The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-10
UP SQUAMISH RIVER.
Stanley Smiths Search for
Clark and Braden.
NO TRACE OF THE LOST MEN.


L8-<&44tS
men. Clark and Bra5en, IL was only upon
forIcrn hone and with the knowle ledge
that great dangers and privasions. perhaps
death. iay before him. he had, however.
been ordered By the government OF the
province 20 do all in brave mans power
70 solve the mystery of sheir fate, and the
result of his search seems 20 make GER
tainty Of the general suppositicn that the
missing engineer and his artist companion
forfeited their lives in their adventurous
enterprise.
Clark and Brs6en. the two men lost.
left Vancouver in the spring of lss2 TO 90
through by the sguAmish river TO Chit
cotin. Clark vas an engineer, and his
evident intention was 20 make rough
prospect of the country, taking some ele-
vaticns and levels with . view TO reporting
on the feasibility of the route for the
Peace River & Alasks railway. He wss
not sent ont by the promoters OF that line,
but took the trip on speculation with the
object Of selling the information thus OBJ
tanned az later period. Braden was en-
artist, and accompanied Clark 70 make
sketches and take photographs by the
way.
''Stanlsy" Smith, when asked 10 under
take the final sesrch for the missing men,
was given carte blanche IS 10 the number
and equipment of his party. lie chose,
however, 70 make the venture practically
alone, and left Vancouver on July "A last,
accompanied by but one man and deter
mined 20 follow as closely as possible in
the footsteps Of the objects or his search.
The forks of the Sqaamish were reached
on August 2, and here the siwash guide
babe the two daring whites goodbye. with
many warnings to "klosh nanitch." He
insisted. toe, on shaking hands, for they
were going into the dim spirit land from
which white men could not return.
These gloomy forebodings of the natives
were scarcely listened 10 by Mr.. Smith,
who, having searched the east branch
thoroughly without finding signs that any
one had ever before passed that way.
built q canoe. and on the morning of the
10th crossed the river and proceeded up
the canyon, searching all along. The head
of the canyon was reached on the evening
of the 18th. It was here that their Indian
guide babe farewell TO Clark and Braden,
turning back while they continued up the
river by canoe. On the following day.
August IL, the searchers found a gray
tweed cap with peak, which, according
to the siwash, belonged to Clark. 1t was
lying on a bear trail crossing a rockslide,
and though the most careful search of the
entire neighborhood was made nothing
more was picked up.
In his report to Superintendent Hussey,
under whose direct orders he was acting,
Mr.. Smith says:
III feel sure Clark and Braden never got
out of Squamish valley. We made a most
thorough search, which accounts in part
for our being so long in the Squamish,
though the upper part of the valley is the
roughest lever travelled; in such brush as
covers it lifetime's search could fail TO
find their bodies or their bones. They ev-
identity went but short distance above
canoe navigation, and seeing the great
difficulties ahead, their provisions short
and game scarce, have returned to the ca
noe and started down the river. They
have probably upset by running against a
snag-something much more liable to hap
pen in going down than in going up the
stream; and the location Of the cap shows
that they had not gone very far before
upsettIng. That Clark, at least, who was
good swimmer, saved himself, is shown
by the cap; but empty handed. his rifle
and provisions gone, he must have starved
in trying to reach the settlement. The
fact thas the canoe is not TO be found
bears out this view. The loser of the cap
has obviously been either cropping about at
night oTotherwise was IN a very distraught
condition, or he would have picked it up
again. as there was no brush concealing 1t.
do not suspect Douglas or any other In
dian In the matter"
Although the searchers found no further
trace of the lost ones after leaving the
Squamish canyon, their investigations
did not end. but rather only began there.
The reputed head of Canoe trail was
reached on August Is, but no signs of a
canoe having been abandoned were met
with. Using towline, Smith ana his
companion managed to ascend four or
five miles higher than could be done with
pole or paddle, but found no trace Of any.
one having gone before them.
At each mile the difficulties of the route
vastly increased. The brush became so
dense as 10 be almost impossible and,
nearing the end of the Souamish, glacier
succeeded glacier in bewildering con-
tinuity. The head OF the Squamish was
crossed on August 3 and a start made
down the tremendou. glacier which was
found to ali the valley beyond. Beneath it
200 feet mighty river runs swiftly
and silently. only TO be seen through the
crevasses with which, like Grants wells,
its surface IS at intervals broken. Pierre
ing the field of ice rise irregularly great
mountain tops clad in verdurs almost as
soon as they leave the glacier entrance.
and only becoming bare and desolate
again at the line of eternal snow.
The scenery for miles and miles is in
describaoly grand, magnificent aud pc
euliar; so impressed were the two white
men who FIRST gazed upon it-probably
with the first human eyes TO behold ITS
wonders-that thsy remained in the DESC
late spot for several days. To vary the
monotony Of mountain peak and ice plain
are numerous waterfalls. some of which
rival Shaiihausen or Yosemite. 0ne in
particular, found near the summit. de-
sends like a broad ribbon Of delicate
green across the gray face OF an icy preci-
piee over COO feet high, which. where the
pass breaks of. bars further progress.
Csrcamnavigating this fall, the two eI-
plorers assembled still another glacier
whose stream runs into Jervis inlet and
which they followed 10 its source, crossing
on the way large glacier stream flowing
al the bottom o. 4 canyon 400 feet deep.
The crossing was made on fallen tree
which rested across the canyon a. en- angle
Of 80 degrees from the harixontal In all
the country Tor scores OF mics there was
no sign Of the prior presence Of man
white ar red.
In speaking Of the glacier az the val
ley's head IN his official report. Mr.. Smith
says.