Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-05
Is 1T GREATER THAN NrAG.H.s
Mr.. Bryant Going to Labrador to Explore the
Big Cataract.

Big Cataract.
The mystery which has always hung over the
Grand Falls. in the interior of Labrador. sav.
the Philadelphia Record, is to be cleared
away at last, and in a few months the
scientific world will know whether the fall.
In Grand or Hamilton river are the greatest in
the wohd or whether the previous account.
have been greatly exaggerated. Henry O.
Bryant. member of the Philadelphia bar. &C.
companied by Prof. Kenistor of Georgetown
University, is now on his way to visit the falls
having sailed from St. Johns. NF., 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 Hudson Bay Com.
pany, and although they saw the falls at differ
ent times their accounts agree in nearly every
particular. Maclean. the first to reach the
scene. conducted an expedition into the int.
rior IN 1889 and was stopped by these falls
Kennedy reached them under guidance of an
lroquois Indian who had spent most Of his life
In Labrador. The native Indians give the fall.
wide berth, owing to a tradition long curren,
among them that they are haunted by evil
spirits and that no man can look upon then
and live.
Above the falls the river is said to be 5Ot
Yards broad, contracting to fifty yards at tn,
falls themselves. IL this account be true ther
| In the whole world there is no other fall havins
such volume OF water descending at a bound
from such a stupendous height. Niagara.
volume OF water is far greater. but its height il
only l64 feet. The famous falls OF Zambesi are
put lOO rect. In the Yosemite valley there is a
iaii OK $50 feet but this is broken into three
leaps, and the volume of water is not equal 10
that OF the Grand Falls of Labrador. Thus.
taking into account the combination of height
ana volume. these Grand Falls of Labrador
throw all Others into the shade.
A fall Of 1000 feet has generally been. re-
8arded as utterly uncomfortable however and
various efforts have been made to verify the
reports OF Maclean and Kennedy In 1887
handle I. Holme of Oxford University made
an effort to reach the falls but his provisions
gave out when he supposed himself within
fifty miles OF his journeys end and he was abb
solutely forced to go back.
Mr.. Bryant has carefully studied the situa-
ton and has made his preparations with SO
much care that his success is regarded as As
sured He sailed from New York June % and
reached st. Johns two DAYS later. All his sun-
pines were purchased there and his final ar
engagements completed. and today he sails for
Battle Harbor on the Strait of Belle Isle. An
other steamer will take him TO Rigolet n post
OF the Hudson Bay Company. in Hamilton in
iet, from where two days sail will land him
at Northwest, from where he will begin his last
journey of 800 miles up the Grand river.
Besides himself and Prot. Kenlston Mr.. Bry-
ant hopes to take about eight Indians and a
white man for guide, if he can get one. The
journey up the river will be made in canoes,
which must be carried around the many rapids
and falls. 1t is estimated that the trip of 300
miles each way can be made in about six weeks
and on that estimate Mr.. Bryant will get back
TO Northwest about the middle of September
and to Philadelphia about October l. His idea
is, however. TO come back by different route
if practicable.
In letter to his mother and brothers in this
city MIR: Bryant speaks very hopefully of his
trip. The French priest. n very intelligent
man who makes pilgrimages through Labrador.
estimates the height Of the falls at about 1000
feet
Mr.. Bryant, the head and front of the ex-
pedition, Is a graduate of Princeton College.
and was admitted TO the Philadelphia bar in
1856. He has not practiced' much, however.
deyoting most of his time TO travel and scien-
titc studies. His present venture is under
taken solely on his own responsibility TO settle
the long-disputed question of the height of
the great falls, and, if successful, will make
him famous in the world of science and travel.
de has wide field before him. as few portions
OF Labrador beyond the coast have ever been
visited by white men, and only the barest out
line OF Its geography is known.