Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-07-25
FruitIeSS Search for The Victim
Of the Grand Canyon.
HOPE has GROWN VERY DIM
The Hunt is Not Abandoned But II Is
Feared That Even If He ES-
Csped The Rapids II was Only
to Perish of Starvation Within
the UnSCsIabIe and High Walls of
the Grand Canyon.

Ash Fork, Ariz.. July 24.-(Special.)
W w. Bass. who left for the canyon
July 13 in charge of a party to
search for W. F. Russell of Syracuse,
Neb., who was lost in the Colorado
river while attempting to cross it in a
canvas boat with several others from
Williams on Sunday evening, July 9,
returned last night after a weeks
search up and down the canyon with
out having found any trace of RUSSELL
Bass left on Friday night, arriving
at the river last Sunday. Accompanied
by the men employed on his mining
claims, he at once instituted thor
ough search of the east side of the
river. Equipping himself and men
with provisions, field glasses, ETC., they
started towards the Bright Angel
trail, fifteen miles above Bass camp.
where Russell was lost. Those not
conversant with the canyon and the
character of its narrow, steep trails,
perilous high precipices, abrupt walls
hundreds of feet high, cannot imagine
what an arduous task lay before the
search party, and the difficulties
and obstacles to be overcome in such d
few miles. Wherever the river was
accessible %hey descended to it and ex-
amined the banks infinitely for traces
of Russell's possible landing or a frag-
ment of the little canvas cockleshelI.
Two of the party, John Waltenburg
and R. NJ. Bleak, both have had an ex-
perience similar to RusselrS and
passed over the first rapids in boat,
the same one Russell went Ghrough.
Waltenburg, while trying to cross the
river in a round pneumatic rubber
boat a year ago, was caught in the
deadly current and carried over the
first rapids and whirlpool, landing in
an eddy, from which he escaped to the
banks. though he had nothing where
with to paddle except his hands.
Bleak went over the rapids this
summer while trying to cross the river
in an ordinary boat Though familiar
with the canyon and the river, he mis-
judged the strength of the current at
succeeded in reaching the bank afte'
a most desperate struggle, where he
was rescued by his companions, but
lost his boat. These two men knowing
from their own experience what the
probable effect of the current would
have on Russell and his boat, and
where it would most likely take him.
were invaluable to the party and
pointed out the only accessible places
where he could have landed. The op-
posite side of the river was closely
scanned by the aid of a pair of power
full field glasses. Wherever it was pos
isble to get down TO the river the piles
Of driftwood were Investigated in the
hopes of finding Russell's canvas
boat. After several days of tedious,
arduous search, the party made its
way back TO camp. AS the men were
working on the bank of the river the
Sunday the accident occurred, and
several days thereafter, they deemed
I useless to search the canyon below
.heir camp On the south side of the
river there are only two places that
IRE accessible to the river between the
Bright Angel trail and Bass camp,
where it would have been possible for
Russell to have reached the shore and
made his way out On the north side
If the river there is but one place be-
ween these two points where escape
rom the inner walls of the canyon is
{c at
eau. Russell being unacQUainted
With it might wander for days and
weeks under a scorching hot sun with
,ut finding this outlet.
Those who have had years OF expert
nee in the canyon give it as their
irtnion that Russell succeeded in
eaching the banks of the river, but
as since perished of starvation within
hose terrible unscalable walls, more
eadly than the angry rapids and
yhirlpools in the river. though IL
would have been possible fc.' him to
ubsist on chokebernies, amola fruit
nd prickly pear for some time.
Thich grow quite abundantly in some
arts of the canyon. Word was sent
D the various mining camps along
he canyon that could be reached to
eep a sharp lookout for traces of Rus
ell. If Russell landed on the north
Ide of the river and succeeded in find
lg his way out of the inner walls of
ne canyon, he may have reached one
f the numerous Mormon mining
amps on that side of the river farther