New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-31


Away in the wilds of Idaho, midway between
Salt Lake and Oregon, the air is laundering and
the earth is rent by a cataract as imposing as
Niagara. Situate on the sagebrush plains, which
calmly sleep between the Rocky Mountains and
the Cascade range, and are alike untenanted by
Ceres or the god of gold, the great Shoshone is
world wonder, which for savage scenery and
power sublime, stands unrivaled IN America.
These falls of the Snake or Lewis fork OF the Co
lumba have been but two years disco 'ered, and
have been seen as yet by scarce as many scores Of
white men.
This majestic masterpiece of natures engineer
ing lies few miles oil from the overland stage
ronte running nOrth-westeTly between Salt Lake
and Boise cities, and half way, or about 200 miles,
from those said capitals Of the Idaho and Utah.
North of it and distant fifty miles, though seeming
closely near, the Salmon mountains show their
shining peaks, grey with the cares of countless
ages. East and west as far as the eye can see,
the sagebrush prairie loads the desert air with its
perfume. Southerly the Great Salt Lake, 100
miles away is hidden by the Goose Creek noun
tans.
The river about 200 yards in width, coming
slowly from the southeast oyertowered by per
pendicuar walls of basaltic rock, over 800 feet
high, suddenly expands into basin of twice its
width, and there is divided into a half dozen
streams by dark looking rocks which raise their
gloomy crests above the sparkling surf of the mad
dened waters. Every stream rushes over fall of
30 feet, and every fall is of different shape,
seeming fanciful and luctuating, yet physically
fixed as they have ever been while centuries like
shadows have 1Own over them
Il The river resumng its course is again divided
and takes second tumble of 60 feet still further,
but this time only three different streams. Three
falls are the result; one on each side, unbrOken
and falling in solid sheets; the central one being
formed by seven famshaped steppes Of rock.
From the one Of these benches to the other I'M
derneath water falls in smooth, transparent
sheet forming cascade unsurpassed in the world
and contrasting strangely by its dark, transparent
color, with the rustng, roaring foaming streams
surrounding it both above and at the sides
The river becomes once more smooth and dark
in color Its banks suddenly iot ont from both
sides, narrowing the channel to 400 feet; and
through this gap the confined mass Of water pre-
cipitates in one whole volume, without break OIL
hindrance, into an Ominous abyss almost 300 fee
in depth No pen can describe this scene. This
is in reality, the great fall" and is wei
worthy Of its name, leaping as it does from the
q. loom Of nature ike a colossal sheet of silver
~ Forming slight horseshoe, its central waters
appear blue until they meet the spray that RISE
ever heayenward from the foot of the foaminG
cataract. The sides are frayed into foam, and re
mind one Of the pictured ayaanches in the Alps
Right on the edge of the fall stands lone pilla
of gray sandstone, on'whose summit, undisturbe(
by the whiz of waters or the fear of fate fas
yawniHg on their eyrie, a pair of bald headed
eagles have built their nest, and are now rearing
their young, secure in sight of the sublimity an
solitude surrounding.
The cataract'ssound- slightly heard above
ia absolutely deafenii as you reach the river
base the roar Of the falls confined, it is, by thu
ngn walls OF tIle canon, rushing down the Cnagu
and increasing in volume as it rolls, so as to b
heard full thirty miles southwest Close to til
cataract is square shaped cave of fifteen fee
each side and twenty high, whose walls are sur
ported by basaltic columns, the regularity o
whose formation is unsurpassed by anything in til
Isle Of Staifa or the Giants Causeway. Slidin
out Of this cave, and falling about eight feet on
grassy slope that leads to the waters edge
within 200 feet of the foot of the falls, you ar
right in the middle Of the mist, and wet through
an instant.
1t is here that, by looking up, the enormous alt
tude Of the fall can be realized and the first feen
is one Of self-preservation an involuntary DRAWN
back for the whole mass seems ready to drop an
crush You where you stand Never can the wen
beauty of this scene be forgotten by beholder
Rainbows of q Thousand hues seem to surrOun
you, and their rises to arch you in the skies.
The white foaming waters form q brilliant bac
ground for the magic prsms pictured by IL
spray. The dark frOWning rocks relieved by u
bright green jumpers, make a fitting frame fl
this magnificent sight, second to none in point
volume, as it ID second to none in savage grandeu
AS measured by officers Of the LIST Oregon !
fantry, encamped adjoining, the main fall il q
feet from the edge 10 the level Of the water beloy
The upper falls have not been measured, but b
total fall of the river, the three distncttumbl
it takes, cannot be less than 300 feet, while Il
river itself IS over 400 feet at its narrowest widt
The channel Of the stream below the falls is
chasm 1900 feet in width and 1000 in depth, wi
perpendicular walls of rock incOsing it.