“THE GRAND CANYON.”

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, 14 May 1925, Page 7

“THE GRAND CANYON.”

INTERESTING LECTURE. “The Grand Canyon of Arizona,” one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, inspires ,a feeling of awe and amazement. In the Wesley Hall iast evening tho canyon was depicted in a series of lantern slides, while an unusually interesting lecture was delivered by Mr H. N. Holmes, a prominent ex-New Zealand Y.M.C.A. leader, who is representing the American Federal Council of Churches in the Dominion. Mr C. Vogeler presided over a large and enthusiastic attendance.

In opening his lecture, Mr Holmes, who is an eloquent speaker, dealt briefly on the history of “The Grand Canyon,” of its romantic discovery by white men, and the dangers of the Santa Fe trail, along which w r ere encountered herds of thousands of bison. In the early days tx-ains had been held up by the hei’ds blocking the line while crossing it. In marked contrast were the few bison of to-day, What small hei’ds thei’e were being preserved in the great national parks. The lecturer went on to desci’ibe the station at Albequei-que, which contains many Mexican curios and antiques. The next slide depicted Santa Fe, while its historical origin and associations were intei’estingly dealt with. In describing the ruins of another city, Mr Holmes showed wfiafc lie stated was a house with 1700 rooms. All the canyons of Arizona and New Mexico were honeycombed with the excavations of the clirf dwellers, who had a civilisation and method of govei-nment all of thoir own. A series of slides illustrated a ti;ain journey through that region, and its Indian life. Arizona was a country which catches a person’s imagination, and consequently had a great attraction for people. In fact, as Mr Holmes remarked: “It is like the unfinished work of some architect.” Also, in that region, is a wonderful petrified forest of 67,000 acres. To all appearances there seemed to be no limit to the beauties of that astonishing deposit, which has baffled geologists and botanists who have examined it. The discovery of the qanvon was next recount.ed. In the sixteenth century two survivors of an expedition from Florida straggled through to a Spanish Mission station on the Pacific Coast. Tho Grand Canyon then remained unvisited for 300 years till its mysteries wero revealed by ,a one-armed veteran of the Civil AVar. who went through it at imminent peril of his life for three months. The Canyon is almost indescribable ; it can best be descibed as a mighty pageant of desolation, and yet, one of the grandest pieces of natural scenery in the world. Tho Colorado river, which traverses the Canvon, drained an area of a quarter of a million square miles. Tho lecturer went on to say that tho Canyon was 217 miles long, and 15 miles in width. The light and play of colour about the Canyon was one of its most impressive and memorable features. At times tho whole canyon was filled with clouds; at another it was filled with snow, and then its beauty was truly wondrous. The slides projected were exceptionally clear, and gave those present an indication of the mammoth proportions of the Grand Canyon.