Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-01-04
THE WILDS OF THE NORTHWEST.
High Aountaius, Deep Canyons. Tremen.
dous Waterfalls, Geysers. Boiling.
Springs, &c.
Dr. Curtis Account of the Recent United
.-i States Geological Survey.

1 .
We announced few mornings since tn
return to this city of DR.. Josiah Curtis, o
| the United States Geological Survey. 0
| course every one WAS anxious to hear from
| the Doctor of his wanderings among thu
mountains and canyons, the seethine
waters and sulphrous vapors of the North
west. Many prominent citizens have de
sired that the Doctor should give the re
suits of his recent experience in a public
lecture before the people of Knoxville. His
engagements are such however, as to make
this impracticable. Our reporter, therefore
called upon him and asked that he would
give an outline Of the work done by the
expedition and some account of the Won
derful region through which he had been
lately travelling. With his usual urbanity
the Doctor said he would gladly furnish
such information for the benefit of the
readers of the CHRONICLE.
THE EXPEDITION.
This expedition Of the United States Gle.
illogical Surveyor the Territories, he said
started in June from Ogden, under the SUI
perintendence- of Prof. +. v. Hayden
United States Geologist, to make survey
of the Yellowstone, Snake River and
Grand Geyser regions. Ogden is situated
on the northern shores of Salt Lake, upon
the line of the Pacific Railroad, 900 miles
west of Omaha and about the same dis
lance east of San Francisco. At this point
it was divided into two parties-one to go
around through Montana and come up the
Yellowstone River in a southerly direc-
ton, and the other to go up the Snake
River in northerly direction, the parties
to meet about the first of August in the
Grand National Park. 1t may here be
remarked that the Snake River is the
headwaters of the Columbia River, that
flows to the Pacific Ocean, while the yell
loWstOne is the headwaters of the Missis-
sippi. These he1dwaters arise not miles
distant from each other, and the elevation
between them is not over 500 feet. In fact,
this is the most unknown region of the
United States, and no accurate map of the
country has ever yet been made. Lakes
have been laid down that have no exist
cnce, and some were discovered by our
party that were never known before.
Prof. Bradley and myself accompanied
the Snake River party. Our party consist
ed of geologist, assistant geologist, min
eraIogist meteorological, topographer,
photographer, ornithologist, botanist, nat
uralist and microscopic. The whole eX-
petition numbered about sixty men. (The
Doctor held the position of surgeon, natur-
alist and microscopist.) Our party moved
up to Fort Hall, Idaho, the very out post of
civilization and making it the base Of OPP
Grafton, struck out into the wilderness des-
tined not to see the face of white man
except of our own party for many weeks.
THE TEToNs. #a
We passed upon the west side of the Te-
tons, three high rugged peaks as
seen from the west, and many more
as seen from the east, whose tops
are covered with perpetual snow.
The highest one of these peaks is 13,400
feet above sea level Two of our party,
Capt. Stevenson and Ex-Governor Lang
ford, assembled to the top..of this, Chamber
ing for great distance oyer immense
banks of snow. In one of the canyons
near by, Prof. Bradley discovered a moose
and two calves which were killed and
eaten by the party. After very interest
ing Journey, both scientifically and other
wise, we arrived, on the 18th of August, at
the Fire Hole Basin, the place appointed
weeks before for the meeting of the two
parties, and it so happened that both par
ties arrived within an hour of each other.
PHOTOGRAPHS OBTAINED.
The next morning the whole party was
photographed. Here the Doctor produced
quite number of photographs, some of
them of very large size and many sterO>
scOpic views of that remarkable region,
spouting geysers, placid lakes,
boiling springs and steam vents, craterS of
extinct geysers, forest scenes, cascades,
falls that would make Niagara hide her
head, Indians, the various
animals of that region, giving in fact
almost a panoramic view of the country
Ill to1 hi tcfx
of the Photographic art.
It is the Doctors intention, with his
usual generosity and thoughtfulness, to
present number of these views to the
Board of Trade of this city. The editors
of this paper are also the happy recipients
of some of the finest specimens, and We
reportorial heart was likewise made glad
in We like manner.
VOLCANIC FORMATIONS.
The Doctor continued: The region
through which we had passed was all vol
canic, consisting of ranges of hills and val
leys, on the former of which were extinct
craters, andin the latter were large mounds,
termed Buttes, upon ascending which we
found to be also extinct craters. From
these craters lava has run for many miles
in all directions and having become con-
densed into solid material has formed i'm
mense rocks and craggs. The only evidence
of present volcanic action is in the geysers
and boiling springs.
THE GEYSERs
are onlythe boiling springs in action, throw
ing up boiling water and steam from a few
inches to hundreds of feet. These form,
perhaps, the most interesting features of
this region. In size and number they eX-
Gel every thing of the kind on the known
surface of the globe. They are found in only
few other localities, those in New leland
and Iceland being the largest, and the
highest one of these is only about IS feet.
The water in all of these was at the
boiling point and in state of con-
slant ebullition. The whole num-
Der within the area of the Park
is probably not less than 10000, including
geysers, boiling springs and steam vents.
There are also found what are called mud
volcanoes and sulphur springs, especially.
about the Yellowstone Lake. The size of
these geysers and boiling springs varies