Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-01-28
Lake. 81 wcssern Ancrien

From the San Francisco Bullctin.l
Prof. j. s. Newberry contributes to
the January number of the american
Naturalist a graphic sketch Of the phys
ical history OF the Pacific coast, par
ticularly in reference to the system OF
lakes which anciently occupied the
western half Of this continent, their
deposits and drainage. The materials
for this sketch are derived from the re-
suits of scientific surveys made during
the last twenty years, particularly the
Pacific Railroad surveys, tho geologi-
cal survey of California, and the re-
cent explorations Of DR.: Hayden,
Clarence King, Meek and others. Prof.
Newberry himself was connected with
the early railroad surveys, and has had
access to late observations not yet re-
ported. We are told that Of the three
great lines of elevation travcrsing the
western part of ourcountry from North
to South-known as the Coast Range,
the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky
Mountains-the Coast Range Is the
most modern. The series of level val
leys lying between this range and the
Sierra Nevada, both In California and
Oregon-for the Cascade Range In the
latter State Is q continuation Of the ST.
erra-were formerly great inland lakes
that have been drained through the
Golden Gate and the trough Of the Co
lumbia river, both Of which are chan-
nels cut by the drainage water through
mountain barriers that formerly OBJ
structed It's flow. The Coast Range
was thus the outer rim Of a series Of
extensive fresh water basins. The
older Sierra Nevada was also the west
ern rim of a larger series of lakes, oc-
cupying the basin which extends to
the Rocky Mountains. The northern
portion Of this area was drained blythe
Columbia, which passes far east of the
Cascade or Sierra Nevada Range, atan
elevation not much above the level Of
the sea ; while the southern portion
was drained through the Colorado,
which reaches the Gulf of California
through q series of canyons, one Of
which Is nearly 1000 miles long and
5000 to 6,000 feet deep. .
Before the elevation Of the Coast
Range, the Sierra Nevada formed the
Pacific Coast. 1t was crowned by q
series of lofty volcanic cones, whose
discharges Of lava and ashes now cover
the TANKS of the chain, or form the fill
ing of some Of the valleys. The fresh
water lakes that occupied the basins
between tho three great mountain
chains of the West, left chalk-like de-
posits which abound with fossil AMI
malculn, and contain the remains Of
fishes and mammals Of species or gen.
era now extinct. The old lake beds
In the upper part of the basin, west Of
the Cascades, are more than 1000 feet
above the sea. Those in the larger
basin, east of the Sierra, r 1000 to
5000 feet above the sea. In the Kla-
math Lakes, and in San Francisco, San
Pablo and Suisun Bays, we have the
last remnants of tho outer series Of
lakes ; and In Pyramid and Salt Lake
we have relics Of the inner series.
The old lake country of the West
enjoyed q luxuriant vegetation, where
now are dry plains. The elephant,
elk and mastodon peopled the verdant
intervals and slopes. Professor New
berry says man was not there; but
Professor Whitney believes he was,
and claims to have evidence Of his COLI
temporaneous existence with the man.
moth in California. Long periods Of
quiet prevailed, but there were fright
ful volcanic explosions at times, espe-
clally along the line of the Sierra
Nevada. The evidences of all these
facts, rs of the gradual drainage Of the
lakes and the Increased elevation Of
the chains, Is written In the stratifica-
ton Of the mountains, In the deep
channels cut through them, In the
infusorial deposits OF the old lake beds,
In the animal and vegetable fossils
everywhere discovered, In the vast beds
of lava and ashes still remaining, and
In the lines now marking the former
greater elevation and extent Of re-
manning lakes.
Concerning the system Of lakes lying
between the double crests Of the Sierra
at this day, Professor Nswberry gives
no Information, and indeed takes no
note. We presume they are generally
to be regarded as Of comparatively re-
cent origin. Many were undoubtedly
formed BY the damming up Of depres-
sions by glacial morafnes; n few oc-
cupy old c~raters, and some may have
been formed by lava flows obstructing
the outlet of streams or springs. The
valleys they occupy are similar in size
and topography, though not in geology,
to those Of the Coast range, and at the
extremeties of the chain they have
about the same elevation as the Nevada
Utah basin, and which have been
drained by the wearing of the channels
OF their outlets, and partly filled Dy
the detrita washings or volcanic dis.
charges from the adjoining mountains.
The number of summit lakes still ex-
In the Sierra is much larger than
Is generally supposed. Hardly fifty
are marked in any map, but local
records describe at least 200, and 1t Is
gaid that number can DO counted from
a Il