The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-11-01
BCRAMBlEs IN WONDERLAND
~ ONE OF TINE ScRAasOLER8.
Number Y.
THE YELLOWSTONE FALLS.

THE YELLOWSTONE FALLS.
Dr. Hayden's theory that the region EN-.
brscing the falls If the Yellowstone was
once 'axe.bed. If which the site Of the
present lake IS but remnant. and that by
hot spring deposits around peaks and in fis.
surcs Of volcanic origin. togc,he; with sed
imcniary accrctions from the lake. there Was
accumulated from 900 to 1900 feet Of dc.
poai,ion. is doubtless c'rrcct. When the
lake rim gave way al the northern exirem
iiy. the impeiu"us waters cut an immense
cham out Of the deposited matter. leaving
the lMsaii standing in cones and cruinbling
walls. or wra,hered into fantastic forms.
with occasional transver c precipices over
which the waters now plunge.
He says: while the canyon has some
what the appearance of great cIef. or can
yon, it IS simply channel carved BY the
river gu, Of pre- deposited materials after the
drainage of the OLD lakc>l~s,n."
This accounts for he almost incredible
display of colors. which arr the effects Of
mineral decomposition aud percola,i"n.
Thus the rock and earth is permea'ed with
col"rs like fresco. instead Of being superb
cisl like paint.
The average elevation at the falls is about
5000 feet above the sea. while The primary
la>in rim ranges from 10000 to II 900 feet.
After the lin gave way, wherever. IN the
4 &c l..;, hov ru0
,ical transverse sections of the unyielding
basal,. falls in the river would be inevitable.
Tie river above
THE UPPER FALLS
Il very rapid, with occasional! cascades and
the whole volume (5OO.OOO inches miners
mea-urrmrnD is hurled off with prOdisi"us
velocity, making u grand cataract one hun
drcti and forty feet in altitude. These falls
are visible from all points about the canyon
and may he approached without much diff
fcul,y. thus affurding the tourist the a.lvan>
isge Of l"oking up. as well Is down, Al
them. From u rocky projection half way
down. there is splendid view, =" near that
what seemed in the distance tleccy foam.
here appears shower Of rs arls, in winch
some Of the bca'iy. white gl"bules can be
distinctly seen skipping swiftly through
the others rs if shot forth with superior
impulse from the emerald arch above. As
this booming cataract impinges on the rocky
hasin below. it darts like flight Of white
plumcd arrows through radius Of zoo feet
srL:o inn
mcnsc cumulative force that IS gathered in
the rapids above. There IS . music in the
dash aud roar of this surging flood that well
accords with the awe inspiring scene BE.
tween the Upper and Lower Falls, Cascade
creek comes in from the west. As its tame
Indicates. il reaches the river by
A SERIES OF PICTURESQUE CASCADES,
| Which, of themselves constitute a scene Oi
! romantic interest The basaltic columns
lnt-rcalaicd with breccim. be, ween which il
| PUSHES and leaps III f"amy spray. arc full "f
volcanic walnnis or gcOties, varying in
SIZE from buckshOt to Il cannon hall. They
! stick in the fractured surface Of the rock
like shot in n plank, and when broken open
ARE seen to l'c somewhat hollow and lined
with crystals Of quartz.
THE LOWER FALLS
Are quite inaccessible except al the tOpmost
verge, a. already mentioned. Possibly they
could be approached from the east side Of
the cany"n--a position We could not we'll
occupy. One fourth of q mile below the
falls, however. the Ca"yOn may he entered
from the west side ard the desceI.t made
with moderate difficulty, down Ms far Ms a
cs'nc shaped hiIlOck ut tcrruyinsicd tasall.
his cone or butte IS situated half way down
the canyons size and By its m,r,",n color
contrasting strongly with the light coI.'rs
around II, som arrests the attention of III
observer. From q position near it's base are
obtained magnificent views Uf the canyon
and Of the Lower Falls. Still, it does mol
afford near view.
PERILOCs ADVENTURE.
Urged by an enthusiastic desire to get q
cl.'se view of the Lower Falls from the bot.
tom Ut the canyon, several Of H. essayed 10
81 down from our position ut the red butte
Ia the MtiOm vi the canyon and thence, il
p,'sslble. move up he bed Of the stream IL
The tails. S.lIyins out in The order named,
Z. A. McCnbc, myself, ID. +. Newcomer and
Robert Miller, each leaning on u pine staff,
commenced crossing u wide roof like slide
Ut sand on Y Subsirmium Of sl,alc Near
the farther side Ut This was rivulet IN
which the sand had been washed down,
making the f.Otirg prr.k'us. McCabe and
| finally secured " fUO,hold and crossed, bu,
| Our companions went tuck not trusting The
strength Ut their st.yes. After getting
around some shelving lodges and over some
prcIpilOus ridges, We overlook Rev. -
Stanley and W. II. Todd, who, by more
clrcuitUus route. were moving down u rocky
IRVINE Un the IL Us. When wc found our
| pt,..S a1,.l.a a n lev
seemed Ia spring up rs 10 vino should be
first. Rev. Stanley leading. furnishing ~ xp'
illustration Ut the p.'ets tIluughI-''Un,
Stanley. ont" Alas this heroic phase VIZ,
bsIef. We saw with dIslnny the reverend
genlleinSn with his staff projecting in the
treaciicrOus debris III sm angie Of 45 deg,
glide suddenly forward Us # he l,ad struck
ice Ur ''iIc." Fortunately as lie approached
the brink Of y prec'race. he lodged in the
narrow passnge-lUdycd and sat-and moth
ing more.
HERE WAS A QUANDARY.
With c,nimcndabic presence III mind, Mr..
Stanley sal quite still. Ills hold was So f,ai
u was dangerous ~ move. Standing ter
rods sbOvc. We dare not 20 forward ID hi
assistance for fear If cruw,ling upon him
tue ,alus under our feet. lie felt around
h'n cautiously right aud left. but n" friend
~ niche WAS Dear -nDihinK but the sliding
fragments, and under II the hard sm'n',l
rick. We called: do you wan, heIp!'
Yes" How could We give II: The crisI,
demanded MAN Of muscle and If will, AM
The demsn- Was promptly met. He climbed
out around the nd jscent cliffs and presently
approached the ,mpcrlled Stanley. Getting
near en-. ugh, he reached his staff, and direct
~ both stood on the rocks above What
now? The gorge WAS imprac,,cablc or
account If the prccipice g, rarrOwly escaped
Could We ~ further! McCal'c sad ~
could From his position with Stanley hs
saw the way and led Us on; over sharr
ridge; around shelving sbutment whert
the shattered rock, yielding u hand and
foot. went Gathering into the abrupt chasm
own shady Inclined plane, and We agar
had footing Of cuarse tslus, On which VI
Slid To the waters edge Here we felt th,
exultstiOn Of firs, explorers. We swung
our hats and shouted 10 the boys who had
watched our progress from stNvc. Tn,
framing river ran exceeding swift in ii
rock giri channel. and We saw at glsnc,
We could not pr'ceed up stream . s,ngl.
rod Bold a6u,mcnis. on which there ~.
no f.NihOld. rose dtfiantly Ut the very out
set. 8 Ill our lah,r had not been quite u
= in The cYclOnean saraYnsnenta alOninr