The Western news., 1903-04-22
SURVEYING A CANON.
photographer and Assistant Make a
PerilOus TriD.

photographer and Assistant Make a
Perilous Trip.
To swim a river in the face of an en-
emy's fire is justly looked upon as hero
ism, and Is so regarded. Deliberately
to trust oneself to the mercy Of roar
Ing torrent flowing between twenty
five miles of canyon walls which tower
half mile high on either side, merely
in the interests of science or industrial
development, requires also high order
Of courage. This was done by A. L.
Fellows. photographer of the United
States geological survey, and his assist
ant, w. w. Terrence. With equipment
reduced to a minimum, and a pneu
matte raft upon which to float their
impedimenta when swimming, these
two men made reconnaissance survey
of the Grand Canyon Of the Gunnison
River In Colorado, feat before at
tempted, but always with disastrous
outcome. Harper's Weekly describes
their trip. the purpose Of which was to
determine the feasibility of plan in
which it Is proposed that the United
States government should build great
dam and tunnel to distribute the now
waste waters Of the Gunnison over
100000 acres of fertile land on the
venal mesa. and thus furnish homes
for thousands of new settlers In Colo
RADIO.
The two men had before them the
history Of previous attempts to explore
this canyon. Expeditions had gone to
certain points, and had decided that
farther progress was impossible, and
had toilfully climbed out Of the canyon,
abandoning the attempt to pass through
1t. Other expeditions had reached the
head Of the great gorge, had been buff
feted by the currents, lost their boats,
and been forced to return. Nothing
daunted by these previous experiences
Of others, Mr.. Fellows determined to
establish by actual survey the possi-
bility of utilizing the great water re-
sources of the Gunnison In the reclama-
ton of the fertile plains within their
reach.
He and his companion entered the
canyon at its head, and ten days later
emerged from the lower end, having
made a distance Of twenty-five miles
Of the toughest travel conceivable, with
barely enough clothing to afford the
necessary protection. The latter half
| of the journey was accomplished on
short rations, and nearly all of their
equipment was lost piece by piece in
the numerous misadventures which fell
to their lot. Even then, recollectine
some of their experience. they conglat-
ulated themselves at having made the
! trip without serious bodily injury or
| loss of life.
They climbed along the rocky walls of
| the canyon. swimming the river time
and again, often blindly trusting them
selves to raging torrent. where they
We're whrled through n half-mile or
more of turbulent water without the
slightest knowledge as to what lay be
fore them.
At other times, to pass around OBJ
strctions, 1t took half day to make Il
half mile OF progress. On one occa
sion, while crossing the river witt
their rubber raft, the float was caught
in an eddy through which they were
swimming, and was overturned, throw
ing the cameras, tield-glasses, transit
level and other belongings into the cur
rent. Some of them were recovered
but the surveying instruments wer,
lost forever.
AS result Of this daring trip it !:
now known that by the construction
of tunnel three miles long and IA Sc
ries Of shorter tunnels. aggregatin,
perhaps two miles in addition, the WA
ters Of the Gunnison can be brough
into the Uncompahgre Valley at eos
of about $1,OOO,UOO.