Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-11-08
The Upper Yellowstone Country.

I The Upper Yellowstone Country.
HAYDEN's EXPLORING EXPEDITION
The following letter has just beeI
received by Prof. Henry, Secretary o
the Smithsonian Institute, from II
7 w. Elliott. artist of Hayden's explor
4 ing expedition
/ In CAMP, FORT ELLIS, NJ. t., Sept
8, 1871.
| DEAR PROF.-Campa and field labor
/ for the season being entirely com
I pleted, the homeward route is now thC
sole objective point, and 1 wish Il
convey to your mind faint idea o.
the wonderful country over which
we have been travelling during the
last two months, the return march
| from which will keep us on the move
until the end of October, as we go by
Bear river and Fort Bridger.
The last reports Of this country
which were brought to you last winter
by Lieut.. DOane, AID which were
published in SeribneT's and the Over
land Monthly created out of the Upper
Yellowstone one of the most remark
able regions in the world, and TO
verify or disprove these accounts has
really been the labor Of our party this
season. 1
As you are probably well aware,
through Mr.. Thomas, who has been
in Washington for the last months,
of our starting in with teams at
Ogden, and our progress up the Cache
Valley, lined with Mormon settle
ments, and over tie arid basaltic
plains of Snake river, shall pass on
to our starting out from this place
early in July last.
FORT ELLIS
Is about % miles northwest by north
from the Yellowstone river, and on
one Of the branches of the east fork of
the Gallatin river, the country beyond
this place would not admit of wagons,
so that we fitted up pack train of
horses and mules-the only efficient
mode of transportation that can be
employed in this wild and unexplored
country. Soon after We had passed
over the divide and aseended a grassy
hill slope, which fell away gently to
the river ahead, we came came in
view of one of the greatest chains of
the .-..
LAVA PEAKS ..
that can be found on this continent
From right to left as far as the eye
could reach it rested upon a serrid
front of ragged, pinnacled SUBMITS,
so sharp and keen as to shed the snow
way down upon their torn and ragged
tianks, leaving the bare rock pointing
upward like needles, minarets and
gothic roots. The snow beneath
seemed to depend upon the struggling
and stunted pines for support, while
these timber lines in turn fell away
down the mountain sides to grassy
benches and plateau. The whole
forms one OF the most perfect pictures
of lava upheaval and overflow that
the world affords. In this claim there
are a hundred peaks that are
OVER Il, 900 FEET ABOVE THE SEA,
and 6,OOO feet above the river, and
eight or or ten that will easily reach
the altitude of 1900 or 1900 feet.
In my travels on the northwest coast
/ have seen isolated mountains higher
than these, but such a grand aggre-
gate of lofty and, in most cases, in
accessible SUBMITS, l mad never gazed
upon before.
The valley which cradles the Vel
lowstOne river at the base of the range
Is a trihe over seventy miles in length,
between the canon of the mission
w haro the ritar hraol-o fbro,,uI a
great limestone ridge and turns out
upon the plains, and in the lower
canon, above, varying in width from
One to five; it is well watered with a
most luxufiant growth of bunch
grass almest everywhere within 1t.
AT the present time there is bot
Due rancho in IL, and that is sustained
by man named Boettler. He Is the
of party of miners who
are working IN Emigrant guleh, sup
plying them with vegetables of all /
varieties, milk, butter, etc. Hiseattle
run out the whole season without |
esre or shelter, and are in excellent
condition. i-11H 81 iluu-a
Near the mouth Of the lower canon,
where the river comes out from abrupt |
gorges, a small stream flows |
N from the west, and bears the name,
IN Doane's map, of "Gardiner's river"
while it is known to the trappers as /
Warm Spring Creek" We Rseended |
n some three miles, and came into |
amp at the base Of 9m
A MOST WONDERFUL HOT SPRING,
Uphere on the rolling, semi-wOOded /
Hopes of high mountain, one sees at /
irst what appears 10 be q huge tank |
# snow, covering very large area.
With the strange phenomenon of
teamy clouds of vapOr rising from it; 4
approaching nearer, it is found to be,
n reality, q little mountain made up
,y the precipitation and deposition of |
Oda and carbonate Of lime, which are
leld in solution by the hot water of !
he Springs, which comes up through /
)asaltic assures fIom some great |
lepth, as the water is always at the
polling point. The deposition Of the
held in solution is made in
lelieate layers overlapping, and In
1eaded rows, the whole being in APP
)earance not unlike the coral reef.
The spring in this way is constantly /
inuttAlk AleClA ~ anu OAGdhAAS Olb ]
fresh in some other place not far
Instant. BY this closing uD and .
out again Of the springs a
arge area of country is covered with I
his deposit, and the spot I am de-
can not be less than five !
hundred acres in extent, over which,
here and there, are
THIRTY Or FORTY BOILING SPRINGS. /
he depth of tine precipitation in many /
places being over two hundred feet.
The water itself is beautiful blue,
md transparent to a great depth-at l
east TO depths that seem fathomless- |
Ind in many places, in flowing over /
Is deposits of soda and lime, il shows l
ints of the most exquisite delieacy, |
'uch as rose, creamy yellow, and faint
purple. We gave two days to the /
survey of this systemO of springs and |
he adjacent country thence pro-
,eeded over rolling woodland prairie /
the river roaring in its steep, deep |
sanOn on our left, with a densely |
imbered plateau of the Madison on /,
)ur right-to the
MOUTH OF THE GREAT CANON,
hree miles above the head of the 4
Lower, and camped at the beautiful |
alls of Tower Creek. At the junction |
If this stream with the Yellowstone /
IbOve and below, for mile or so, are |