Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1867-12-11


published, we take the foll3wing exceed-
lnsig interesting and charming extract
a CITY NOT MADE WTTH HANDS.
4 We passed one Of thu most wonderful
OF those silent aud fantastic cities scoepe,i
by the winds out Of the bluffs which form,
the peculiar geological feature Of this re-
/ gion, often described by explorers We
were on the old Spanish trail, over which.
a few years ago, Ncxioans transported
onions aud dried spdn pkins On pack
khorSes from Sante Fe to Laramie. dis
tance Of five hundred miles. and traded
the precious freight for goods. As to
/ these vegetables, the traders in those
! days had 20 fear of boards of health who
IN more modem times exercise the powor
lot conscriptiou and coufsc.. 10 J.. This
fold Spanish trail leads through the nor
them gap of Horse creek, frLm the uppor
terrace to what is known az Goshe y,
Hole, vast basin or valley, Surrounded
| by high bluff- on three sides, facing IN.
ward. The distance across the basin ia
twenty seven miles. TIE bluffs arc
doubtless connected with the range known
as SCOTS bluffs described by Captain
Bonneville, which bear some forty miles
to the eastward, and within a few milos
still further east is The celebrated chimney
rock. KS we neared the, nameless gap.
the most remarkable conf gurations wers
observed in the bluff ahead, which. at
distance Of few miles, resein bleI town.
with towers, domes and tall chisnneys
fsyt,, Of oil
heights, carved out By the unseen winds
inathe soft sandstone and indurated clays
which compose the alternate layers Of tic
range. TO the left w.s seen an immense
isolated structure resembling a capitol
crowned with a lofty dome. Another
casteliated structure reSemh!eai = cathe
dral with numerous towers and spires.
Then there was seen a shaft about sew
enty feet in height, reminding the be-
holder Of tlie leaning tower of Pisa. Ad,
joining it was seen a column like the Oh
elisk Of Luxor in Place Du Concorde.
Then there were the huge smoke stacks
of factories huge loo king brick kilns.
One structure had two domes, exactly
alike The symmetry and regularity Of
these strange forms were marked features.
Other shapes were more fantastic. but, as
general thing, the edifces would have
done no discredit to human architect.
could the purpose for which they were
designed lie discovered.
There are about thirty of these isolated
structures standing out boldly, clearly cut
and we'll defined from the bluff out of
which they are carved, and which bends
away towards the southeast The lent
city covers perhaps an extent of ten acres. :.
One of the most astonishing appearances
noticed on our approach, for miles
back, WAS the changeable character
Of the light At one time the vast domes
would be lit up by the rays Of light, and
appear perfectly white, like polished ala
baster. Then fitting cloud would sud
denly turn the color into that of dull
clay. Sometimes portion Of the fairy
city appeared bathed in a food of white,
while the other portion looked dark and
desolate. On nearing these remarkable
freaks of nature the outside resembled the
works Of fortress commanding all the
approaches of an enemy. A number of
small domes were observed partially
y
carved out of the lower strata. all bearing
a curious similarity. I he lines of strait
fcation in the ISOLATED structures CORE
spond precisely with those in the bluff
beyond, out Of which they have been
carved. The bluff facing north has an
elevation over the prairie Of the basin of
from 800 TO 700 feet. The rocks are
fast wearing down by the agency Of tho
winds, and tie talus at the foot has
reached nearly two-thirds the height OF
the escarpment.
In time the bluffs will blow away, AM
nothing but the rolling swell Of the vast,
illimitable prairie will be left to mark the
site Of the present bluff. We saw an IL
lustration Of this few miles further on
where parallel range of bluffs has been
entirely degraded by the winds, with the
exception of few low domes that rise
above the sands like monuments Of the.
past
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