368 
The Colorado River 
Since the Stanton party I have found no record of any 
person venturing by boat into the depths of the Grand Canyond 
There are statements that one or two lone individuals have 
recently traversed portions of the upper river, and even the 
whole line of canyons, but of these I have no authentic know¬ 
ledge. In 1891, a steam launch, Major Powell, thirty-five 
feet long, with twelve horsepower engines, was brought out 
from Chicago by way of the Rio Grande Western Railway to 
the crossing of Green River, and there launched in September 
of that year. The screw was soon broken, and the attempt to 
go down the river abandoned. In 1892 another attempt was 
made, but this also was given up after a few miles. But in 
1893, W. H. Edwards, who had been with the Stanton party, 
together with some others, took the Major Powell down to the 
Junction and back, making a second trip in April. The round 
trip took four days, running time. They also went up the 
Grand some distance. Entering the head of Cataract Canyon 
the launch struck a rock and the party came near being 
wrecked, but had the good luck to get off without much 
damage. 
A view of the Grand Canyon may now be had without risk 
or discomfort of any kind, as the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa 
Fe, Railway runs trains to the Bright Angel Hotel at the very 
edge of the gorge at one of the grandest portions, opposite 
Bright Angel Creek. There are several trails in this region 
leading down to the river besides the one from the hotel. It 
is always a hard climb for those unaccustomed to mountaineer¬ 
ing. From the north, for any who are fond of camping, a 
pleasant trip may be made from the end of the Union Pacific 
Company’s southern extension to the Toroweap and the 
Kaibab country, though this is a matter of a couple of 
weeks. 
In a general way we have now traced the whole history of 
the discovery and exploration of this wonderful river, which 
after nearly four centuries still flings defiance at the puny 
efforts of man to cope with it, while its furious waters dash on 
through the long, lonely gorges, as untrammelled to-day as 
^ The “ Best party ” descended some distance in 1892, but I have no details. 
