The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-07-08
LTaA CRH.

ATlA cRn.
and DR.. Hayes built the framework
while l gathered gum. Ny diary for
that day closes with I'VE are nearly
down to rosebuds and raw flour but our
new boat will now swamp or save us
in a short time" Next night the boat
was done, except n little more gum
coating, and that was finished early the
morning of the 10th; and we stood
ready for our trip. We practically
stripped TO our Undertaking 10 meet
any accident. At II we were all
ready to try our tissue paper transpor-
tation, every one jumped in and the
boat leaped forward at a gait of from
ten to twelve miles an hour, the islands
fairly whirling by us. 1t was danger
GUS to stop, SO we dashed through
breakers that were better than BARRIERS
elixir for raising hair. Russell, arising
In the stern to see what harbor in
Hades we were heading for, was sent
spinning by an unusual lurch and it
was active work to get back to our
normal status. Both Russell and the
Doctor were pitched out in stop
ping the boat to inspect an ominous
outlook ahead and alone in the world.
| started out at a speed that promised
to land me in San Francisco that even
ing if nothing interfered. considered
myself lucky when made gravel bar
not far below, and awaited the two
who had to lock arms to cross the swift
channels between us. The channels
outside of either party were roaring
torrents that Leander could not have
crossed. 1t was just noon when we
ripped the first hole, lurched sidewise,
dumped Russell overheard. and came
nelr rolling over and over down the
steep chute as wrecked expedition.
An hour was used in repairing dam
ages. We made twenty miles by lunch
time, in about two hours, having been
In and out the boat dozen times to in
spect threatening outloolzs, or when
thrown out by the plunging craft it.
self How the balloon-like boat stood
the banging was the greatest mystery
of all. The outlook now was very
black, the great river of n mile in
width at places was, ahead, narrowing
into a colossal canyon and its roar
sounded obviously like cataract
Russell spent nearly two hours ahead
on the north wall inspecting it but he
could find no fall, though the rapids in
places were almost equivalent. While
he was gone signal smokes were made
to attract any Indians idiots enough to
find this country congenial 1t was a
hydraulic hurdle race for five miles and
we Nsuld hardly tell half the time
whether we were under the water on
top OF it, or flying through the spray
The wide boat made it impossible for
me to paddle in the center without add
ing danger to the already great peril
and the work fell to the others. No
better relief, however, could have been
devised in such exciting places than
equally exciting labor 1t looked so
very bad at 4:30 another inspection
was made. The canyon was so black,
narrow, and turned so sharply it seemed
as if the whole foaming mass plunged
into an abyss out of sight We were
not yet clear of glacial country and it
was not improbable we might disap-
pear in a tunnel of ice if one was met.
Just ), we tore the side out and came
near sinking before bar could I
be made; we got avg at
in exceedingly heavy water |
and at 7:2O, seeing the CANYON ahead |
apparently obliterated in the black |
shadows, we stopped on a bar and |
camped, with thirty-siX miles in our |
favor. My diary closes: "A day of |
dangers long to be remembered, being |
a continuous run OF rough rapids, with |
waves often four and five feet high /
and tossing in all directions" We now /
had but one days full ration of -four. |
after which we could help ourselves to /
the salt. 1t was 1925 before we got |
started next morning, the time being
iiiien up in inspecting the canyon.
I, ISSell said there were at least five 1
to six miles of heavier rapids than any
met so far, and remarked, There was
not one chance in q hundred for any
sort of boat to get through safely"
The roaring rapid just ahead, probably
equal to the whirlpool rapids below
Niagara was but one of a score or
more IN the course. The high canyon
walls were perpendicular now as an
average, and quite as often were pro-
lecting over us as they slanted back
wards. The canyons course was a
tOrtuouS one. with sharp turning an
giles, yet somewhat uniform in proper
lions, so little experience taught us
how to manage them to the least dam
ger. OftenumeS the swift glacial
water, a perfect sand-blast for centur-
les, had cut far under the rock wall,
against which it impinged sometimes
at right angles. until the cavern under
meath looked like death itself as we
shot towards it The impinging points
were always fanl5ed by danger
Dus whiripools. who's vortlces were
were often two TO foar feet below the {
rim. The highest waves were just of q,
the sharp angles. and while seemingly {
20 to the novice, they were not the
most dangerous, however. Just around ,
under the lee of the points small gravel {
1ars were occasionally found, but they