The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-10-04
Crater Lake.
A WONDERFUL BODY OF WATER.

The Jacksonville Sentinel is fur
nished the following description of
Crater Lake, in Southern Oregon, by
a reliable gentleman who recently
visited it:
This lake is situated on the sum-
nit Of the Cascade mountains, about
eighty miles east of jacksonville, and
is known by the different names of
Lake Majesty, Mystic, Sunken, and
Crater lake, the latter being tle name
most generally used. In Its shape it
is oblong, being about fifteen miles
in length and eight in width, and is
at an altitude of 5000 feet above the
| level of the sea. The mountains sur
rounding it rise from one to two
thousand feet above the surface of
the lake, and in many places are near
ly perpendicular. a person can con-
ceive no idea of the lake while stand
ing on the mountains above 1.-THE
lake lying before you in its silent,
placid
\
reminds one more of apicture than a
reality, and is SO deceptive in its APP
pearance, that you imagine that it is
but a few hundred feet below YOU;
| but when you descend to the waters
| edge and find the bosom of the lake
| that but few moments before looked
so smooth, covered with waves two
feet high: gaze into its crystal waters,
the depth OF which has never been as
certained; see the mountains tower
ing above you in their grandeur, as
mighty sentinels over this greatest
work of nature, even the most unro-
mantle are impre5sed with the gran
deur of the scene, and are thrilled
with feeling OF awe, which to US
could hardly be described as pleasant.
| There are several routes of oecent, ali
being steep but not dangerous, and
are on Y found on the south an west
banks. There is
AN ISLAND IN TIE WEST END
Of the lake, some two or three miles
from the shore. 1t was visited by
several parties at the time when there
was skilf on the lake, and was found
to be composed mostly of lava. On
this island is a conical shaped noun
tain, which rises about fifteen hun
! dred feet above the water. This
mountain is covered with timber, and
at the top is found an excavation some
hundred feet in depth, showing that
it had at one time been an active vol
cano. Soundings have been taken of
Crater Lake, but the bottom was on
ly reached in one or two places, and
that at depth of 500 or 600 feet.
| There is no evidence of animal life in
the lake-no fish being found in the
lake, nor is it inhabited bv ducks or
water fowls OF any kind. The gener-
al appearance of the mountains at the
lake-all receeding from that point
Indicate that mountain much larger
than
EITHERMT. HOOD OR SHASTA,
had once stood over the place where
| Crater Lake now is, and that it had
been sundored by some mighty vol
canic eruption or terrible earthquake,
leaving this mighty basin, which, by
means that can only be conjectured,
has partially become filed with wa
ter. 1t is said the waters of Crater
Lake never freeze, although snow re-
mains at different places on the banks
at all seasons of the year, hut, as we
could learn, of no person who had
visited it in winter, we conclude that
this must be merely supposition. 1t
has no visible inlet or outlet, but in
the mountains, to the southeast of the
lake, from FIVE to twelve miles distant,
Annals creek, Wood river, Crooked
creek, Seven Mile creek and other
good sized streams flowing'into klam-
ath lake take their course, the water
rising IN all thess cases in one body
from out of the rocks, aud it is the
general suppostion that their waters
come from Crater l.ake.-Bee.