Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-11-07
COLORADO CANYON.
An Account OF It's Dangers ar !!
It's Unique Grandeura
Some Interesting Facts Furnished By
Major Powell, tho Only Man Who
Ever Exploresl'It-The Inflated
Brown Expedition.

The account of the attempt by Frank II.
Brown TO survey the Colorado river TO as
certain the feasibility of railroad between
its high banks, and the end of the enter
PRISE in the death OF Brown and two mem
bers OF his party in the nyou, induced
me, says New York Tribune correspond
ent, to make some inquiries of Major J. W.
Powell, director of the Geological Survey,
the only man whose parties have ever sue
ceeded in traversing the deadly gorge.
Asked why Brown failei Major Powell
answered:
s'For the same reason I think the other
parties have always failed. He underesti-
mated the perils to be encountered. The
Colorado Canyon, to speak of many canyons
as one, is unique. There Is nothing else
like it in the world; none but itself can be
its parallel, and so it is difficult for the
imagination to foresee and appreciate its
furious whirlpools, dangerous rapids and
tremendous abysses. think that Brown
failed to comprehend the significant fact
that nothing can get through the Colorado
Canyon that can not float. Boats are re-
peatedly upset and Inferior boats are
mashed like eggshells."
"Did you know Mr.. Brownie
"Yes, somewhat Last winter Ireceived
letters from various persons interested in
locating railroad route down the Colorado
river 1t was believed that a water grade
for railroad could be found, and that thus
the vast coal-felds of Utah and Colorado
could be connected with Underwater in the
Gulf of CALIFORNIA; most desirable thing
to accomplish. The president Of the Den
yer company, Mr, Brown, finally visited
Washington and called upon me and made
inquiries about the best method of making
the survey. He seemed courageous and
judicious. But in my judgment the plan
was quite impracticable, and / told him SO
and fully stated to him my reasons for such
q conclusion"
"What were the reasonsT'
''They can not be repeated in limits more
blief than magazine article furnishes
But can outline them in a word. No rail
road can run along the rocks at the top
Of the canyon, because the whole region is
labyrinth OF stupendous lateral gorges
from half mile to mile deep and running
back from the Colorado for many miles on
both sides, and no engineering known to
man can bridge them. In the main canyon
the river often rises forty to sixty feet, so
that the road-bed would have to hang upon
the sides of the cliff, which much Of the way
is perpendicular. The floods here surpass
in size and suddenness any others on the
globe"
''Was Browns party overwhelmed in the
most difficult part of the descenti"
"Oh, no, by no means. Brown had Just be-
gun to encounter the real difficulties when he
met with disaster in Marble Canyon. It Is
| a bad place, but he had not yet reached the
most dangerous portion of the river. He
had descended less than six hundred feet,
while the fall Of the Colorado below was
more than two thousand feet"
"Was the boat a suitable one2"
81 would not have gone in it, by any
means. was anxious about it even before
he started. It did not seem to me adapted
to canyon waters. 1t seemed too f1at-bot-
toned, and must have been at the mercy of
the swirling currents"
Major Powell was asked about the stories
| that various parties had succeeded in de-
| scending the Grand Canyon at different
| times, and answered:
"Nobody has ever successfully trayersed
| the Colorado Canyon but my parties. The
| story that raft once lived to get through
| is preposterous and was long since ex-
ploded. Invariably all attempts have been
| suspended or have met with disaster. The
boat to go down the Colorado Canyon must
be sturdily built on a pattern which expert
ence has proved the strongest and should
have three alright compartments; the
@en SnouIo wear lie preSerVerS at all
places Of danger, and all tools, clothing and
rations should be carried in air-tight ocean
mail sacks, so that they will float. II these
| conditions are fulfilled, if the boats are
tough enough, and the men at once plucky
intelligent and prudent enough, and at the
maximum of their health and strength, the
canyon may yet be run again."
| l could not forbear saying: "You do moi
seem to have been quite up to this mark
for you first attacked the canyon long after
| you had lost an arm at Shiloh"
| Major Powell smiled whimsically and said
| 81 was lucky"