Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-29
Canyon Surveyors
Have Lively Times

Washington. Nov. 2S-(By A. Ply
Iwenty-foot waves, S0-foot boulders
ana 6O-foot lava pinnacles rising
sheer out of the channel, radio troub
les AID labor strike, were some of
the trials and fluctuations besettfng
!! the Geological survey party which re-
Gently mapped the last stretch of the
canyon OF the Colorado. In his re-
port on the trip, c.. III. Birdseye, who
headed the expedition. recorded that
In the 4s0-mile journey encounters
with cataracts which lad struck fear
into the hearts of other hardy ad-
venturers and sightseers became
daily incidents.
The stretch of the Colorado river,
from Lees Ferry, Arizona, to Needles,
Cal. was the last that had not been
accurately surveyed for mapping,
and the purpose of the hazardous ex-
petition was to locate possible dam
sites for flood prevention. power de-
velopment and irrigation. 1t was this
party that was reported lost early last
October, when a half wrecked boat
was discovered that was though. to
have belonged to them. However, the
ten men accomplished the feat with
one br >llen rib the only casualty. and
with the loss of only a small canoe.
The first task encountered by the
engineers was that of trucking
16-foot boat down'a narrow trail
blasted in the side wall of the Can
yon, mesh Lees Ferry. This boat
was taken by auto $40 miles from
Flagstaff, Arizona, the nearest rail-
road station.
The four boats used were Is foot
ers. decked over at both ends with
water tight matches and metal COM
partments for buoyancy and for
keeping instruments ard supplies
dry The lost canoe was a light col
lapsible. canvas craft, which was so
completely demolished in its mishap
tina. only thsaoars, oarlocks and skin
were recovered.
One of the interesting features of
the trip was the comparative ease
with which radio messages were
picked up, in the bottom of the can
yon. even sometimes 1000 feet below
the rim. The death of President
Harding was heard of within an hour
after the event.
AS the cockpits in the boats were
large enough only to accommodate
the oa.sman, the two passengers each
was forced to carry had to lie down
on the decking, holding on for life
to the lines, and being continually
drenched by spray and waves.
"The waves were mountainous"
Mr.. Birdseye reported, and to some
of US our first ride of this kind was
a genuine thriller. But we afterward
became so used to riding rough water
and getting soaked that we Wed with
one another in making the plunge
with lighted pipe or cigarette with
out losing the light"
Ups ats were not unusual. AT one
time one of the men was thrown out
of his boat, turning o complete SOM
ersault, and going down out OF sight.
But he soon reappeared, caught the
boat which had not turned over,
climbed aboard and weathered the
rapids. Another boat was tossed high
In the air in another rapids, and
when it came down. bottom side up
the men were thrown out between 1t
and the rocky banks, one narrowly
escaping being crushed.
r. w. Burchard, the Topographic
engineer, who had already made sur
veys, of the river lower down. frac-
tured. a. rib while scrambling over
slippery rocks to station. The in
jury was painful, but he insisted on
being allowed to continue the work,
and actually did so for IL days, until
the job was completed and he had
connected his two surveys.
A 21-foot rise of the river followed
several hevy rain storms. and kept
TIE party scrambling all one night to
safeguard the boats, move camp, and
keep supplies dry. The river was
full of drift wood, including great
tree trunks which were at times
thrown completely out Of the water.
The waves were estimated as 20 feet
high. and their spray dashed as high
again.
The party took to the water August
1. at Lees Ferry, and arrived at the
end of their water trail October 10, a
little more than two months and a
half for the $50 mile trip. of-which
travelling. ~