The shores continued to be so
steep they could not climb out of the water, and they kept on in their
chase of the boat. When they were within one hundred yards of it, they saw
it swept over the top of Boucher Rapids, and at the same time discovered a
landing place on the south shore. They gave up the boat as lost, and spent
the night where they were, with no matches with which to light a fire.
Boat is Recovered and Men Resume Journey. Thursday morning, as Boucher came
down his trail to go to work, he found the two men, who had climbed down
beside the rapids at daybreak, engaged in hauling the badly battered boat
out of the water. They had found it being swept round and round in a big
eddy at the foot of the cataract. Two holes in the boat's bottom amidships
bore witness to its trip over the rocks. The men persuaded Boucher to go to
the blacksmith shop at El Tovar, and secure the necessary material for
repairs. He did so, and after everything was again on good order, the
intrepid fellows pushed off again, and continued their wild and exciting
ride down to tidewater. Past Bass's Trail and under his cable crossing,
past the mouth of Havasu Creek, and Diamond Creek, where over forty years
before, Wheeler's party had camped; down the gorge up which Wheeler had
climbed with incredible labor, they finally reached the Grand Wash, and
entered the placid water below Black and Diamond Canyons, soon to find
themselves at the town of Needles, where they were welcomed by the cheers
of practically the whole community. A banquet was tendered them, and the
one remaining boat of the expedition secured as a memorial of their
adventurous trip.
CHAPTER XXXII. The Grand Canyon A Forest Reserve, Game Preserve And
National Monument
Made Forest Reserve in 1893. For several years prior to 1893, the author
and some of his Grand Canyon friends sought to have this scenic masterpiece
preserved from desecration as far as possible. In that year President
Harrison issued a proclamation declaring it a Forest Reserve, and outlining
the boundaries to be included.
Homesteads. It is interesting to note that, up to the time of the issuance
of this proclamation, any citizen of the United States might have located a
homestead on one hundred and sixty acres of land in the Grand Canyon
region. The only two old-timers who had taken advantage of this provision
of the law were John Hance and P. D. Berry. The former located at or near
the head of the trail that bears his name, and Berry at the head of the
Grand View Trail. Both men built log houses, Hance's being a somewhat rude
structure, while Berry's was a substantial building. The Hance cabin was
already built when I first visited him in 1889, and Berry built his in the
years 1896-1898.
