The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-01-12

vi 'SoinuS sue roat Stdte OF tnings, went IN
to explosions Of hsshsen The n,isa at
trscted the nemberB OF his staff, and whe.
10 dozen or more ithihlv clad gentlemen hai
gathered round him, The General conposeG
himselfsh6ds6 u aA6spt aKs dehvsry of fhs
prisoners, and 20 appoint Bible COMMANDED.
fin-Chief Of an the black troops in'l1is depart
meht. -Bosten 7ranscripG G '3l
Ifftt 9gii --.--.S---.- -.-S --.-- :. -. - .ss.s
/ ~ o From the Alta c.llsernAu',a ~.
THE Scenery Of the C~lifornia
c,i1 p. s11f Alps. rgs
California is peculiarly rich 10 mountain
scenery. No other highly civilized State
contains so many high peaks, scenery so
grand and views so extensive. The ares
within sight, from some points, seems
scarcely credible at first confederation. An
Englishrnan could scarcely believe tina /
view as large as all England could be OBJ
tanned from the summit Of any mountain,
and yet that may almost be said Of several
peaks in California. Fs ea g; .at1
Monte Diablo, 1876 fieet high, ii Ear in.
ferior in elevation to many mountains in the
Eastern States, but none Of them command
prospect SO extensive. From its summit
we see Lssse6's Peak in the North, the Far
rahones in the West, and the summit Of
Sierra Nevada, for, . distance of $50 miles,
and nearly the entire basin Of the Sacrameu.
to and San Joaquin rivers in the Eastward.
From Lassen's Peak. about IL 900 feet
high, in latitude Al deg. 80 min. there is
distinct view Of Mount Pitt, in latitude. 40
deg. 80 min, to the north, Mount Hamilton,
81 deg. 90 min. to the south, of Star Peak
at the bend Of the Hu'nb ldt, to the east,
and the western point of the Siskiyon Noun
tains to the west, which points include
distance Of $50 miles along the meridian, !,
and 400, miles the other, way. Mount Shas.
ia is still higher than Lassen, and gives a
still more extensive view in several direc.
tions.
These mountains and their scenery have
long been familiar. by description ct least to
thA nennle of this State. hnt ii mas, i4f.l r--
the Geological Survey to make, known the
most wonderful mountain region Of Califor-
mia. Shasta, which towers. in solitary
grandeur, 7,o8ef feat sbsveyyry,hinsip It's
vicinity, and shows, its mantle Of eternal
snow to q wide area in three States, is no
longer our highest peak. Another noun.
tain, which is surrounded by 50 many other
peaks Of nearly equal hight as to attract no
specia4attention from distance, rises still
higher. This pew. peak, not yet named,
rises to about $4,000 feet while Shasta is
only Ia ,440. 4, ...-..., .... +.
Not only is Shasta ,dethroned,l but also
Switzerland. The Helyetian Republic has,
for hundreds of years. had the fame ofpos-
sessing the. largest body of elevated land,
and the largest number Of great peaks with.
in the limit Of high civilization. but the
newly discovered mountain region surpass
es Switzerland. That country has only
four peaks above $4,000 feet, and not more
than $50 square miles, about sO.00,s, while
we have 100 peaks above $4,000 feet and
200 or more square miles above 5000 feet.
y This Alpine region of California occupies
the upper part of Sierra Nevada from Gas.
tie Peak to Kern river, . distance of 200
miles and throughout that distance all the
main peaks rise to 18. 900 feet or moro. The
highest mountain, or, the. one which is sre-
garded as the highest is about lat. 36 deg.
80 min.v Its exact hight,is not known. ns
The surveying party made two trials in
July last to get to the summit, but failed.
G. r. King reached an elevation Of Il $50
feet, and was there arrested by precipice.
He thought thore we're 800 or 400 sset Of
elevation above him. q The main Fork and
the North Fork Of Kern river rias on the
Southera and Western slopes of this noun
tain, and sKingissriver oniits Northwestern
slope. The main fork Of Kern river runs
southwark for thirty miles through q trs-
mendous CANON IN the upper part Of which
the river falls 10000 fest within six miles.
There Is another canon Of great size on the
North Fsrir Of Kings river. A party of
prospeesors tried for several week to get
down intorit with peck animals. but could
not finds place where. the descent was
gradual enough. ueoh en ao57 smsa ysdi 2.
No name has been given to the highest
peak. and many other points we're left with.
out names. Professor Brewer. who was at
the head of the surveying party that dis.
covered them, thought that he would leave
them nameless, until some Indian titles
could be discovered. A. mountain whose
summit is six miles east Of Mono Lake md
1000 feet above it-a pretty steep ascent
lis caiied Mount Dana. A peak further
south, with an elevation Of ls,70O feet, Is
called Mount Grant; another Of 14,5o0 fee,
| is called Mount PyndslIi athird Is styled
Mount Brewer. di7'a as'sa V -eosgs9
From Castle peak.. 70 l,tttudess degrees
for distance Of 800 miles along the stin,rni
of the Sierra, there Is no pass known feasi
ble for . wagon, or less than. IL 900 feat h
latitude. 1t would not be safe to assert
how ever, that no lower pass will, be discov
cred. Much OF the range has not yet bee,
.texamined. ypas zucy sS.ts's ,tafe;'s fsji,''
M Throaghoutrall Ahis A!pias region th
views are very extensive, and the scener,
j grand beyond that Of Switxerlsnd. ,thoug
not SO pictutesque, that is, not so beautiful
Z IN little places. 'sAt some futhSe time il VI
A..Ne