New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-11
YOSEMITE IN SPRING.

THE REIGN OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC BEAU
TIES OF THE PALLS-THE TIME FOR TOURISTS.
YOSEMITE VALLEY, May Tho solons
of our state Capitol have from
the awful majesty OF Senate and House to common men,
who have betaken themselves to their taverns and
ranches without giving us Yosemite law, save
paltry 81 900 appropriation for salary Of Guardian.
great deal Of chatter took place at different times during
the Session. about smooth mountain highways and solid
appropriations for the settlement OF claims but the
several bills after being tossed from House to Senate
from Committees, were nibbled to DEATH ana
left to Providence for another year. roadess ana
moneyless with only thousand dollar drop Of legislation
for the burning thirst Of rights and wrongs There be
some who would shed the salt tear for the unmtgaed
soreness Sierra Eden not for tho disractng
uncertainties of private claimants which are deploraDe
enough but for rugged unapproaohaDeness andlm
provement discourage ments To such mourners these
earthquake storms may seem OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
signing through all her works. giving signs OF woe that
all is lost But the billed laws Of Sacramento and paper
compulslons and prohibitions OF our managing Com
mssioners do US little harm good Human sparrows
of Improvement will rue Ell Captain, and he needs
10 legal props he can stand alone. The Falls will
manage their harmones well enough, and the birds will
sing and meadows grow green notwithstanding any
quantity of the hush buzz Of Sacramento flies Xerxes
made for the make laws for the mountains
make Commissioners to manage Yosemite Valley"
moon. This Yosemite portion Of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains still yields supple compliance to the time and
rhyme OF earthquakes and most OF sc0reandten
inhabitants are oversatsed with their uncountable
abundance and at every burst Of shockwayes and
subterranean thundeTs, declare that 1t Is full time
them goings down there lettin up for though
founded on rock, of US consider our houses IN
secure and fear they sink fast by our native shore
Since the severe opening shocks of March 49, the Valley
atm dau no mfl Of
April the earthquakes and rumDlngs became so gentle
that they were found only by those who sought for thcm
and was generally believed among US that our rocking
domes were about to return to trustworthy solidy and
nxedness but a few days ago they all atrembe
again.
THE MANNERS OF THE EARTHQUAKE.
Since March have enjoyed on the average about
dozen shocks per day most Of these consisted OF few
moderate horizontal thrusts or jars, kept up for
Is or 20 seconds, with rarely mIngling of
twisting motions and blows from underneath
They have occurred at all hours of night and day.
and in all kinds weather rain, There
was no preceding murkness of sky observable nor ex
traerdnary quietude and however bird and beast may
read foreteng signs OF upper storms they ignor
ant as man those below. While the varied stream OF
life flows con1dingy on. and our mountains repose In
blue sky or Storm smooth, rumbling sounds are heard
from below which followed by gentle swift shat
terng oscillations. mostly from north to SOUTH or paral
lei with range. The regularity OF these initial oso
lations is disturbed by similar less nonse oscillations
from east to west, perhaps finishing up by sudden
twisting or upjotng. As the mountains let
alone they unduate gently back to rest with smooth.
slow notion like the calming waters OF lake. Earth
ouakes have provoked lively discussions concerning the
formation Of the valley and most believe beyond, or
rather behind the regions doubt that Yosemite is
earthquake crack produced by hard crack OF an earth
quake. A severe earthquake storm occurred in Yo
bYnI brad
taxable history Of this storm is written hugo
anche slopes thOusandold greater than those of the
present Storm but corresponding with them In minutest
particulars of structure There evidence OF the stimuli
taneous of the different portions OF the same
slopes and also of the simultaneous occurrence OF al the
principal slopes both sides the valley fair approx
matIon to the period of the formation of these slopes
NAV be possible by asceraning the age the oldest
trees growing upon Them because their first generation
of forest has yet passed away But the severity OF
the earthquake which made these slopes cannot BIO cor
rectly measured by the size of the slopes We have all
become philosophers deep thinkers Instead OF wasting
breath when meet on the green OF meadows or
brightness OF the sky salute by great shakes sol
emily comparing numbers and intenstes. What care
we for the surface OF thingsi thoughts go far be-
low 10 underground country, where roll the strange
tbnnders and the waves to which our mountains are q
liquid ocean and sky HalfbelieyiDg, paint hypo-
thetc landscapes OF tine earth beneath volcanic
fountains, lakes and OF molten rock fed by nou-
sand glowing rivers. AmaZOns OF gurgling, ripping fire.
flowing IN beyeled valleys or deep Yosemite eaions.
with glare of red falls and cascades. with winch our
upper valley, In all its glory, Will not compare.
THE WATERFALLS.
These forty days OF earthquake ague have made no
visible alteration In the health Of the valley Now is the
brthtime OF leaves; the pines are retasseled and
the oaks sprayed with young purple Spring is ny
committed Ferns are foot high. willows are letting
fy drifts of ripe seeds, Balm Of GIlead poplars, der
weeks of caution, have launched their buds full OF red
andl leaves OF tender glossy yellow Cherries,
honeysuckes, vioets, buettes buttercups, larkspus
eias are in full bloom Of leaf and flower. Plantcdor
fills the valley In light floating clouds and miss it
covers the ground and trees, and chappara and tailed
rocks coming in small flakes from the impartial
Standing the smooth pushed meadows, bossed here
and there with willows, and Drowned along the olge
with dead ferns, the yellow spray OF white stemnod
popars against the purple OF oaks and the h D.
green OF pine back of which rise the purple md
gray rOckwalls fringed with glossy green Hve-dk,
spotted with the yellow and orange Of mistlotOe. Tho
scents and sounds ami forms OF Yosemite Springtne
are as exquisitely compounded her colors. me
weather is warm. The MONDAY temperature Is about P
Fahrenheit in shade night temperature about 49,; aid
the abundant SHOWS OF our comprising mountains are
freely melted into flooded streams. Beside he
five principal falls OF the Valley Pohono, Illionete,
Verna Nevada and Yosemite there are at present fed
from the universal SHOWS a large number OF smaller
cascades and falls, which come down on steps from
few feet TO thousands OF feet In hight The best known
OF these the Big and Little Sentinel Cascades the
Bachelors Tears, and the Virgins Tears-magnIneent
weepers both OF them. Ell Captain Is sOftened with
most graceful little that steals oondingy
his massive brow in clear fall OF more than thousand
feet Seen at the right time the whole breadth o. this
fall irised almost from top to bottom But Of al the
white outgush OF Yosemite waters the Upper YOSEMITE
Fall is greatest 1t the north side OF the valley and
is about 1000 feet In hight. Its waters gather from
basin filed with domes which reaches back TO the edge
OF the main Tuolunne River canon, distance In
straight line OF ten twelve miles The size of Yosemite
Creek the brink of the valley in the months May
and June, In season like the present Is where the
current at the rate OF three miles hour about
twenty-five feet In width and four feet depth. Those
who have not visited this fall can have but little concep-
develop
when after being churned and foamed 1t is launched
free air. and left for Zoo feet TO It's devices Few
persons this fall at distance less than mile. and
very little ntmatOn is granted at uncordal distance
Of IT, surnrlalnn easllx Cd tho