The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-09-13
TERRITORIAL SURVEYS.
Corrs,pondsncs Of the N. Y. Herald.


Ux1rED STATES GEOLOGICAL Survey,
FoRr HALL, IDAHo TERRIroRY, July 70, 72
After ride Of eighty miles, accom-
plished In two days, 1 Unexpectedly
Ind myself returned to this beautiful
post to attend 10 some matters for the
survey. Our party had reached and
successfully forded the North Fork OF
Snake river. and as our march to that
point was full of interest, / take this
chance of sending you a sketch of our
doings. On the morning of July II
we broke camp, sorry to part from this
hospitable post. The aid and kind
ness Of Captain Putnam, In command,
and Of Lieutenant King, quartermas-
ter, did much to expedite the object of
the survey. As the long train of
Twenty-Five pack mtfles and some forty
hUrsemen wolif1d away among the
hills we felt we really had set out on
our expedition. The first days march
was to Blackfoet creek, the former
haunt Of the celebrated Blackfeet In
dams, and as mules were freed from
their burdens and riders dismounted
ffom their horses there was a stimuli
taneotis fish of animals and men to
its refreshing waters; for 1t had been
very warm. 80
The next day the heat increased, the
SUMS rays tOrturing us numerically
during our ride of twenty miles. No
water was to be had, as We were cross
iiig q sandy plain. AS we approached
our Journeys end the suffering became
intense. A fine greyhound, presented
A. NJ ak~x.1k4.-.ss L. (},vxtoip p,rtv,af1
died whefi but two miles from water,
and a kind-hearted packer saved his
trusty dog only by digging hole, tiil
he reached dampness, and placing his
pet IN it, rode off and returned just in
time to revive his dying dog with a
hat full of water. This brought us to
Taylor's bridge, which crosses Snake
river at the only available point for a
distance of two hundred miles. The
stream narrows as it approaches this
point and has eroded q channel two
hundred feet deep, through which 1t
ftishes with an Irresistible force. 1t is
hard to realize that even the perpetual
weafihg Of water could efOde this ba-
saltic rock, SO hard and firm stand the
columns bounding it on either side,
the whole forming picture not easily
described and one never to be for
gotten.
We followed the river thirty miles
on the freight road to Montana to
Market Lake, running along its west
hank. The most interesting features
in this locality Is the existence of num-
erous cavities worn into the solid ba-
salt, known as "pot holes" These
occur by thousands ON both sides OF
the river for many miles, varying in
diameter from q few inches to several
feet. They are very distinct on the
walls of the river channel, where the
latter seem to have been split down
from top to bottom. Many o. them
even at this time, the rounded
maeses which, by constant agitation
of the waters, have worn out the ca
yities. Some of these holes are two to
three feet deep, although not more
than four to six inches in diameter.
The eufferings of the party during
this part of the route from the inces-
SAINT annoyance Of mosquitoes was
severe, our only respite being O high
breeze or cold night. The latter we
are sometimes blessed with, the ther-
mOmeter touching 81 degrees Fahren-
heit q few evenings ago. Leaving the
road at Market Lake and biding fare
well to the last rancho we shall see for
many weeks We struck out across the
towards our objective point,
the .'YetOns,u which now lOOmed up
before us with the form of sharks
teeth. Passing a sharp butte about
/ 900 feet in height, the younger geolo-
gists were somewhat puzzled in regard
to its formation. The rock re>embled
basalt, but presented soft sandstone
on inspection. Mr.. Steven
son arriving late in camp, having
made the ascent, reported it TO be
AN EXTINCT VOLCANO.
After dinner . pedestrian party was
organized to explore this interesting
Discovery more thoroughly. Crossing
the plain that lay between the noun
tain and camp, we made the ascent
after climb of half an hour, and were
well repaid for our efforts. A narrow
wall of igneous rock, about fifty feet in
thickness at the crest, encircled the
crater, the bottom of which was on a
level with the plain we bad left below.
The circle was broken on the side fac
ing camp, thus showing the direction
of the lava flow and explaining the
geological phenomena which had mys-
titled US at first. Professor Bradley
said the basaliic overflow had taken
place under water, and, disintegrated
by the rapid cooling. bad formed a
volcanic sandstone when cemented.
The formation is of rare occurrence,
and will add another feature, besides
the discovery of the "Quebec Group"
in the geological report. Stopping to
rest after our climb, beautiful land
scare spread out before us. Heury's
Fork. with its tributaries, wound
across the plain and was lost among
the hills beyond. The jagged rocks ut
the foot of the mountain on which we
were stood out in bold relief, assuming
fantastic shapes, one OF which we
called
"KENILwoRTH CASTLE"
from its resemblance to that noble
ruin. Continuing round the rim OF
the crater, to the other side, Suake
river proper stretched across the valley
till lost to view, pursuing its course to-
wards the great Pacific ocean. We
now descended into the crater, and as
we stood in the centre of the miniature
prairie, 1 was reminded of the crater
of Pozzoli, near Naples, the sulphur
Gus smell from the still active cave of
that volcano alone being wanting to
complete the resemblance.
THE CRATER.
The dimensions of the depression are
about half q mile long by quarter
wide, and with its rocky sides broken
bv the wear OF time, it presents the ap-
pearance Of q ruined amphitheatre.
Leaving the mountain by this side, we
descended to the river. feeling some
what thirsty after smoking our pipes
while gazing at the view.
ANTIQUITIES OF KENfkHTORTH CASTLE.
Making detour round the base of
the mountain we approached kenIl-
worth Castle" and were even more
struck with the resemblance on q
nearer view. Imagine our surprise,
upon looking at what corresponds to
tie "banqueting hall" to find the side
of the rock covered with Indian
aketches, cut into the soft sandstone.
There were buiIaloes, elks, horses,
deer. warriors, all drawn with an ac-
curacy that left no doubt of the orr
Rinals. The whole was connected by
3 series Of hieroglyphics illustrating
some historical event. We studied