Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1872-11-28


covered Through which the GreaT
NorthWest cnm be Opened 10 the
Fror, ~. o,,oh. t,sr,I, HcI .rr. .a}~ 'hHr SIS
The Union Pacific express train from the
West last night brought to thisi city three
members of Hayden's Geological Survey,
Robert Adams, Captain James Stevens,
and Mr.. Herring, Mr.. Adams has been with
Captain Stevens party during the summer,
and we obtained from him a statement of
new and interesting facts. Z, ,...-.s 3u ....-,.
The field of the survey this year has been
| much larger than last, owing to the more lib
eral appropriation of $75, 900 for the pur-
pose, made last winter. Two parties have
been in the, field, one under the immediate
charge of Professor Hayden, which had Fort
Ellis as q base of operation, and which pro-
ceeded up the Yellowstcneto the like. They
first completed ON a large and minute scale
the preliminary survey made last year. They
then explored the Yellowstone river, to it's
source and afterward the Madison and Gala
tin rivers with all their branches. The geol-
| ogy, mines, botany and generally the natural
history of the entire region was carefully en-
amined. .-.,........'.s ,., @,
= The second party, under charge of Capt
james Stevenson, had Fort Hall, Idaho, as
their base and proceeded up Henry's Fork to
Snake river and ,encamped nine days at the
|
ploring this range accurately and taking the
| topography. A party of fourteen attempted
| TO ascend the highest of these famous peaks,
but Capt. Stevenson and aMr. tLangford, The
| Superintendent of the National Park, alone
| succeeded in reaching the summit. Their
| barometer showed an altitude of 13, 400. lHia
The party then pushed on to Henry's Lake,
and it was there that a most important topo-
graphical discovery was made. -Four easy
and practicable passes were found through
the mountains and Henry's Lake Is situated
stacles to travel, but connect by an easy
grade the great basin of the Pacific slope
| with the great. Northwest, The maximum
! grade from Fort Hall to the source of the
| Madison by the way of Henry g Fork is not
more than twenty feet to the mile. This
| route will open to settlement and connect
with the Union Pacific, one of the most pro-
ductive and interesting portions Of the West.
More than Q, 500 square miles ofiH9u" T. ,a
=' l.w PINE TIMBER IL t.lZag.@t
and vast area Of pastoral and arabic land
will thus be made accessible. .~1'a@m.'
El1 The Targee Pass has Q, 500 feet elevation,
| smooth as u lawn, connects the marvellous
district about the sources of the Madison
and the Yellowstone. The Madison Pass has
0, 800 feet elevation, leads to the lower Madi-
son and connects with the fertile valley of
Three Forks The Red Rock Pass q, 800 feet
elevation, opens the great Jefferson valley,
and Henry Pass leads to the Teton Basin
and Fort Hall. These mountain passes are
often so low and smooth that they may be
traversed by wagon roads or railroads with
ease. Travellers watch the flow of the streams
in order to tell when they are crossing from
one water shed to the other. a''' H2' '"5l
These two parties forming one expedition
have explored an area of 5000 square miles.
They will at once prepare their facts and in
formation for publication in detailed and
systematic form. .* 81" a" ...
: ! ...- ---... zr.+