The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-04
POWERS PARTT HIS
EXCITING STRUGGLE
r ~ W2OMLWG WILDS
Forced by Swollen Streams to Take CctouS Routes, They
Penetrate DeSoIate Wilderness and Car Has Mar
row Escapes EnCOuneTing Deep Clutches.

NO, my car did not break down as has
been suggested" said Judge Powers yes
terday In referring to his automobile trip,
hut Mrs. Powers and 1 left 1t near
Granger, Wyo., on Monday afternoon and
came into Salt Lake on the Los Angeles
limited, while Roger Powers and Harry
Russ of Peoria, ILL.,, our driver, will come
on with the car later. When within a
reasonable distance of salt Lake 1 expect
to go out and meet them and thus con-
clude my trip.
we have had a most magnificent, in
teresting and instructive trip. 1t is per-
haps unnecessary to refer specially to our
tour of the east, which extended from
Peoria, Ill, through the principal cities
in the lower lake region and on nearly to
New York City and back through Pc
orta. Carthage, Burlington, Des MOines
and Omaha, for the reason that while il
was very interesting il did not have the
exciting interest that was hourly crowd
ed into our experience since We left
Laramie.
Omaha to Laramie.
The road from Omaha to Laramie, al
though at Sherman Hill it reaches up
ward into the clouds 500 feet, was a
perfect dream for an antOmobilist, for we
could run for fifty miles at a stretch
at times at speed of twenty to thirty
miles per hour with not rut in the road
70 disturb the even tenor of our ways
The road over Sherman Hill is a boule-
ward solid as the enduring granite, be-
ing constructed of that rock disintegrated,
and we easily made twenty miles an hour,
put at Laramie we began the strenuous
life.
I'VE had taken as a guide from that
city q gentleman thoroughly familiar with
the roads and we started out upon the
nrnntd Naf Aawh HvsnH
pose being TO go to Saratoga, WyO., by
the way of Rattlesnake pass, because of
the fact that the bridge at Fort Steel on
the usually Travelled route had been de-
stroyed by the floods Of recent date.
About forty miles out of Laramie we met
some tourists from Denver, who begged
us not TO attempt the Rattlesnake pass,
as they had been told that washout in
the mountain made it dangerous and they
suggested our going over the divide by
way of Pass Creek
Trail Fades Away.
'Our guide was not familiar with this
route, but, nevertheless. ne attempted it.
and late in the afternoon we found the
trail that we had been following fading
away little by little until il disappeared III
the watery meadow held between tower
ing hills We were compelled TO retrace
our road five miles to a ranch house
to inquire where we were, and we were
told that we had not been on the road
huOHu as GdcS CT6ths IHc way OF which
was pointed out, the rancher taking pains
TO inform Us that the road was very
rough and that there was five miles Of
II before the divide would be crossed.
Nevertheless, although il was nearly
nightfall, we foolishly undertook the
trip, notwithstanding the fact that on
our way up into the desoiate meadow
where we had lost our trail, we had bro
ken our reserve gasoline tank and thereby
lost our extra supply of gasoline.
I'VE climbed UP and up, winding around
gorges through which the water tumbled
and at o'clock found that we We're three
miles from the ranch house and fully d
mile from the top, with the hill so steep
that the car could only move short dis
lance al a time. So we concluded to
walk back to the ranch house for the
night, backing our car upon level piece
of ground. At the ranch house We were
received by the ranCher and wife with
that open-hearted hospitality that exists
only in the mountains. They fed us and
lodged US and treated US like honored
Gasoline Is Exhausted.
Before retiring they Informed US that
they owned a wild bull that ranged in
the vicinity of where our car was stand
ing, and that If he ever obtained a view
of II in the morning, that he never would
stop his efforts until he had thoroughly
demolished il. That induced our driver,
Mr.. Russ, to start for the car and he
climbed the hill again, the rancher kind
~ accompanying niInt anu lttN llndliy
got back down the sharp incline the
pitch Of which at times was 10 to 20 per
cent, at 1870 in the morning.
I'VE were informed by the rancher that
If we succeeded in reaching the top Of
the divide, we would never get down the
other side; that 1t was there so steep that
our car would plunge into oblivion. So
there was nothing to do but to go back
to Medicine Bow crossing and then on to
Fort Steele and take the chances of cross
ing the river. We had only three gallons
Of gasoline left in the tank. and man
could have held me up for s. a gallon that
morning. as we were thirty miles from
any prospect OF gasoline
I'VE got on TO Medicine Bow crossing
and there telephOned to Hanna and had
a wagon come out and bring us a supply
of fuel, and then we went on to Fort
Steele. reaching the east side of the river
at about o'clock at night. An !2spec-
ton of the wagon bridge showed US at
once that we could not possibly repair
il so as to cross there The only alterna-
tive was the railroad bridge. so we went
down the track nearly a mile and when
a passenger train passed on west. we
rushed our car onto the track and started
alOnU Ties 1rnOr an a n lr1anf f11llv