The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-04
s SCRANTON TRBUNE-sATURDAY MORNING. A.

ON &~0A4O " nO<A l. mOx
hotel This ride was intensely interest
ing AS the road brings US near the
Canyon the scenery becomes wilder
The stretch Of river for mile above the
Upper Falls" is full of rapids. like Nj
agara, and the river and road are forced
by the narrowing valley close together
to within fifty feet. SO that a bridge
from the overhanging rocks could be
easily thrown across. The river here
tumbles over a succession of cascades
and swirling around masses of rocks in
mid stream suddenly rushes over a
precipice. at Upper Falls. OF 140 feet, a
perpendicular drop, striking the rock for
nation at the bottom Of the abyss. and
shooting out rocket like columns plainly
seen from the ledge. This Is but an in
PRODUCTION, for in a quarter mile the
wild, raging river takes another leap Of
$50 feet exactly perpendicular. This Is
called Lower Falls of the Yellow
stone." of which we will speak later.
We arrive at Grand Canyon Hotel in
time for lunch. This Is the last hotel
and one of the largest in the park, with
a capacity for $50 guests and here we re-
main two days. From its porch the crest
of the Upper Falls can be seen and the
roar of both cataracts can be heard dis
| tinctly. Good, better, best, Is the al
most involuntary exclamation that
breaks forth from our lips. as 1t does
from the lips Of every tourist who wit
nesses these wonderful scenes. After
lunch we spend the afternoon at the
Canyon and Falls.
We are taken by an extra carriage ac-
companied by a guide for a ride that
covers not less than three hours, for an
extra charge of one dollar each. These
observation coaches hold ten to twelve
persons comfortably. We have the
choice of two courses to see the Can
yon; one to descend the hill along the
trail above the great falls, amid the
cool foliage that covers the slope and
out upon the platform that overhangs
both canyon and falls; or, to follow the
road or trail that leads parallel to the
canyon and some miles away comes out
| to the edge Of 1t. We chose the latter
route for today's experience, as we
could stop at pleasure and peer into its
mighty depths. leaving the nearer for
the morrow. -
| AS the traveller starts out on the oh
servation tour, he has very little con
| ceptiOn OF what is in store for him, Of
what is hidden just beyond that curtain
Of trees on yonder descending slope
We have heard much, read much, ant
formed an idea of what we will see, onl,
to find that the hundreth part has no
been told. We went down to. the Can
,yOn with one set of impressions from
what we had read and been told Of IT.
wonders. and returned with other an,
higher, those that will tarry with III
as long as mind lasts.
,-.. . THE GRAND CANYON.
+, You ask me to picture It? Words can
| not convey proper realization of IT
grandeur and magnificence. The min,
cannot grasp Grand Canyon. 1t glow
with q life Of its own. Words canno
paint 1t! No artist can reproduce tn
rain found here, or depict in languag
the beauties Of the sunrise, or the sun
set. or the radiance Of midday, as W
beheld them all.
1t Is not strange that the canyon. ha
been a theme for writer painter, ant
photographer from it's discovery to tn
present time. While the canyon Is no
by any means as deep, as long nor a
wide as some in OUR country, there
none that holds the spectator spel
bound as does this. We have seen an,
travelled through the Black Canyon
Royal Gorge, and the Grand Canyon
OF" the Colorado. and travelled in othe
lands of canyons on this continent an,
been fascinated with their stupendou
scenery. All are grand and glorious an,
deserve all that has been said of them
but they are in no true sense rivals
This great gorge Is a greater study,
greater revelation. a greater. wonde
ana deserving of stronger adjective
than am able to provide, or even I
| I M, 4 81
cally will; eloquently cannot. wi
quote later on from some Of the distin
guished travellers. men Of national rep
utation, profound, brilliant, exaC
writer's. to show thai. what hav
limited and what has been written con
cerning this wonder of wonders Is true
And now, where shall begin? Ant
how shall l, In any wise. describe thi
tremendous sight-its overpowerini
grandeur. and at the same time it's in
expressible beauty: / will only at
tempt an outline. The Grand Canyo
of the Yellowstone itself is vast. It Il
about twenty-four miles long, ranging
In height from 600 to 1000 feet 1t ha,
been excavated out Of a series Of vol
canic rocks by the flow Of the river 1t
self. At the bottom of the gorge tn
width is barely sufficient to afford tn
river room, as 1t tears along In it's mat
course. The sides are at most places
flaring, so that at the summit of tn
walls the width is many hundreds O
feet. A cross section in the larges
part measures 1000 feet at the top, 90
feet at the bottom. and Is 1900 fee
deep, giving an area of over thre
acres. Like many canyons, 1t has n,
vegetation whatever. 1t has been com
! pared to a V-shaped cash cut out of
mountain Of sulphur. The walls ar
colored yellow, bronze, white. red, an
their combinations; but the strong pre-
vailing color is yellow, next bronze
and the next white. Oxidation Of iro
causes the red. 1t Is prominently
canyon of many colors.
A WILDERNESS OF COLOR.
Thirty-seven different colors adorl
its walls as our specimens will prove
These various colOred sands are collect
!. ed and artistically arranged in. bottle
of fancy shapes and sizes, even to de
signing and spelling the names Of tn
various animals, birds, fish, ETC., foun
in the, park, by Prof. A. Wald, a Nor
wegian, said to be the only artist Of tn
kind in America. These mementoe
are sold to the tourist at prices within
the reach of all. The hue has no exist
ence which cannot be found here.
This gorgeous coloring does not ex
I tend through the entire length Of TWEEN
, ty miles, for in portions, forest
cover the sides of the canyon. l,
places the walls almost shut out tn
, light of day from the extreme bottom
, Liuetenant Doane, who made the dan
gerous descent several miles below tn
: falls, records, that 1t was about thre
/ o'clock y. m., and stars could be dis
! tinctly seen, so much Of the sunllgh
was cut off from entering the chasm.
~~S
Nv