The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-07-23


TIE STANDING ROCK.
Ano er great mt curiosity In this region ID soum
mar Of great he ght standing in the centre Of
tain pr. Is known ,hs Standing Rock. md Is
supposed to have fallen from the cliffs .bove HerA
Ssaa's in solitary gr nisur. Ike giant sentinel Of the
Pass.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
From TIE tr'ggy ace Of an escarpment two thirds
from the TOP subterrHnean river bursts out and falls
ia white foam into the stream which flows the base Of
the svins This another Of those wonders that abound
in shs extraordinary region
BAsALrIC COLUMNS.
remarkable hill Of columnr basal Jets mp from
the Columbia river, the top branching two per.
pepdcusr columns, supported psaesals. they lo,k
from tho distance ike the ruins Of grand old Norman
castle.
THE DALLls OF THE COLUMBIA
Is well worth visit The whole volume Of the Columbia
passes hi. place. between tn, wills OF chssm
which has appearance OF having been rent through
the basai.!c strata which form the valley Of tho
region. rho given by Cmsdian uoyaeesr,
signifies q trough Tho rock, for considerable dis
lance from the river, worn into circular holes and
cavates by the abrasion Of the river, which al high
water spreads the adjacent bottoms.
THE PYRAMID LAKE
k another very wonderful and most beautiful curiosity In
this region wonders An immense rock presenting an
the Pyramid Of Cheops rises the height
Of 900 feet out Of beautiful lake, 70 which gives its
name Even the Indians look on II with awe,
THE PASS IN TIKI SIERRA NEVADA.
The pass through which Fremont crossed the Sierra
Nevada into California 9ass feet above the It
feet higher than the south pass in the Rocky
Mountains and there several peaks In Wow rising
sti thousands Of feet higher. Thus, at the ex-
uemty Aof the continent and near tho coast, the
Phenomenon Of range Of mountains still higher
the great Ky Mountains thsmsel This extra
ordinary fact accounted his mind f)r the extence OF
essin proved that there mus, he system
o. small LAKE.. am rivers hsre scattered Nat
ty which extended snd lofty range of the Sierra
Nevada prevents from escaping 70 the Pacific ocean
GIGANTIC TREES.
II would be a needless task 10 attempt 10 inform
readers Of the beauty Of valleys Siram and
san Joaquin Of the grandeur OF tho whole scenery
OF Califo MIA. Neither is ii necessary to speak at
lspgta III, gigantic cypress trees which have
been discovered in Mariposa and one or two other
sections the country-trees beside which the
spre Trinity chur sh Ia dwar1sh, and through OF
whose trunks, when followed out, six horsenen have
ridden abb east These objects OF wonder which of
themselves should attract travellers.
Tbey nd wide apart from each other and usually
ee from limbs the height Of nfy seventy feet.
dbsrcs. IL grove Of them visited by Mr. Blake there
were sad 70 hundred and ninety recs but Of those
there were only twenty Of gigantic proportions
These have received fsncu Names such Father Of the
Forest Beauty Of the Forest Pioneer Cabin, Three Sis
ters, Old Maid, Mammoth, &c. They range from 800
TO $50 feet in height. One Of them was cut down by
boring through with pump augers, about six feet from
the ground, and the operation occupied i've mon for
three weeks The circumference Of the Mammoth
tt,i~tv soox
diameter II believed In the locality that they 600
years old; but by an examination the rings Of one Mr.
Blake was satisfied that could not have becn than
l2o0years old.
THE GREAT CAVE.
About eighteen miles from this grove is situated the
mining town Of Cave City. II Ii so called from grea
cave in the vicinity II explored by Mr.. Blake. he
found to consist Of series Of passages and chambers
Of great extent Of them being lined with salac
t,es and stalsgmitss Of great beauty The staacttss
reach in some places from the roof 70 the floor, forming
grotsoes with alabaster like walls which present splen
did appearance when Ii; up by candles.
CURIOUS GEOLOGICAL FACT.
very curious aud suggestive fact thu! oouders,
those erraic s,ones, sometimes Of szs, which
have no connection with the geology OF the To-
caly are found the valleys OF California, although
The, are found all the Atlantic states and in almost
every other portion Of the globe, transported by
Ireland from the Shetland Isles 10 Norway, from
sweden 20 Lvona and Prussia, from Canada TO New
YORK. and from Northern New York 10 Long Island Dr.
Aptse ihe geoogst last Pacific Railroad survey
ing party, noticed that fact and remarks mat the
extensive plains OF the Sierra Nevses In ruiare val
ley pleasant little oak valleys q the coast
terrace plains CT the shore, not single boulder 10
be met with-not q store from which re plough might
turn aside For gecogists bosns and ssturAsts gone
rally California 10 full OF interest
ANCIENT LAKE IN rER COLORADO DESERT.
Mr.. Blake the gcolosst Of Lieutenant, wilamsons
peduon to survey rrrosd 1885, noticed the fact
The desert has boon covered by water
The line be distinctly traced on the face OF tho
rocks which ence formed lu boundary, and along tho
mountain sides following all the angles and sinuosiues Of
ire ridges for many miles The evidences OF former
submergense vivid and conclusive to every in
the train rbe ConuIa Indians have tradition Of great
water that covered the whole valley, aud filed with
aee Gsh AID much freluesed by water fowl they say
that ,ner fathers Lived in the mountains, and used
como down 10 IN nsh and hunt The water gra.
cuspy subsied, and after had disappeared their vii
lagos were moved into the valley Toe waters they
say, returned very suddeuy smed many OF
people, ad drove the rest back 10 the mountains
ISLANDS m THE DEsKRr.
rtular rounded rocks piled one upon another
ro considerable beshi, here and there thrsugh
cut ths desert foey may have formed the bases
for islands Curious openings have been worked into
By the action OF the which covered
plata. Mr. Blake, in his description Of them, says
when wandering over these grea, Of rock, add
s,sncDg the subsqueous Galleries and passages
tnrr aud ceirgs OF the coral IKE crust,
sur.a .cs los ked 80 new atd fresh trat not dcu
imagine tna heard tue measurcd swell of wares
ding ,he din csveyns aud II impossible
resist ma dread that the great walls might sud.
oeny Istu,n and clam thar former sway the
trted halls.
rnr enx.r COLORADO ppsEsr- srssEr.
FROM these rocxs-conunues Mr. 8take-I obtained q
One view t the at ert stretching OF tossrds the
southeast, vice. appHrenLv limiiless plain, It's only
boundary ubvroken Cuce upon cistaat nor.z1u
Not green spot N all tbis vide sxpsuse seen
tee bold mouLfa.rs AGAR only free IRON
trees. but there net earth rocks
rbc MOUNTAINS opposite extended CT towards the
they ssre ost 70 sgtt series Of o~ SUBMITS OF
a arnn blue Cnlnr he ~ he