Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-08


! shipped ..rC.n Chicago to the end OF the
partly completed Union Pacific line.
| and the small party set out.
eve start with some anxiety" reads
enc of the entries in the diary of the
| trips "Old mountaineers tell us that
the current cannot be run. The In
dams say, Water heap catch EN-
But all are eager to be Off"
So into the flaming gorge they
plunged on trip that was to take
months and from which the more timid
of the party, whose courage failed
at the final test, were not to return
alive. They soon encountered rapids.
over which they had to lower the
| boats with ropes. themselves climbing
around the cataract on the PRESCRIPTIONS
sides of the canyon. The boats were
provided with air tight compartments,
so that they were buoyant even when
filed with water
Early in June one Of the boats was
| wrecked in this arduous process. A
| week later another was all but lost.
| breaking from control and dashing
|
| into an eddy some miles farther on.
and the party caught up with 1t.
1t was in the middle of August,
| three months after the start, that diff
culties were met that first caused the
intrepid explorers to pause ard con
slider. A stretch Of water was before
| them, to which the name OF Hel's
Half Mile has chung. in which the
| fiume dashed downward eighty feet In
a distance of one-third Of mile. On
| either side were walls of granite 1000
feet high that gave no foothold.
Beyond the cliffs gained rapidly In
altitude until they reached 4 mile In
height They must run the rapids or
| abandon the trip, and they did not
| falter, though it was slipping into a
dark crevice from which there was no
going back. Powelrs boat was en-
quilted in the plunge through the rap
ids. but its compartments kept 1t from
sinking, and no lives were lost
| On through the grand and gloomy
| depths of the most marvellous part OF
the gorge they proceeded for two
weeks more. when they approached q
| point where the roar Of turbulent wa
tiers announced many miles away that
/ the greatest test was ahead. They pu,
in to one bank. and a day was spent
| studying the series of fearful cat0racts
| ahead.
/ Here for the only time Powell, the
leader, considered the wisdom Of seal
ing the walls of the gorge and aban
dOning the trip. He took observations
by the stars 30 determine their latitude
and longitude and estimated they haf
seventy-five miles more to so. Theii
provisions were low. AT one time
almost concluded to leave the river.
his diary records.
On further study of the situation
however. he decided that it would bt
possible to let the boats over the frs
fall with ropes, then steer them nea,
the right cliff to n point just above tht
lsecond plunge. There. he figured, Their,
was a chute that could be run safely
after which, by pulling with all powe
across the stream to avoid great rock
below, they could again proceed.
Il He announced that the party woul'
go on. Three members d2murred an,
determined to leave the river. tryin:
10 reach safety over the mountains
The party split up. and one boat. II
charge of its captain. o. G. Rowland
, md two others. was left behind. Tn
, three who stayed, 1t afterward wa
learned, were killed by Indians Will
,rcssing the range. Powell and hi
: PARTY made the descent in safety. wer
: swept onward by smooth and rapi
current ard the next day emerge
from the gorge, reaching friendl
ettlement and safety.-Chicago Post.