Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30
GREAT FALLS OF LABRADOR

Prof. G. A. Kenaston's Interesting Lecture
Describing His Expedition to Them.
For a good many years there have been
mysterious rumors relating 10 great cataract
In Labrador. No one seemed 10 know anything
about its location or size, but the general i'm
preston seemed to be that way up in the frozen
solitudes Of that desolate country nature had
formed q spectacle that in grandeur and extent
quite left Niagara and all other cataracts in the
distance. Mr.. Bryant, q member Of the Phila-
delphia bar and . student Of science, determined
to learn for himself not only something about
this tabled cataract, but also gather somc in
formation relative TO the country Of Labrador.
30 last summer he organized an expedition, Of
which he was the head and Prof. G. A. Kenas-
ton was the geographer. The latter last even
ing entertained q large and overfowing au-
dience in the lecture hall Of the Columbian
University with an &C ,ount Of the expedition.
The lecture was one of the series arranged by
the National Geographic Society, ana If the at
tendance continues to be as large as il was last
evening the society vii. find it necessary to Sc
cure larger hall where the othsr lectures can
be delivered
Paoe. KEsAsr,.H's ACCOUNT.
Prof Kenaston last evening gave his account
OF the trip and then had cas-. upon the screen
number Of very beautiful photographs taken in
Labrador: He said that the country was prac-
tlcaliy unknown that there were no maps that
were at all accurat eand that the 400 900 square
miles constituting the area Of Labrador formed
the largest unexpiored region to be found on
the western hemisphere. In this entire terri
torv there we're only about ten settlements and
there were scarcely dozen permanent resi-
dents There were, perhaps half dozen white
men residing in Labrador and the domestic an
1mais were as scarce as the white men. The
reason for this scanty population was believed
BY the speaker &c be the high latitude of the
country its proximity to the arctic regions
and the fact that the country vas practically
without a soil. The face of the land is exceed
ln8ly barren and rocky The rocks are covered
with moss and there lie scanty growth Of
dwarfed bushes, frs and cedars The expedi-
ton left Philadelphia in June for St Johns.
Newfoundland. and then proceeded in a small
government steamer to Rigolett on Hamilton
inlet
IN SEARCH OF rHR FALLs.
Scotchman and q native were added to the
party and then the journey was begun up the
Giand river in search Of the Grand Falls
The perls and tolls nf the trip were graph
ically related by the speaker, and his exceed
ingly dramatic account of the shooting of the
rapids evoked a burst of appreciative applause.
The noise Of the roar of the falls was heard two
days before the party came within sight Of the
cataract The spectacle of the rapids above
the falls reminded thu lecturer OF the Niagara
rapids, with the exception that the volume of
water was not great. The river wAs about
800 feet wide at this point and was confined in
a canon, and such was the velocity of the water
that the middle line was ten feet above the
edges.
APIUNeE GREATER THAN NIAGARA
The water rushes through this canon to the
edge of the chasm, over which it plunges to q
depth of 3l6 feet. The fall Of Niagara is only
164 feet. and, while this cataract in the Lab
rador wilderness excels in height the American
natural wonder, yet it is lacking in volume.
The fall is only $50 feet wide Still il is a
great cataract, and the lecturer showed fine
photograph of it. 1t was stated by Prof Ken
aston that as far as known only two persons be-
sides the members Of his party have ever
looked upon these falls. In 1899 an agent Of
the Hudson Bay Company, Mr.. Mclean, Wis
tied this spot and gave a description Of the
great falls.
After Prof. Kenaston had finished the audi
ence gave him a rising vote Of thanks.