Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-10-04
GRAND CANYON OF ARIZONA

1T Is the greatest chasm in the
world and the most superb. have
seen veteran travellers break down In
It's awful presence. Charles +. Lum
mis-,
at Is the most sublime scenic PIANO.
rama In the world; the Titan OF
Chasms. and painted like a flower"
The above quotations. having refer.
ence to the Grand Canyon of Arizona
are positively true. for there Is only
one such rent in the earth's crest in
the world and that chasm is located In
Arizona and sixty three miles from the
energetic town OF Williams. This great
wonder. which has come into such
| prominence through the instrumental.
ity of the Santa ~ Railway company
only the past few years. and that
through It's advertising department,
Is on an average OF
One Nile Deep,
thirteen miles vide, III miles long,
and was visited recently by repre-.
sentative Of The Citizen.
The trip from tits city to Williams
was made on the No. passenger train
of the Santa Fe Pacific, arriving at
that town at 1887 p. m. and remain
ing there until 7 u m. at which time
the Grand Canyon train takes its de-
parture for the great wonder, reaching
the Bright Angel hotel at 10 p. m.
Being assigned comfortable rooms
at the hotel, the mkt morning just as
the sun crept over O'Neill's point,
manned after Buckley O'Neill. the fam
Gus Rough Rider VINO fell on San Juan
mill in the war VITA SPAIN. and COM
menced flooding tie Jagged canyon
so wide and so dee1-with its brilliant
lays. two parties. who had agreed to
go down the zig.zag trail to the plateau
way below. were M early, standing on
the rim and looking
at the Beautiful Sight,
so awe-inspring, ard yet so impenetra-
BILE, as the bright rays Of the sun
brought out the different colors in the
| III SiGtS VI tuc itth TiDDtu CANYON.
BY $3.50 a. m. T. was all hustle
around the hotel, lnd after breakfast
the guides commenced sailing the ami
mails for the tramp down and up the
hazardous trail.
That morning in question. under the
guidanceship Of Harry Ferguson. the
first party to start down the hill from
the hotel were CD. r. Borden and
wife. of New York City; Mrs. II. w.
Hendricks and son Hyda. of Shelby.
vile, KY. and w. T. McCreight and
wife. OF Albuquerque
Another party, under James Nc.
Claim. guide. followed. This constitut-
ed c. c. Hull and wife. Of Bellemont.
A. T.; Miss Ollie Gibbs. Of Kansas
City; II. L. Brown. OF Denver; NJ Wei.
denbeck, Of Ration. and Fred Hammer.
Of Las Vegas.
Astride OF eithei pony or a mule.
the two parties
Commenced the Descent
(the most perilous ride of their lives)
Of the almost perpendicular but rattle
snake trail with thdr hearts in their
mouths, aud trusted to the sure foot.
edness of the animals they were rid
ing to land them safely on the level
plateau, 5000 feet below, for one mis-
step In that narrow twoand-three foot
trail would have hurled them down to
inevitable death AND destruction. AZ
their bodies would have pounded on
the jagged sides OF the most studend-
Gus wonder known.
At different points en- the trail, going
and coming. IL was so steep that sever
al OF the ladies'. feeling an uneasiness
astride of their animals. dismounted
and walked for short distances and
then remounted. but at one place,
Known 40 Jacobs Ladder"
the guides told all to dismount and the
interesting feat Of sliding down and
catching at steps placed at intervals
had to be undergone, and the faithful
trail animals, showing practical hui
man intelligence, were just as agile as
their riders in making these slides.
After leaving Jacobs Ladder" onA
ith06iutr thot tut puiautC VI TIC JUL
ney would be easy. but from that on to
the spring of water which hides itself
In willows. and at the head of the pla-
teau. the trail is just as dangerous and
in fact more precipitous, but there
would be one consolation-if. by
chance, you should fall of the animal.
or the animal should
So slip on the Trait,
the fall to the bottom would not be
so long. but death would be just the
same IA II the accident happened a
few hundred feet higher up.
The end Of the plateau. overlooking
the big Colorado river / 300 feet below.
was reached at 1880 a. m. the time
consumed In going down the trail to
that point. a little over 1900 feet. be-
ing three hours.
Here, underneath huge projecting
rocks. a camp was made and lunch par.
taken Of