Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-08-12
dRAT|D VIEW

attend. Among these was a man, f. S.
Dellenbaugh of New York, who was a
member of that daring crew under
Powell, who bore the ensign carried
by that expedition, and taken through
safely in spite of the loss Of two Of
their four boats, all their instruments
and much Of their general duffel in
their exciting battle with the raging
river 1t was a wonderful experience
to stand on the rim of the canyon and
listen to this mans story of that three
months journey from the upper waters
in Wyoming to and through the can
yon. Powell was a school teacher who
had been a major in the Civil war, in
which he lost his right forearm. Much
had been heard in a desultory way Of
the wonderful Colorado river, but, ex-
cept for the report by Lieutenant
Ives, little was actually known about
it. Powell determined to find out what
he could Of scientific and economic in
terest in that hidden region, and,
backed by certain Illinois state lnsti-
buttons and the Chicago Academy Of
Science, he embarked, late in May,
with ten men, in four open boats.
Long before they made the Grand
Canyon their mishaps had reduced the
fiotilla to three boats. Most OF their
instruments had been lost, and of the
ten months supplies with which they
set forth there was left an abundance
Of coffee, but hardly enough -four for
ten days, and musty at that, plus
few dried apples. That was on August
IL. Nothing daunted, they launched
resolutely into the forbidding depths
Of the defile, and somehow, two weeks
later, they came through alive, all ex-
cept three men who, but day or two
before the canyon was finally passed
through, became disheartened and
abandoned the party, only to fall prey
to the Indians. This experience but
whetted Powell's appetite for more,
and two years later he repeated the
experience with greater success and
less privation. Subsequently, not i'm
probably in recognition of these
achievements, he became director Of
the United States geological survey.
Plans for Greater Usefulness.
The human history of the Grand
Canyon did not begin with that early
sixteenth century visit of the Spanish
adventurer. There are records all
about on the canyons walls of a peo-
pie who dwelt there day in and day
out for many generations long before
the Spaniard came.
With the creation Of the national
park the Grand Canyon will be devel-
oped so that it will become a genuine
vacation ground. Until now it has
been regarded by the public generally
as a one-day stop in the course of a
transeontinental journey. Unless the
visitor engaged a pack train for him
self there was little that could be done
beyond gazing from the rim near the
hotel, or Joining a mule procession
down the Bright Angel trail, trip too
rough and nerve-trying for many per-
sons. Plans are forming in the park
service for q system Of good motoring
roads along the rim, and for the de-
tCt0pAuCl "a new AAuAAog AApL UlAAy AulO
the canyon, but through it, with camp
ing opportunities here and there along
the way, thus providing excursion pos
sibilities that win exhibit the incOm-
parable scenery from various aspects.
Moreover there Is the north rim,
1000 feet higher than that on the
south, and eight miles or more away,
where there are interesting things to
see and do. From that point a road is
projected to connect with the new Zion
National park in southwestern Utah,
and boarding facilities are to be es-
tablished on the northern side. But
before travel from rim to rim can be-
come popular that 1,OO0-foot gulf Of
the Granite gorge must be bridged so
that saddle animals may cross In safe
ty. That IS one Of the problems OF
the near future.
In a sense the country breathes
easier now that the Grand Canyon has
become a national park. It is safer
now than ever before from the yearn-
ings Of those who would capitalize the
show on the basis Of -four bits" a look.
or set up a movie tent in competition
with all outdoors. In the hands OF
the park service it win be developed
sapely and tremendously. and in the
interest only Of those who viii use 1t
properly.