New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-27

W
mea.ur, ments by which estimate its general
elevation have been made 10 its lowest poin,s or
pssses. Mr. Blake here read lst OF fasses Nights,
AID authorities, which We throw into tabular ioim:-
TABLE OF PASSES IL TIRE ASAHuAcIAN CHAIN.
Pronounced Answ hsckiau.
. Sa." ES.ss %s.,.,.. Hiss' LIB s5s,.s.y' s.S.s,
L.ws ClaIke'.... .Rocsy Mountains 65@,.'' stevens
Cadotte Rocky Mountains 6oti Stevens
sss. Kecicc.Ia r. Bef 100 ssssn.
South Psss...........Win Rver... 74sO... Fremont
p,;~sar,. W md Kiyer........ icO....Fremont.
Cbe,enpe .........Ba:k Hnls....... jo... emont.
(Saneles-) New end Old Pafk' temont'
Mountains. -. goo. Fremont.
tksmcl,ssl.... ...Od AID P......ll 1E freuont
Cocheopa.. sierra San @ n.ason
Ssugre De Sierra San guan'
Santa Mountains. 69J7,.. Whip2le.
CAM pbell,... .....sierra Msdre. 7I5o.'. Whipp.e'
81 Paso del Ncrte Organ Mountains. 80 Pafse-
Hueco...............Busco usco Mountains. i,sll..,PoPe
CredsInpe...... guadalupe. 57l7...Pope.
Mr. Blake remarked that the great range OF the
Sierra Nevada not ons continuous ridge or sno Ty
crest as is generally supposed. II is formed OF many
nearly parallel ranges which inclose elevated valleys
pr. cs " as in the Great Basin The northern part oil
the Sierra is ilattentd down into a broad table land
This plateau, in the vicinity Of the Madeln Pass has
an elevation OF about 1000 feet, and width OF some
twenty miller: it is walled in by Iicges on each side,
rising from 500 to 5000 feet higher. This platesu Is
broken by shcr ranges, but It extends norhwerd INTO
Ore gon to the small lakes about Lake Albert.
ctan of lakes in fact, occupies the lower portions
Of tie pateauX for the whole length OF the chaln and
shows the great amount Of precipitation on the sum
mits The passes through these noun ans generally
turn the points of the isolated ridges, cross them at
their lowest point. In passing southward along the
crest the elcvat of these mountains ncreases, a,
shown by the observations of those who have searched
for a locstion for a wagonroad. thus fremonts or
Canons Pass traversed by Fremont i'll 1874 is nearly
2 600 feet bigb and from Sonora across to the
basin is 033 feet in hight. Further SOUTH the cham
tends to the west, and its altitude decreasee presery
ing however It's broken character. Here were high
valleys wooded with oaks and covered with grass.
This plateau about $500 feet high and the passes
tI0m 900 to $500.
In the Great Basin mountains the principal range
lie known as the Wahsatch mountains, which form the
eastern Tim of the Great Basin. Between this and
the Sierra Nevada there is a constant succession
of ridges, which short and much broken, ar
ranged in parallel lines, aud generally tending
Lorh and south. The general surface of the Basin
has average elevation of 1900 feet, aud
these ranges rise from 500 to 1900 feet higher.
Midway between the Lake and the Sierra swcls
up the Humboldt Mountains, reaching altitude of
nine ten thousand feet, the summit Of the prncp.
pass being t,579 feet high Probably the southern end
of the Wahsatch range turns t0Hard the west, con.
forming to the curvature OF the Colorado River, aud
similarly TO the southern end Of the Sierra Nevada. Mr..
Blake after having the three great groups and
their prominent geographic features, Proposed naes
for them, which, he said, would not conflict with the
lanes applied to any portion of them lie proposed to
call the grand central chain, extending from the Andes
to the Arctic Ocean, the Anasuacian chain since it
might be said TO commence in the south, where il
formed nearly the whO.e of the tableand of Mexico,
or Apahuac. The second chain traversing the two CAL
tornias and including its northern prOong atoms, the
Cascade ranges, he thought more appropriate name
could not be fouLd for than the Californian chain.
For tie third group be suggested the general appea
ton OF the Azfecisn chains, Great Basin chains.
Ihete names harmOnized with the elegant general
title Of Appalachian proposed for the leghanIes and
their extensions by the Messrs. Rogers, which
had now passed into general use. The two great chains
each about 1900 miles long in United States Terri
tory. The Californian chain extended along the PENN
eua zoo miles further south, and the Anahuacan be-
the table land Of Mexico. The greatest breadth
of surface coverd by these chains along the par
sle Of 40 deg from the meridian of lO5 deg. 30 mn to
ia deg or about 1900 miles This ho xever includes
the elevated tableand at the eources of the Colo
rsdo. The breadth dinirashsd both toward the north
AID the south Comparing these tive chains, we
were struck by their general and close paralclisn
throughout, the Tegularities Of chain find
ing Their counterpats in the other as, for example, the
treLd in the Californian chain al the BeYnardno Sierra
corresponding to the Wind River Mountain. in the
Anshuacisn chain. 30, also, the peculiar southwest.
ern be Id Of the southern end of the Sierra Nevada
hac to all appearance, its counterpart in the deec
ton OF the southern end Of the Wahsatch Mount aims
along the Colorado. The paralleism Of the cosstine
with the mountains also interesting from ts close
col formty showing that in general, the shores were
rocky; the coast-line being formed principally by
tion, and not our Atlantic sea-board is, by Depot
ton. We might also infer the existence OF strong
eoast-curents csnyng away the debris OF the rocks
beaten down and ground together by the waves. 1t
was ttrteIDg also 10 note that the lowest and
open passes be greatest and most decided breaks in
the chaDs, were found at their greatest bends;
az, ftr instance, the South Pass between the
Wind River Mountains and the Medicine Bow Noun.
taine. One Of the most important characteristics of
tbese chains the great plumber Of ridges of which
they consisted. These ridges were not ranged ex.
aetly slos by sloe; they generally ovelapped each
dser. This distribution en- echeloa wac not a new fea
lures was found in the Appalachians, and was one
Of he results Of the esrhs contraction, which. &C.
10 he theory ably sustGlnol in
by Prof Dana was the Of the grea phc OF
the crust. ibis overlapping was very we'll shown in
the COaet Mountains of California where the ranges
reacht The coast successvely from the soutL north
W.rd The Bay Of Monterey il aided between the end
o. TIE projection Of one ridge into the ocean az Point
fros sDd the SIDE Of another which ends much furthcr
Dor.a las parsliehIn AM overlapping of tue ri5ges
ss IN fhe Appslachans, chow thst forces similar 10
;hose which formed the Appalachian chain have been
asie tIerei OF much grander scale Instead Of one
eoaln We have se7ers esch nvslng the Aeghsniss in
srea: and attitude. The foiiog cs tse 20 h. is rot
.sJ 'ats7tt hex ise tcPos'o2hy ofns rtn;es, 1t las