The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-24
TIE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
Results of the Yale College Expe-
di ion TO the Far West.
Organization Of the Party-scientifc Journey
The Bad Lands Expedition-W at knte-
lope Staton-The Green River Station
Mule as Meteorological Re-
sources Uintah Mountains-Fossil
FCrest-Return Of the Party.
NEW HAVEN, Dec. 81, 1870.


fresn-ooKing gentleman, OF probably five ana thirty
years OF age, WAC appears 10 the casual observer
anything else than devoted student OF the petri-
ned bones OF past ages But If one could obtain
glance mt the pro ess0rs cabinets, IN College street,
he would everywhere see not only the evidences OF
great scientific requirements, but valuable speci-
mems oil scientific treasures. AS Professor OF pala-
anthology In Yale college, he is also Curator OF the
Yale Geological Museum, and as soon Us he can per-
form the thousand onlces OF duty and OF friendship
which awaited him N hts return from his summers
explorations IN the Rocky Mountain region last sat
urday, he win busy himself arranging the treasures
he brought back with him. The discoveries made
by Professor Marsh are Of the greatest Importance
Among the thousands or valuable specimens or fos.
sill vertebrates which he ana his party collected
there are many species new 10 science. All these
have been added 10 the Yale Geological Museum,
which was previously second 70 none IN this respect
IN the United States. Next year the new Peabody
Museum VIII be built where the Old South College
now stands In the richness Of its contents IL must
for many years remain uarigalled by any sim lar col
lection-a monument at once TO the munlncence OF
ITS founder aud tie knowledge and industry and
zeal OF Its chief. The geographical Information
gathered by the Yale College scientific expedition
Is only less important than the results Obtained in
the interest Of science.
visit which Professor Marsh made to the Rocky
Mountains IN 1868 suggested TO him the importance
OF thorough scientific exploration OF that region.
As he mad Obtained on that first visit three or four
wonderful things, including specimen OF q mature
ana perfect fossil horse not TWO feet In height,
and unmistakabe evidence OF the change IN living
animals from one genus TO another he thought he
could accomplish much for science If party could
be found to explore Tho Great West. The greatest
care mad to be exercised In selecting the gentlemen
who should compose the expedition. The whole
party, twelve IN number, besides Professor Marsh,
under whose direction everything was accomplished
from first to last was composed OF students or re-
cent graduates OF Yale College. 1t was essentially
private party though its researches ana discoveries
TO mure TO The benefit OF the Institution whose
name is associated with the expedition. Every
member was chosen on account of his mental ana
physical fitness as well because OF his scientific
attainments. It was the first party ever organized
for the Study OF the tertiary and cretaceous remains
OF that wonderful region, and it was projected ana
carried out under circumstances only less remarka-
bic than the object OF its organization In addition
TO the barriers which nature presented in these Wild
mountain regions there were dangers 10 be appre-
nended from Still wilder men, and TO any but the
devoted and courageous student OF science the pros
poets OF the expedition aspect lorbiddng IN
the extreme. Along the line Of the Union Pacific RAIL
road tie Indians almost daily showed signs OF their
hostility and Jet the dangers from scourges OF
the plains We're not greater than the constantly re-
curing dangers of the mountains. 1t is marvellous
that after many harbreadth escapes by lo3l and
field the whole party should return unframed and
well, having suffered little from sickness and meet
ing no accidents worth mentioning.
TIE PARTY.
The party left New Haven on the last day OF Jnna
and went at once TO Fort Mcpherson, on the line of
the Union Pacific Railroad. 1t consisted besides It's
genial CHIEF, Of James W. WadsWorth, q son of the
cato General Wuuswcrtn, CT Geneseo, N. Y; c.
WHY'S Belts young lawyer, OF New YORK; Eli
whitney Jr., the grandson OF the famous cotton gin
Whitney, OF THIS city; George b. Grinnel, of New
York John Nicholson, Dover, Del; John Wool Girls
woId, son Of the lion. john A. Griswod Of Troy, N.
Y; James N. Russell, Paris, KY; Henry &. Sargent,
Of this city; Charles II. Reeve, Danvlle, N. Y;
Alexander IL. Ewing, Chicago H. Henry d. Zeigler,
Philadelphia, Pa, and Charles 4. Ballard, Louis
vile, Ky. Armed with a brace OF trusty pistols and
the all-essential knife, as well as the geological
hammer ana the appliances Of science not alto
gether like and yet not unlike, Cesar OF old. when
he went into Gaul, they, too, went, saw and con-
guered.
TUE FIRST SCIENTIFIC JOURNEY.
II was The original intention OF the party, an in-
tenion subsequently carried into effect, to make the
Union Pacific Railroad the base or their operations
and to pursue their Investigations by several expe-
dtions OF one or TWO hundred miles north and south
OF The road In the Rocky Mountain country. The
first Of these Journeys was undertaken early in
July IRON Fort Mcpherson, Neb., to explore the
Loup Fork and Niobrara river region, where the
recent tertiary deposits are well developed and
abound in the remains or extinct animals. As the
ha, hod Jann Uisifn INV
white men and was in the heart of the hostile Indian
region 1t was necessary to provide strong escort,
with efficient guides. The escort consisted OF q
company or the Fifth cavalry, under Lieutenant
Reilly and the guides were the Pawnee Indians and
the famous Major Frank North who has lived for
many years among the savages, and during the late
war commanded regiment OF Pawnees. The nrsu
day out from the fort the party was accompanied by
Buffalo BIZ, OF whose scientific knowledge as eX-
hblsed on that OCCASION good story is told by some
Of the Young men connected with the expedition The
Professor now that he was fairly on the war path,
was all aglow with the achievements his lmagna-
ton pictured In store for him, and, like the
hypothetical lover OF Coleridge's Genevleye telling
of the gracious knight who saved from outrage
worse than death the lady OF the lana he re.
lated to the opened.mouthed company which
tourneyed with him how, at a time when the Rocky
Mountains were the bottom OF shallow sea, this
region was covered by fresh water lake and that
he was going to gather some of the deposits 1T Its
bottom or along what were It's ancient shores. In
tue evening the knowing Buffalo Bill remarked,
ssThe Professor told the boys some pretty tail yarns
to-day, but he tipped me wink as much TO say you
know how 1t Is yourself, Bill
The Loup Fork river tlaverses an immense desert
OF lofty sand hills. The water Of the river Is fresh
and along Its banks are few trees and some grass
but otherwise the whole region Is as sterile AZ
sahara itself. There are some alkaline lakes but
the water OF these Is destructive Of life and health
and promote no vegetation. Yet the Loup Fork
country Is a great game region and antelope, deer
and elk abound in great numbers single herd,
more than $50 in number, being seen by the
party. Major North and the Indian guides
kept the expedition well supplied with the choicest
or game and the geological party often forget their
lab0rs among fossil mammalia fer the lseasanter
task or Ill secting the animals OF more recent
period TWAS well they suffered nothing rom the
want OF food on this journey, for 1t hau other
hardShtps ana dangers which made IL sufficiently
marked One day, with the heat from 10 degrees
TO llb degrees, they marched Ter fourteen hours
without water. their sufferlngs being intense Pro-
fessor Marsh believes that another days experience
OF the same want would have destroyed hal their
aLOck perhaps have produced the sauuest results