The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-07-17
THE UNSEEN RIVER OF THE
WEST.

Since the FIRST exploration of Fremont
aud bis coadjutors among the peaks aud
canyons OF the Rocky Mountains, the
books and travellers IN that region icem
with accounts of paradOxes that set the
ordinary courses OF nature at dciiauce. Or
these there are almost numberle.s differ.
ent classes, but TWO or three will serve for
illustration. Large rivers, they tell us,
after flowing hundreds of miles, aud re.
cciTIug the waters of large tributary
system, suddenly disappear. vanish iroin
sight, aud give no clue to their exit. In
some cases the mouth of stream seems
to be at or near the middle, the currents
flowing both ways until they meet and
disappear. Salt Lake, with ali the waters
1t receives. never rises a single inch. nor
loses drop Of water through any visible
outlet.
Again, the traveller standing upon some
OF the immense masses oi rock among the
hills, feels Il tremendous quiyering motion,
as ii some Titanic railway thundcrcd
along beneath the surface. Through fl.
sures IN the cliffs, strange currents Of air
roar aud whisper, aud from far within
| there comes the faint murmur as IL Il
mighty ocean. From Fremont to Dixon.
travellers have been content to repeat the
phrases Of their Indian guides, and call
these phenomena simply - blowing caves 4"
'' trembling rocks, and {" los, Evers." II
any have dared to theorize they have
feared to write what they dreamed.
There is at last, however, book in the
press which boldly faces the mystery The
writer is Mr. George Catliu, who for many
years dweit among the Indians of the
West, and whose portraits Of noted Red
Men form the princp pal record by which
that record will be remembered
Mr.. Catlin boldly announces his theory
that under the cutire Rocky Mountain
chain. from Alaska to the Caribbean Sea.
there flows a vast subtcrranean river.
whose tributaries burrow beneath all the
principal aud divergent ranges, and derive
their water from the constant melting of
the ice and snow OF the mountain slopes
and from the flow of the " lost river" OF
the plains. The trembling rocks are
the root OF come roaring subterranea n cata-
ract, whose spray rising through the fs.
sures gives the streaming caves" OF the
Rocky Mountain story.
AmOng the mountains OF Oregon, the
traveller finds lake with a sheer wall Of
granite 1000 feet in depth No human
foot ever scaled its perpendicular face, no
human hand ever touched its silent wa
tcrs. Like huge well it sinks away into
the earth, like the guarded door Of a
realm which human discovery can never
penetrate. May not this be window
looking down upon the submontane ANA
zon which the painter has at empted tc
describe, single peep hole down to the
silent river which flows thence under a
thousand miles of mountain rock, to min
gle at last with the waters Of the tropic
gulf?
Two we'll known facts seem to poin
strongIy toward the truth of Dir. Catlin''
theory. A glance at any map will show
that the river system of the Rocky Noun
tain country is wholly inadequate to carr,
off the water which the snow aud rain o
that district would create. Secondly, The
level Of the Caribbean Sea, at that poin
where Mr. Catlin's theoretical river woulc
naturally pour out its submarine efflux, il
noticeably higher than the open sea out
side.
Whatever other facts may sustain Oh
dispute this new hypothesis, it is certain
to open the way to a much more minute
and intelligent investigation OF the subjcc
than it has ever before received. III,
study of the submontane river system anc
the Aztec monuments of Mexico and Cal
fornia, st I'D make that corner of th,
Republic the chosen haunt of science anC
discovery for a century to come.