The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-08-06

| attend. Among these was man, #. s.
Dellenbaugh Of New York, who was
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 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 cam
| yon. Powell was school teacher who
had been major in the Civil war; in
which he lost his right forearm. Much
had been heard In desultory way Of
the wonderful Colorado river, but, ex-
cept for the report by Lieutenant
Ives, little was actually known about
| 1t. Powell determined to find out what
he could of scientific and economic in
terest In that hidden region, and.
backed by certain Illinois state insti-
tutions 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
tiotilla to three boats. Most of their
instruments had beeh lost, and of the
ten months supplies with which they
set forth there was left an abundance
OF coffee. but hardly enough flour for
ten days, and musty at that, plus a
few dried apples. That was on August
II. 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 a day or two
before the canyon was finally passed
through, became disheartened and
abandoned the party, only to fall prev
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 n non.
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 1t will become genuine |
vacation ground. Until now il has
been regarded by the public generally
as a one-day stop in the course Of a
transcontfnental 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, trim foo
rough and nerve-trying for many per-
sons. Plans are forming In the park
service for a system of good MOTORING
roads along the rim, and for the de-
velopment OF new trails, not only info
the canyon, but through II, with camn-
Ing opportunities here and there along
the way, thus providing excursion nos,
sibilities that viii exhibit the lncom-
parable scenery from various asnects
Moreover there is the north rim
1000 feet higher than that on tho
south, and eight miles or more owov
where there are interesting things r.
see and do. From that point road ia
projected to connect with the new Zion
National park In southwestern Utah |
and boarding facilities are TO no es.
tablished on the northern side. Rrt
before travel from rim TO rim can ha.
come popular that 1,OO0-foot gulf az
the Granite gorge must be bridged ca
that saddle animals may cross In safe,
ty. That Is one of the problems or
the near future.
In n sense the country hrnatbes
easier now that the Grand CANYON hos
become national park. II Is safer
now than ever before from the yaarn,
lngs OF those who would capitalize tho
show on the basis OF "four bitsu a Ionl
or set up a movie tent In eompetltIon |
with all outdoors. In the hands ~ !
the park service II will be aeyelonad
sanely and tremendously, aud In the
Interest only OF those who will nee II
properly.