Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-26
rhe Vale Explorlns Exuca,,i0n.

Professor Marsh, the chief of the LATE Yale
exploring expedition, gave sketch of its route
and what it accomplished at the last meeting of
the Connecticut academy. We find the follow
ing report of his remarks in the New Haven
Palladium!
"The object of the expedition was to ascer-
tain the character of the three great basins OF
the west that of the plains, west of Fort Law
renee in Kansas, that OF the Bridge BASIN, just
west of the main ridge OF the Rocky mountains,
and north OF the Winter mountains, and of the
hasaltic region still farther west, through which
flows the Snake river, and farther 10 the north,
the Columbia. They were in the Kansas basin
in July, and worked there five weeks. The re-
gi0n Is a parched barren country, covered with
buffalo grass, no trees, With but few streams,
and what there were very low at that season of
the wear. The heat was intense, ranging from
100 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit Their method Of
work was 10 start about sunrise and continue
their examination of the country ill about ten
O'Clock, and then keep perfectly quiet during the
heat oil the day. Many of the party were I'M
alile to en- lure the heatj the guide, an old army
scout, was completely used up, aud the profess
sor confessed that he never suffered So much in
all his life. They were in constant danger OF
sunstroEe, and at every step each man instinct
lively crept Under his horse for moments shell
ter. The results of ttieif work were most salts
factory Several tons of valuable fossil were
gathered. They were mostly remains of great
reptitcS. CORRESPONDING to the nonuIor idea of
the sea serpent One tbey exhuitted meas
urcd ninety feet in length. They found also
fossils Of huge winged reptiles, one of which
must have measured at least twenty feet across
the winrs. The LARGEST connd in Enrnne If
equal pericction measure only three or four feet
The most curious of all their discoveries here
was a fossil bird. Ave feet lGng, which is like
nothing ever seen before 1t appears TO he
swimming bird, bat has features widely different
discoveries about The extent of This rrpat lake
basin. ind fixed its northern boundary The
n xt region was the Rrldtre b,sin in Wvominr
Here tltcy fotind anplher VAST he'd of fossil re.
mains that tbe professor estimates Mt a mile in
Depth 1t like the eastern bed in its detjosits
but the animal remains are totally distinct The
eastern his uotIiIna hnf tronieaI SnimaIs 1ho
only reptile found there Il a titrtlc, and there
are no fishes, but a larre number of runii,,ants
In the western basin on the contrary are
nothing but reI tiles, II seems 10 have baen nm
immense laroon s,vgrniiri,r win rert;in ne,
They found five species Of erocodiIe, sIv nj
serpcnts, and MANY lizards. They discov.
cred also mammals Of tlie tlIIir EimiIv In
every tenth of the depost mas lie cSnacrpd
a different series of animals The drnosits
in which they are f0und are mostly sand
The scenery is very necuIi,r az If 10 tho
region of CANYONS, The rivers have emf If
through in deem aorrps. subdlvidinr This do
posit. and the tons of the ipteryeninr masSaS
have heen washed down leaving reainn IF
conirol hills. with drrn valleys 6etwoCn IJa
should saw they found in thar 6asin at least irtv
sppcies of animals entirely new to science #
was mnch more intercstinr copntrv nc no
yards its life. than the mains far tl,ere u,,.
plenty of nnmr The scenery nf tl.a Wintar
mountains is very 6ne rho 9ealys hrin" - vnr,
hirb reaching IA Goa feet and he lowest T,asS :.
II 900 feet above the sea From this rea1on the
marty went tn Sail Lake where +heT ' nd ,tIe
some Observations on fbe mast level Of tho LAKE.
and tIe nrofrssnrs concluded tbat or ono tin,a
if must have had an ouflet reward the Cnmh;o
river. thronoh the monntnins that foro, ~"
northerIv rim of thr S1It Lake hasin For tlar
leaving Salt Lake. roing nortnward the conn.
INV CHANGES. becom;ny n rreat bosoIfic ,,Iatnan
eXtendinr hundreds az mics Here rheI yisitoj
tbe greaf Shoshone tails of the snsEe rIi,er
They are bioher than Ninnaro ope Iean hninH
30 feet and tbe %orTe Is much deenor am55
urandor There are t,yN fills and Strotob ~" or
fearful ronids A cnriops fa,r,re of tbo Cow, -
that the traveller nerceives no inIicn,io Of
river IN ho is cioso me-, tba ro,,;Iro ~ Tt
conntrv is iand Of Josolatian bo nnI,,
ration Is tbe sagn Srno% ,r,inir o It,S 80"
fer HON and nan" ts1ionS r"ott lot ~
ti r. ~ ,,; -. :. ~ O,s. ~