Ed Dolnick – The Grand Canyon, 1869
Down the Great Unknown, John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon
John Wesley Powell, a one-armed civil war veteran and passionate geologist, is a mostly unknown early explorer of the Grand Canyon. In 1869, he led a group of nine men on a 99 day adventure over 1,000 miles and almost 500 difficult rapids to a the vast chasm of the Grand Canyon. Edward Dolnick is the author of “Down the Great Unknown, John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon.” Dolnick based his book on the journals that Powell and other members of his crew kept as they made their journey.
Ed Dolnick recommends “Endurance,” by Alfred Lansing.
Originally Broadcast: December 18, 2001