Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-06-21

vegetation contends against fate for
foothold among the rocks. But the
beasts of the forest and the flowers OF
the field rarely intrude upon these
lonely solitudes.
II is conceded that the Grand canyon
cannot be adequately painted In words.
yet some comparisons may give an
Flea Of it's imm ensity Its total length
from the confluence of the Green river
tu its outlet in the Gulf of California
III more than zoo miles With its nu-
nierous laterals, some of which are
shown in the accompanying illustra-
tons, its length is more than 1000
niles. The great scenic section com
monty meant by the words. the Grand
canyon of Arizona with a depth OF
more than mile from the rim of the
river, is 2l7 miles long. It has been
estimated that If all the earth and
rock that has been and will be exca-
waited for the building of the Panama
canal. from the first inception Of that
great enterprise by the French com
pany to its ultimate completion to sea
level by the American government
could be dumped into this great rift
in the Arizona plateau. It would still
require twenty thousand times as
much more to I'LL f.; and the surface
area Of the built up territory would DO
more than 10000 square miles. or
equal to the whole of Switzerland. or
to Massachusetts. Delaware. Conecti'
lei
were possible TO take the whole chain
of the Allegheny mountains, turn them
upside down and dump them into the
Grand canyon. there would still be a
tremendous canyon left. II the tallest
peak east OF the Rockies could be
planted at the level Of the Colorado
river, its summit would still be far
below the feet Of the observer stand
ing ON the rim. The greatest OF tho
pyramids of Egypt is 4S5 feet high, tho
Washington monument is 555 feet tall,
and the hat on the statue of William
Pen that surmounts the City hall at
Philadelphia is 557 feet above the
level of the street II one placed tho
Pyramid of Cheops upon the floor OF
the canyon. planted the Philadelphia
City hall upon its apex. and then
poised the Washington monument up
on that their aggregate height would
reach only quarter of the way to the
top.
II is "A years since Maj. Powell, long
the distinguished head of the United
States Geological survey. signaled TO
his fellow countrymen that he had
made the run Of 900 miles of Ameri-
can canyons. The scientific world
stood agape. for the feat was believed
to be all btu impossible. Up to Pow
ellis time man thought Of the canyon
as something altogether forbidding
and unapproachable--so little was II
known, so much was II dreaded-and
even now. when men have descended
TO the river by man-made trails and
the telephoto lens has searched out
the unreachable places. though tour
lists have confronted It with a battery
of cameras. thought geologists have
borne their testimony and artists have
sketched and painted. and travellers
have exhausted vocabularies to give
expression to their wonder-still we
have caught but a glimpse Of this
manifold mystery. for the particular
view that enthralls US is but one Of
ten thousand views
Thomas Moran. whose masterful
painting Of the canyon adorna the capt
toll at Washington. and who. above all
other painters. has succeeded In de-
pictinP its illusive atmosphere, once
said: Il can understand how man
can attempt to paint the canyon. but
how can a man b. foolish enough to
attempt to describs IT."