The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-07-25

A Description of the Great ShoshOne
Falls. Of Idaho.


From the Salt Lake Nidete.
Away in the wilds Of Idaho, midway be-
tween 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 arc alike untenanted
by Ceres or the god Of gold, the great Sho-
shoue is a world wonder. which for savage
scenery and power sublime stands unri-
vailed in America. These falls of the Snake
or Lewis fork Of the Columbia have been
but couple Of years discovered, and have
been seen as yet by scarce as many scores
Of white men. This majestic masterpiece
Of natures engineering lies few miles off
| from the overland stage route running
northwesterly between Salt Lake and Boise
/ cities and half way, or about 200 miles,
4 from those said capitals of Idaho and Utah.
North of it, and distant 50 miles, though
seeming closely near, the Salmon river
mountains show their shining peaks, gray
with the cares of countless ages. East and
west Of it, as far as the eye can see, the
sagebrush prairie loads the desert air with
its wild perfume. Southcrly the great Salt
Lake, 100 miles away, is hidden by the
Goose Creek mountains.
The river, about 200 yards in width. COM
ing slowly from the southeast, oyertowered
by perpendicular walls of basaltic rock,
over $40 feet high, suddenly expands into a
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 maddened waters
Every stream rushes over a fall OF thirty
feet, and every fall is of different shape,
seeming fancitul and tluctuating, yet phys
ically fixed, as they have ever been while
centuries like shadows have flown over
them. The river resuming its course is
again divided and takes second tumble of
sixty .eet still further, but this time by only
three different streams. Three falls are the
result; one on each side, unbroken and
falling in solid sheets the central one be-
ing formed by seven fan-shaped steppes Of
rock. FROM the one Of these benches to
the other underneath, the water falls in a
smooth, transparent sheet, forming cas-
cade unsurpassed in the world, and contrast
ing strangely, by its dark, transparent
color, with the rustling, roaring, foaming
streams surrounding il both above and at
the sides. The river becomes once more
smooth and dark in color. Its banks sud
denly iut out from both sides, narrowing
the channel TO 400 feet; and through this
gap the confined mass Of water precipi,atcs
in one whole volume, without break or
hindrance into an ominous abyss almost
500 feet in depth. No pen can describe this
scene. This is in reality the Great FALL"
and is we'll worthy of its name, leaping as
it does from the loom Of nature like colos-
sal sheet of silver.
Forming a slight horse shoe, its central
waters appear blue until they meet the spray
that rises ever heavenward from the foot Of
the foaming cataract The sides are frayed
into foam, and remind one of the pictured
avalanches in the Alps. Right on the edge
of the fall stands a lone pillar of gray sand
stone, on whose summit, undisturbed by the
whiz Of water or the fear Of fate fast yawn-
ing on their eyrie, pair of bald headed
eagles have built their nest, and are now
rearing their young, secure in sight Of the
sublimity and solitude surrounding. The
cataracts sound--but slightly heard above
is absolutely deafening as you reach the
rivers base, the roar Of the falls confined,
a. il is, by the high walls Of the canyon,
rushing down the chasm and increasing in
volume as it rolls, so as to be heard full 30
miles southwest. Close to the cataract is a
square-shaped cave of Is feet each side and
20 high, whose walls are supported by ba-
saltic columns, the regularity Of whose for
nation is unsurpassed by anything in the
isle of Statfa or the Giants causeway. Slid
ing out of this cave and falling about feet
on the grassy slope that leads to the waters
edge, within 200 feet Of the foot of the falls,
you are right in the middle of the mist,
and wet through in an instant. 1t is here
that. by looking up, the enormous altitude
of the fall can be realized, and the first feel
ing is one Of self-preservation, and an in
voluntary drawing back, for the whole mass
seems ready to drop and crush you where
you stand. Never can the weird beauty of
this scene be forgotten by beholders. Rain
bows If a thousand hues seem to surround
you, and their rises to arch you in the
skies.
The white foaming waters form brilliant
background to the magic prisms pictured by
the spray. The dark, frowning rocks, re-
lieved by the bright green jumpers, make a
fitting frame for this magnificent sight, sec
ond to none in point of volume as il is sec
ond to none in savage grandeur. As meas
ured by officers of the LIST Oregon infantry,
encamped adjoining, the main fall is 30
feet from the level to the edge of the water
below. The upper falls have not yet been
measured, but the total fall on the river on
the three distinct tumbles ii takes, cannot be
be less than 800 feet, while the river itself
is over 400 feet at its narrowest width.
The channel of the stream below the falls
is chasm 500 feet in width and 900 in
depth, with perpendicular walls Of rock in
closing it.
A Good Paper to Edit.
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