The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-20
BRAVE MEN 60
 IN GREAT CANON
Employers Mapping Colorado River For Projected
 Power


 Gulf of California betewen the tow |. ering cliffs of the Grand canyon. 'once 7 more have been conquered. Over this trail of danger, beset by cataracts and treacherous currents and every other obstacle of an untamed river, an ex- petition of the United States eeolog- ical survey, recently passed. From Lees Ferry, Ariz.. to Needles. Calif.. . distance of nearly five hundred miles, the party made it's way col !ecting engineering data to be used in locating sites at which dams can be built to utilize the wasting waters of the Colorado river of flood prevent ion, power development and irrigation purposes, says q writer iu the Mining Congress Journal.
 ln n graphic desc ';lsipl :;at is sIl rf interesting experiences tllriilins cs- rapes from disaster, and | great va fiety of adventures. Col. C. II. Rir,Is- eye: chief topographic engineer of the geological survey, who headed the party. has given an account of tho trip. down the canyon in four wooden boats and a canvas canoe.
 Besides ColoRel Rirdseye. tho ritrt was composed of F. C. La Rue and Herman Stabler, hydraulic enpineers of the geological survey: R. C. Moore state geologist of Kansas; F. w. Burchard. topographic engineer of the survey: Lewis R. Freeman of Pasa- dena, Calif., well known explorer and writer; q pilot; three hoatmen. and cooke, Their equipment in nd- dition to substinence. consisted of the usual instruments used by engineers and geologists. radio receiving out fit and complete photographic equip ment.
 Enormous Area Affected
 The Colorado river. with it's drain age basin comprising 244 GOO square miles, affects the states of Wyoming, . Utah, Colorado. Arizona. Nevada. Cal ifornia. New Mexico and the republic of Mexico. The river has it's source on the western slope of the continental divide in the state of Colorado. It flows in southerly direction, pass { ing into Utah. where it receives an important tributary, the Green river According to F. c. La Rue. many important undeveloped irrigation, storage and water power projects are located in the upner basin in Wyo- ming, Utah and Colorado, the devel- opment of which will have an impor- tant bearing on1 the plans of develop ment for the lower river. Mr. La Rue says the magnitude of the prof. >ects on the lower river would not be seriously affected by such devel- opment in the upper basin. Also that the demand for cheap .pnwer in the mining districts of Nevada. Arizona Utah, New Mexico and Southwestern Colorado, where there are ma1.r mines 1. that cannot be operated successfully uii- til cheap power is made available, will be met by the utilization of the great undeveloped power sites.
 The party left Lees Ferry August 1, and reached Needles October 19. Through yawning chasms. dark can yons. narrow passages between sheer walls of solid stone, swirling rapids, foanling whirlpools, and mighty break CTS. the trip was made successfully and without serious mishap. According to Colonel Birdseye, it was genuine thriller"
 Engineer Describes Adventures
 Amid the excitement of running rapids and of the boatmen's daredevil defiance of the swirling waters of the canyon, relates Colonel Birdseye. .the scientific members of the party never for moment forgot the main purpose of the expedition. At neces- sary places the surveying instruments were set up, photographs were taken, and calculations were made in further ance of the, larger ends inview. The work of the expedition was made sue Gessful largely by the persistence of the indefatigable Burchard and by the skill and good judgment of Emery Kolb in piloting the boats through the rushing waters of the canyon.
 At noon August 1 we reached q rap td that lay between vertical cliffs which rose directly from the water, so that there was no foothold for port age and no chance even tc look the rapids over ana form q plan to run them. We called them Sheer Wall Rapids but we ran them safely though everybody got wet. We ran such rapids with the boat stern first. We put on life jackets made of cork, with kapok collars jackets of this kind proved to be the best), and lay face down in the bats ,clinging hard to the life lines that were stretched across the deck The waves seemed noun tainous, but we afterward became so used to riding rough water and get ting soaked that wevied with one an other tn make the plunge with a lighted pipe or cisuret without losing the light.
 August 6 the party ran seven rap ids. Dodge, one of the boatmen, upset the canvas canoe in one fthese swirls but swan out. dragging the boat with him and fighting it without help.
 ''rhe night following this day the party camped near some good springs on the right bank 0f the river and discovered a cave full of steel traps. old tools. and cooking uteEsG;. and as there is no chance to climb out of Inc canyon near this place, the trappeYs must have reached it by way of the river. The party named this place Sprlllg Cave rapids Here the canvas canou was lost ill an attempt to line 1t around by means Uf lines attached to tl,e bow and stern.
 After several other rapids had been run August s. the boats passed Va seys Paradise. thirty-one miles be- low Lees Ferry, so named by Major J. ". Powell, the first explorer of the canyon, in honor of George Va sey, botanist. who would have found the numerous ferns, mosses and other plants here q very interesting studE, especially as plants are rare i'll the canyon. Here Il large stream of clear, cold water gushes from the cliff about seventy rect aDoVe Ihe flFef' AAt party filled their canteens, explored n large cave, made surveys of q possible dam site, and camped on the limestone lodges at the head of another rapids, where radio messages were re ceived from Los Angeles.
 August Q, about forty-one miles be- low Lees Ferry the party passed by some fine arches in the limestone wall of the so-called Marble canyon and ventured to call them the Royal Arch es oP the Yosemite valley. Here the walls, which rise sheer about two thou ..a..l font nLnrn thn l.ivpr hnNn lenn