Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-13
A FORCED EXPLORATION.
James Whites Trip Through the
Grand cany on Of Colorado.
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.



In 1861 was connected with n party Of
oneineers, sent out TO survey route from
Albuquerque, New Mexico, along the line OF
Tho thlrty-nfth parallel, to Los Angeles. In
California.
AZ that time tho road that hsd pushed
farthest west had It's terminus at Junction
city, In Kansas, and while tho Union Pacific
Railroad was then in process Of rapid con
struction, there we're not wanting engineers
who doubted It's completion, or the posi-
blllty Of running IL attor IL bad been com
ploted. II was believed that the snow in the
Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada mneos
would provo an insurm0ntnble barrier
against the operation Of thls road for at least
eight months In the year. In those days It
was thought Tint at tho most, ono road
would be ample TO a9oommodhte all tho COM
morce and passenger business between the
Atlantic aud Pacific coasts for nifty years to
como. Although not twcnty-soven years
hayo elapsed, We hhyo now ak transconti-
mental roads, with wonderful network Of
branches, and othors arc being constructed.
IL was the belief that road along tho
fortieth parallel would be- found TO he In
operative that led TO the survey along tho
tblity.nfth pauiel because Of the lower lat
itude and tho lower elevations which the
line would trayepe.
In October Of tho yoar named. found my
self at Fort Molayo pronounced Aohayy). on
tho Colorado River, a few hours galop above
tho present crossing point at tho Noodlos.
Here lcnrnod from my old friend, Jim"
Brownlow, son u the celebrated "pnrson"
Brownlow. who was attached TO the Eighth
Cavalry. then stationed IN Arizona, that a
man named White had lust como through
tho Grand Canyon Of the Colorado. As this
was m exploit supposed, up 10 this umO, 10
bo impossible, because NJ the profound depths
aud inaccessible banks OF tho wonderful
nsaure. doubted tho report and determined
10 verify It from original sources.
Up TO 1867 all our school maps represented
Northern Arizona and southern Utah aud
Nevada as "unwplorcd territory" and some
Of them, with an attouipt at greater accuracy,
added this country 70 tho thon mythical
region known az 'Tho Great American
Desert"
While this territory remained 80 long I'M
explored by Arierlcans IL "a not little
curious to note that about forty years after
tho discovery Of Americi by Columbus, Pedro
dn Sisa Coronado aud other Spanish adyon-
turer bod penetrated this desoato region,
prompted thereto by thor dcsirc 20 llnd NJ
Bora,lo, thar fabulous land OF wealth. which
hus bid 50 mnny ot these cavaliers into
rialns that remained unknown Tor centuriea
after their DEATH Coronado was tho first
man 10 visit tho Pueblo Indians. along the
Sierra MAdrn Mountains aud up the Bo
orlndn as far as tho site OF the present city
Of Sania 70. Ono 81 Cbronado's captains,
under the guidanca Of AoQuni Indian, fol-
lowed up tho Colorado Chiquito, or Little
Colorado, 10 the point whoro, between preci-
plcos six thousand icot In height 1t enters
the main river. Tho descriptions given by
tlieac carly explorers to tho Captiin dcnornl
OF Now Spain, ns Mexico was ihcn called, and
to tho Government Mt homo while alightly
cyaggontlng. give tolcrnbly fair pen pictures
OF the amazing chnsmA, mosna, bonka and
stnpendous gorgus, through which tho great
river flows In tortuous cuurao for over four
hundred milos.
The gold hunters and tupnors, soon after
the discovery Of tho precious motai in Cali.
forlia, made the world thoroughly familiar
with tho Groom aud Grand rivers aud tholr
tributaries, tho united wnicra OF which 30 to
mako up the Colorado proper.
In 1867 the doycrnment sont Lieutenant
Ives. OF tho Typographical Engineers, to tho
mouth OF the Colorado liiyor, whore he built
a small stern-wheel steamer that had fooen
sent down In sections from San Franclsoo,
thu report Of Lieutonan, Iycs, admirably H.
lustrated was issued by tho War Department,
and even ut thia late date II has all tho thrill
Ing intcroat OF a romance Lieutenant Ivos
accurately describes tho Yumas, Chlmouavis,
MolayeA and Pluto Indians. whom hc met
along tho bankh Of tho ull then uncxplorod
river, and their amaacncnt at secing the
atcamboat 10 not tho lenst intereaHng part OF
that admirably written report Lieutenant
tycs succccded In pasaing the shoals aud OBJ.
structlons peculiar TO this sironm. which is
continually changing ia course and finally
he passed tho Black Canyon. and rcaehod tho