The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-06-26
"yEILRD HE'LL
The MirNbolant Sand Of America-Fire
Springs Valley and Pass Of Hell--Th
Yelled Internal Regions. w

A correspondent. Of the Cincinnati Com.
D,ercidl writing from the ueadwaters Of
the Yellow Stone, Montana" giycs tho fol.
lowing description Of tho VALLEY and
Pass Of Hell, in that Territory;
Aud here, from the spot on which :
stand, with my companions on this oxplor-
ing expedition, tracing my notes, | drink
IN tho views, so weird, so passing strange,
that even in my Widest dreams never
aught like this was seen. AZ daylight was
dying on the Yellowstone hills, the sun
melting down into tho verge Of the hori-
zon, shooting his slauting rays far into tho
gloom of grotesquo cliffs, and lingering
upon the loftier "eaks, converting thoir
rugged surfaces into purple and gold, tho
islands in the river swell bold aud boauti.
ful in the resy light, while yonder distant
cone.like hill STANDS against the sky a con.
spicuous mass fringed with fire. The gi-
gautic mountains to the west cast their
shadows far down into tho silent valley at
our feet, while The silvery Yellowstone
flaws on its whispering way, breaking the
sombre aspect of the plain with tho line of
it's cleaning waters. In this valley of
mysterious wonders have bcen visible
from time inmemorial, Of which tho mo.
bile Saxon never heard. The Indians, ip
the vicinity, tell us it has always been
thus. " rr rf
Out of this plain, or valley, rather,
which extends over an area OF fifty miles,
issue million sharp ,iets Of bluish. white
flame, iutersperscd with 6tiul puts Of
pearly vapJr, which sail upward in end-
less tubinated couvulsions until reaching
high altitude, they dissolve and become
blended with the iluctuatiug cloud which
hangs over the valley, as II to shield IL
from mortal eyes. The plain is dotted with
In ,umerable humps, from whence these va.
pory and fiery columns are emitted. In
their formation they resemble miniature vol,
canoes, Fire.sprngs like these may be
found in China ard tho gcysers of Ice
land are but results of volcanic action OF
the same nature, though of greater force
aud power, than the hot springs in the
valley of the Yellowstone. One cannot
help thinking that fiercest fires rage some.
where below the external envelope of the
plain, to thus fan and force flames above
the surface. A gentleman and q sNpaHt,
connected with our party, ascribes these
igneous streams to gases escaping from q
"veiled hell" .....
Another speciality Of volcanic action
may be observed by closer Investigation
of the cOnical hills which loom up from the
surface in every direction. Though there
are no deep craters ia their submits, II il
an easy matter to detect u gentle hol
low In each, more or less deep, covered
with crumbling PARTICLES Of lava.like rock
The base and sides are also thiokly strewu
with the like porous deposlts---some Of vel }
large size, like enormous cindery cakes
tho refuse of foundry furnace. A sul
phurous odor is in the atmosphere. remind
inding one of our companions OF his expo
rienoe Of a choke.damp.
Surrounding the entire plain arc lofty
calciferors rocks eroded and skeletonized
by action of rains or shifting bodies cl
water, which now bear the appearance OF
inverted pyramids, prisms, and various
coufiyurations. Besides preparing doi,itnS
which lay piled in heaps at the foot OF the
cliffs, frequent torrents had SO corroded
and dismantled the rocks, that one would
J imagine q destructive fire had ragged and
burnt up city by the quantity of fallen
columns which lay scattered around in the
most indescribable confusion. In the in
terstiees of the debris there bubbled
numerous saline springs, and continuing
our examination further, We discovered
hotwator springs, from whence vapory
columns continually ascended. On testing
the warmth of the water with Fahrenheit's
thermometer, tho mercury, which stood
previously at eighty degrees, shot up to
one hundred and eighty degrees
The tread of our horses feet sounded
hollow, while the noise seemed to reverber-
ate along the earth like an echo Not o
blade of grass was to. be seen, excepting
along the margin of the tiny streams. Tho
whole aspect of the plain was arid in the
extreme CHASTITY relics of animal life litcr.
ally covered the ground along the stream.
This was evidently caused by, the gather
ing of the buffaloes in the fall to croRs the
Sweet Grass, where they luxuriated for u
season, protected by the rising hills from,
the bleak winds, which, with the force Of
simoons, sweep over the northern piairies,
until the severity OF the season and The
scarcity Of grass warned them to, leave,
when they found their egress prevented
by the deep SHOWS in the passeS, and they
must have perished from hunger and cold,
leaving their bones to be picked by hun
cry wolves, and TO be bleached in the sun
No language can give any idea of the
fearful desolation Ct this wonderful valley.
II struck onr hearts with nameless dread
Not wolf infested the chalnbered cavities
of the cliffs !; not buzzard lowered over
the vicinity. All was silent Ia this Valley
of Death. One of the party of explorers
bestowed upon il the neutrality-suspicious.
of Hell" t".H ~
II is a rich field, however, for the geo
logical sdVdnf, and though famous travellers
love to describe the splendofs of Alpine
scenery, dwell upon the classic bighls of
Olympus, dilate upon Lebanon, Mount OF
Glory, aud foster ;:.eir imag iBaton among
the Scriptnral monhtains of Judah. thero
are grander scenes by far in this newborn
world of ours-=with valleys far more
idyllie than any old Europe can boast, and
rivers of greater depth aud larger volume.
Travellers have desoanted long enough up
on the stale and melancholy inanilies Of
the Orient. lie; him that suffers with
enqui, and the sonl that bankers after
yitahziDg realities, travel in the boreaD
regions of the Upper Yellowstone, and
fertility, and valleys clothed with Eden
loveiimess, will DO seen side by side with a
plain teeming with diabolism, from WHICH
You cannot emerge save through the "Pass
Of He'll - lltpf tolif
Through snch pass did we grope our
way ia almost profound darkness, as
night had set in long .hefore we catered
the lonely defile. Why this wild, gloomy
ravine Aanked by lofty Perpendicular walls,
where hinge bowliers knng toppfhgly over,
and down which current rnshes with its
shaking 1ootstep, should be called by such
an Ominoub name, know not, unless ID is
that we are In the habit of ascribiDg such
darksome places uncerith jurisdiction Of
the Evil One. So many abusss hare been
heaped upon him--eyery sin laid at bis
door-thAt il is tme Satan should write
his remOnslrance upon his prison bars. =