The Morgantown monitor. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1863-1864, 1863-07-18
Wonders Of California.

The scenery of California is in
some respects superior to that Of any
other land on the American CONT
nent t-abounding in snowy peaks,
deep and fertile valleys, wide bays,
forests Of the largest and most grace
full evergreens, parks of majestic
oaks, and natural meadows covered
with brilliant grasses and flowers
The California valleys are especially
beautiful, particularly the Yosemite
Valley-a dell of matchless cliffs
and cascades, shut in closely by walls
Of, rock almost perpendicular, from
1000 to 4 500 feet high ); It has,
within radius of five miles, five
cascades, one of which is 1000 feet
high, another $40, another TOO,
another 600, another $50, their wa
ters flowing through natural mea-
dow, ornamented by beautiful trees
and brilliant verdure. The valleyis
chasm in the Sierra Nevada, 4, 900
feet above the level of the sea. tits
watered by the main waters of the
Merced river which makes it's way,
above and below, through the noun
tains in deep and dark gorges, the
bottom of which is rarely seen by
the sunlight. Ten miles long and
nearly three wide in the middle,
from which it decreases each way, it
is only at the ends of the valley that
it is possible for travellers to get in
or out of it, and even there the en-
trance and exit are difficult for horses
and impossible for wagons. The
main entrance is at the western end,
where steep path leads down 9 de-
scent of $500 feet. The view from
the ridge overlooking the valley is
splendid. The chasm is seen wind
ing away amidst the cliffs; cascade
is in sight, and numerous mountain
peaks rise in various directions. At
the bottom of the dell are seen the
meandering river, the green grass,
and lofty trees diminished to the sp-
pearance of shrubs. The waterfall
seen on the right, several miles dis
tant, is mere white streak on the
face of the wall, and does net appear
grand in the least; but it is $40 feet
high, and becomes imposing as tho
traveller approaches it. The body
of the water is about 10 feet wide in
June. Four miles above this cascade,
which bears the name Of "The Rain
bow" we come to the great falls of
the Yosemite, where the stream of
that name, 80 feet wide, leaps down
2,O63 feet in three falls, Of which
the first is |, 300 feet high, the next
25O, and the third is 450 feet high.
About 800 feet from the top Of the
upper fall there is projecting led &c,
on which the stream breaks when
the water is low, but up to the mid
die of June, while the current is
large and swift with melted snow,
the great body of the water leaps
clear of the ledge and pitches sheer
down into the hill of rocks below.
The next great natural wonder Of
California is the big-tree grove in
Mariposa county. It is grove Of
427 mammoth trees, the largest Of
which are 30 feet in diameter, and
300 feet in height. This is the lar
gest species of tree in the world, and
this is the largest grove Of them
When the traveller enters the grove
be sees on all sides Of him these
great giants of the forest, varying
from 20 to "a feet in diameter, and
from 275 to 32O feet in height. The
trees are so high that you must look
twice before you can see their tops,
and then you must keep on looking
before you can comprehend their
height. The spire of Trinity Church,
the highest artificial structure in the
United States, 2S4 feet high, would
be entirely lost to distant view If set
down among these trees.
The grove covers . space half .
mile wide and three-qusrters Of .
mile long. Classifying the trees &C
cording to their size, we find that
there is one tree "a feet in diameter,
two 33, thirteen between Is and 80,
thirty-six between 20 and Is, and
eighty-two between Is and 20. One
very large tree has fallen, and COZ
siderable portion Of it has been burn
ed, but appearances indicate that it
was nearly 30 feet in diameter, and
400 feet high The mammoth tree
is cone bearing evergreen, belong
ing to the genus Seqxoia, which is
related in the closest manner to the