Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-04-11
Official Maps Of Congress-Sierra San Juan
"A New Ophir-Geograhpical Explora-
ton OF the North American Andes.


Our attention is called by an article in an
other column, from the New York Herald, TO
the increasing attention awarded by the men of
science and business of that city, to the gcog-
raphy, resources and true character of the i'm
mense mountain masses between us and the
Pacific ocean. The location the extraordinary
meialiferOus contents and the proximity 10 us of
the Sierra San Juan, are all well known to us
in Missouri. 1t is also well known that his
mountain mass and its foot hills abound in pre-
cious stones, and that "thc precious metals ex-
iSL.ip. ..ureater ovton, ,h~- IN CaiiGnrnia and
To be specific, the location and character of
the Sierra San Juan is very easy to be under
stood. Immediately beyond the head of the ba-
sin of the Kansas, and beeting over the plains.
rises the snow-clad mass of Pixies Peak this
is the highest among the eliminating points Of
the Sierra Madre, (Rocky Mouuan,) being
5000 feet above The sea. 1t is in the main
mass of the Sierra Madre, but salient towards
the east, having its whole front from base to
summit, in view TO those who ascend the plains.
1t is one thousand miles due west from St. Lon
is, and the same distance due east from San
Francisco.
From one flank of Pixies Peak descend the
sources Of the Southern Platte, running off to
the northeast, from the other flank those of the
Arkansas, running oifto the southeast. Behind
Pixies Peak the mountains swell up into pro-
digious mass, resembling the Swiss or Helve-
tan Alps, in the center Of Europe. As the
Pc, the Rhine and the Rhone radate out from
the Alps, so the Platte, the Arkansas, the Del
Norte, and the Colorado rivers radae out from
the gorges of this prmeval mass But similar
y with The great rivers, so the great mountain
chains which part their basin below, radate out
from the same focal point. The direction Of
the Sierra Madre is from southeast 10 north
west, as an unbroken Cordlera all through The
continent. South of Pixies Peak it separates
the Arkansas from the Del Norie-norlh of
Pike S Peak II separates the Plates from the
Green river which is The upper fork of the Col
orado.
But another primary mountain chain, radia-
ting or from behind Pixies Peak, forms the d.
vide between the Del Norie and the Colorado.
This is the Sierra Mimbrcs This chain luns
the S0mh-bisecis the table lands diagonally.
and joins the Andes in the Mexican state of
Durango. 1t leaves the Sierra Madre in lati-
tude 80 degrees, and pursuing the l00lh degree
meridian, enters the Andes under 90 deg. 30
min. of latitude. 1t is, therefore, about 200
miles in length and is of It's own merits, apart
from the Sierra Madre and the Andes, one of
the important and most interesting of the noun
tain chains Of the world. 1t is that continuous
escarpment seen in the western horizon, by
those who travel down the river Del Norte from
Taos to Chihuahua. lis eastern flank is drain
ed by the Del Norte, and from its western flank
flow the Eagle river, the Dolores, the San Ju-
an, the Little Colorado and the Gila, all great
atlluents of The Colorado.
Having established the identity of the Sierra
Nlimhres, and dseniangled ii from being con-
founded with the Sierra Madre, or with the
Sierra Nevada, from which it is separated by
the Immense basins of the Del Noue on the
east, and the Colorado on the west we may
now proceed to speak Of its specific and pecul-
lar characteristics, and find out where is the
most remarkable part of it, known as the Sier
ra San Juan,
Where the Sierra Mmbres, coming from the
south, approaches lie junction with the Sierra
Madre, say within three hundred miles of the
latter, II heaves up in bulk and height, pene-
irates the perpetual snow line attracts irroa.
ton from the clouds and becomes iimbered up
on its TANKS. This elevated portion has re.
ceved The distinctive name of Sierra San Juan
Where the southern portion of the Sierra MINI
bres traverses the states of Durango and Chi.
hGahua it has, for more than a century. fgf-
nished the chief supply of silver for the void
mined from its tanks and coined at the four
minis Of Durango, Chihuahua, Guadaloupe E
Calvo and Pana. 1t equally abounds in silver,
gold and copper upon its flank towards Sonora,