIAGARA.
rhe Labrador Falls Found by Bowdo o in ;,
Explorers

80" A'"'"o' E"iAs Eounu Dy bOWuOtni
Explorers
! The snooner Julia Decker arrived ir
New York, some days since. has ing on
board the members Of the Bowdorn scicn
tliic expedition. The results of the trip Il
Labrador have far exceeded the hopes ot
the projectors. Grand falls have been dis
! covered and photographed, and, thou yh no:
as high as reported, present a beautiful
sight. The total fall is upward of SOC
feet, divided into one fall of 200 fe"t and
six rapids and cascades varying from lOC
feet to 25 feet.
The exploring party of four mcn, NIL
graduates of the college, headed hy
Austin Cary, left their schooner on Sun.
day, July 26. They were provided with
Two RrShton boats and all the modern
| instruments for measuring heights and
distances.
Their success in navigatiny the river
far exceeded their expectations, and such
good progress was made that on Alr. 3
they had passed Lake Waminlkupou
and had reached point FIVE miles In nd.
vance of the furthest point reached by Mr..
holme in 1888. At this ace, on account
of a disabled arm, Mr.. Young and com.
pdnion were obliged TO turn back. reaching
Rigolet on Aug. q.
Messrs. Cary and Cole proceeded on to.
ward the falls, which lad been reported TO
be distant fifty miles. After going short
distance they were obliged, on account of
the rspidity of the current, TO leave their
boat and make their journey on foot.
From this point their progress was neces-
sarily very slow. tine woods being very
thick and the mo quitnes and black flies
almost unbearabIe. The explorers found
the falls to be much further away than
they had expected, but on Aug l3, after
three days tramp. their labors were
rewarded by danfening roar in the dis
tance. Their provisions we're now nearly
gone, stores having been cached on the
way up, but they pushed resolutely on to
the height of the Labrador plateau called
"The Height of Land" 1t is this plateau
which is the source of the stream, and the
descent of the river to the sea forms the
falls and rapids.
As they neared the falls magnificent
sight spread before them. The spray.
which was visible for twenty miles, rose
in cloud from the descent of the water.
and the solid rock beneath their feet
trembled pesceptibly. From the falls the
water flows through a canon formed of
arcoAen rock, the sides Of which rise to
height OF 500 feet, and are heavily wooded
at the top. Through this canon The water
flows with terrific force, making it abso.
lutely impossible for any boat to live in
such sea. The height of the tails has
been exaggerated. and, while presenting a
grand and beautiful sight, the fa.ls meas
ure only 200 feet in the perpendicular. .rhe
rapids increase the total altitude Of the
falls to 500 feet.
Above the falls the width of the river is
500 yards. narrowing until it reaches the
falls 10 width of only 80 yards. when it
plunges with II terrific roar over the rapids
and falls into the narrow gorge below
and succeeded la obtaining some good
the observations of the fails, the explorers
Land. where, from a peak christened by
them Mount Hyde. Bovdoin, they had
fine prospect of the surrounding country.
The plateau is nearly all wooded with a
thick, though not large, growth of soft
timters.
At this point their provisions being all
but gone, they set out for return. On
reaching the point where they left their
boat they found that the camp fire which
they built had consumed the boat. and
with it their whole stock of provisions,
gun and an octant. Their position was
now somewhat critical. Three hundred
miles On a river heretofore lncxplored.
with no boat no help and no provisions
until they reached their first cache. They
set boldly to work, however, and with
small hatchet for their only implement
constructed a small raft, binding the
logs together with spruce roots. On
RATS made in this way they traversed
the 800 miles to the mouth of
the river, enduring the greatest hard |
ship.
Their only weapon was small revolver,
for which they had but twenty-five cart
ridges. With it they shot few squirrels,
making a meal on each animal. On the
way down five different RATS were con-
structed, the making of which, in their
wasted condition, consumed great
amount of time and energy They reached
the vessel Sept. |. receiving a royal well
come from their friends.
The falls which they have discovered are
to have been seen by two employ
ees of the Hudson Bay company. but no
authentic account of any such discovery
has been given. The successful result
of the expedition is due wholly to the
heroic efforts OF Messrs. Cary and Cole,
and Bowdoin college may we'll be con-
graduated by her sister colleges for the
addition which she has made to the here
tofore can't knowledge of the geography of