The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-19

share the danger of the trip with the
two others, but urged as proof OF his
sufficient strength his work in the
mines-a daily physical test calling for
no little endurance.
Third Man Is Found.
Lopez notified Russell, then fore
man of a mine near Prescott, that the
third man was at last a reality. A
meeting was at once arranged for
Green River early in September. To
this point the three sheet steel row.
boats which Russell and Lopez had
decided TO pin their faith to and three
months supply of provisions were
shipped. AS an indication of their
mental attitude as to the remarkable
aspect of their undertaking the fact
that they gave the boat company no
hint of the test to which they were to
put them is Illuminating.
The start was made down the Green
river Sept. 20. Four days later the
trio had reached the junction of the
Green. and Grand rivers, the beginning
of the Colorado, having covered a dis
lance of 120 miles. From this point
to Hite, a small town near the Arizona
line, the first bad water was encoun-
tered in the forty-one miles in Gaia
Tact canyon. Loper's boat met with
disaster here-dashing on a rock and
puncturing a long rent In its side-and
giving warning of the inferiority of
these thin metal boats to the stout oak
ty managed to reach Hite, however,
towing the damaged boat, and there
made the necessary repairs.
Lopez had acted as photographer of
the expedition, and had the camera
and plates in his boat when it was
filled with water. Examination dis
closed that the plates were ruined and
the shutter badly rusted. 1t was de-
cided that Lopez should remain be-
hind at Hite and await the arrival of a
new shutter, for which he had writ
ten. 1t was agreed that he need not
thus be delayed for more than two
companions at Lees Ferry. 140 miles
below Hite, within twenty-one days.
Push on Ahead.
Accordingly Russell and Monnett
pushed ahead and put in many days
prospecting along the shores of the
river through Glen canyon. After forty
three days of waiting at Lees Ferry,
a Mormon settlement of three families,
Russell and Monet determined that
their own safety. if they were to COM
decreasing supply of provisions was ex-
hausted. forced them 10 start on with
out Lopez, for whom they had waited
more than twice as long as the time
agreed on.
Friday, Dec. Is. had no terrOrs for the
intrepid pair, and on the morning of
that day they started down the river
with the sxty-six miles of Marble can
yon in front of them, as an introduce
ton to the 217 miles of the Grand can
yon below.
In dwelling on this stage of the
journey, Russell seemed to lose sight
entirely Of the remarkable nerve both
men showed in starting down through
what is admittedly the longest stretch
of wild water in the whole river with
out the third companion who at the
outset had been absolutely indispensa-
BILE TO the success of sthe party. In
stead, he emphasized rather his be-
lief that Lopez had elected to face no
more dangers and had voluntarily re-
manned behind at Hite, and that,
therefore, he and Monett were not to
be held up to blame for deserving
their comrade. That they might be
held so accountable seemed to con-
Germ him much more than that their
daring might be commended.
In Roaring Stream.
In seven days they had passed the
length of the roaring stream in its
descent throuh the perpendicular
walls of marble reaching up to an av-
erage height of 5000 feet, and had
come safely through the worst rapids
to that point of their entire trip. At
one stage there were fifty-seven falls
from sixteen to twenty feet high in a
distance of nineteen miles, according
to Stanton's records in which was
kept an accurate account of all the
rapids in the river.
They entered the Grand canyon
Dec. 20. For the first fifteen miles be-
low the entrance of the Little Colo
RADIO and the beginning of the big
canyon they found comparatively
quiet water. But from this point on
to the beginning of the first Granite
gorge their way was threatened with
the worst falls they had met thus far.
The good luck which had attended
them from the start. however, still
prevailed, and they managed to shoot
their way without damage to either
boat down over the almost continu-
Gus cataracts for five long days.
Christmas found them only fifteen
miles above Bright Angel In describ-
ing the manner of celebrating the
day, Russell remarked casually that
they hung up their stockings-to dry.
From beginning to the end of their
journey, the adventures have been
obliged to depend for fuel entirely on
such driftwood as they could find
lodged in the eddies and on the rocky
shores. More than one night they
have spent in clothes soaked through
with the icy waters Of the Colorado
with no fire to warm them. Their
Christmas camp, however, was on a
narrow strip of sand with a greater
supply of driftwood at hand than found
at any point along the river.
Through the SockdoIoger.
Beginning Immediately below this
camping place and continuing for the
succeeding ten miles the river dashes
madly through that stretch of foaming
water called. by Stanton. the Sockdol-
oyer. To make matters worse Russell
found it impossible 10 follow his usual
custom of picking a trail' through
these rapids. Ordinarily the elder man
climbed along the precipitous sides of
the canyon beside each cataract, leav-
ing Monet above the rough water in
charge of the two baots. From his
vantage point Russell could pick out