the intervening valleys, they reached, on the 26th of April, the salt tide where Alarcon, three and a half centuries earlier, had first put a keel upon these turbulent waters, the only party thus far to make the entire passage from the Junction to the sea.  And as yet no one has made the complete descent from Green River Valley to the counter-current of the Tidal Bore, so if there is any reader who desires to distinguish himself here is a feat still open to him.  Stanton deserves much praise for his pluck and determination and good judgment in carrying this railway survey to a successful issue, especially after the discouraging disasters of the first attempt.  He holds the data and believes the project will some day be carried out.  From the foregoing pages the reader may judge the probabilities in the case.

Since the Stanton party several descents successful and unsuccessful have been made.  The first was the “Best party,” representing the Colorado Grand Canyon Mining and Improvement Company, with eight men and two boats similar to those used by Stanton.  The expedition left Green River, Utah, July 10, 1891.  The members were James S. Best, Harry McDonald, John Hislop, William H. Edwards, Elmer Kane, L. H. Jewell, J. H. Jacobs, A. J. Gregory, and J. A. McCormick.  Four of these, Hislop, McDonald, Kane, and Edwards had been with Mr. Stanton, to whom I am indebted for this information.  The men had cork life-jackets.  In Cataract Canyon one boat was wrecked but no one was lost, and they made their way to Lee Ferry with the remaining boat and there abandoned the expedition.

In 1891, a steam launch, the Major Powell, thirty-five feet long, with two six-horsepower engines driving twin screws was brought out in the summer from Chicago by way of the Rio Grande Western Railway to the crossing of Green River, and there launched in September of that year.  A screw was soon broken, and the attempt to go down the river abandoned.  In 1892 another effort 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 L. H. Johnson and some others, took the Major Powell down to the Junction and back, making a second trip in April.  The round trip took fourteen days.  They also went up the Grand some distance.  Entering the jaws of Cataract Canyon they went to the head of the first rapid.  On trying to return the current proved almost too much for the power.  With block and tackle to help the engines they finally got above the swift water, and had no further serious trouble.  Mr. Johnson says the launch came near being wrecked.  Several other steam craft were later put on the river, the Undine being the most pretentious (see cut, page 390).  She was wrecked trying to run up a rapid on Grand River above Moab.  In 1894 Lieut.  C. L. Potter made an unsuccessful attempt to go from Diamond Creek to the mouth of the Virgin, September 20th, 1895, N. Galloway and William Richmond started