Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
Rocky Mountain Lakes.
THE GEMS OF THE AMERICAN ALPs-THE
KING OF THEM ALL.
FROM the San Francisco Rnllotin1


KING OF THEM ALL.
CFrom the San Francisco Bulletin.1
l have met but very few Californians even
who have any adequate conception of the mar
away in the Businesses Of our mountains. The
glaciers and the snow make an impressive APP
pearance even to the distant plains, while not
one might hope for lake. Nevertheless, wild
rivers are falling and sounding in every
canon, and all their upper branches are fairly
They nestle in rocky hooks around the
bases of every Alp in the range, reflect
ing their rugged beauty over and over
AGAIN again, From from. the u summit -, Of Red Noun
semitic Valley-nO less than fOrty-twO are dis
played within a radius of eight or ten miles,
and the whole number in the Sierra can hard
ly be less than ], 500 exclusive of the smaller
gems, which are innumerable. Perhaps two
thirds or more of the whole number lie on the
western flank, and all are restricted to the
Alpine and sub Alpine regions.
Lake Takoe is king of them all, not only in
size, but in the surprising beauty of its shores
tains near the northern extremity of the AL
pine portion of the range, between the main
axis and a spur that puts out on the east from
near the hear OF the Carson river. Though
was filled during the glacial period from
f1e bottom to point hh above the
iavishly fed by the SHOWS that fell on
its mountain fountains, crawled slowly like
mighty river over the northwestern rim of
the basin, crushing and grinding the noun
tains that lay in its way, and it was only at
the close of the ice period that this noble lake,
at least in anything like its present form,
came into existence.
Excepting the forests which have sprung up
around its shores, the post glacial changes
that have taken place are scarcely appreci-
able. The sediments carried forward by the
overlooking streams have given rise to a few
square miles Of meadow land at the head of
the lake. and the breaking through of a
m0ralne dam three miles down the outlet has
lowered the lake considerably, leaving shore
benches, and lines on the rock prOmOntOrieS,
to mark the original level. But with these
and all its comprising mountains exist to day
in just about the condition they presented
when they first came to the light on the re-
mOyal of the ice mantle
THE AMERICAN SECTION AT PARASITIC
United States building comes next in order to
that of Great Britain. Until the arrival of MIR.
Mccormick, the United States general COM
missioner, a few days ago, the American sec
architect OF the Centennial exhibition at Phiia,
delphia. Whether Mr.. Petit is responsible
for the facade of the United States building,
ceiyed from superior authority, Il did not learn.
Certain 1t is at all events that our front is one
of the least creditable in the whole array. 1t is
stored wooden house, wretehedly painted in
imitation of stone or marble. The extremities
of the ground floor project in advance of the
first story, thus forming a sort of piazza. The
building simply expresses nothing at all, and
is positively hideous. The only prototype l
can recall for Ii would, perhaps, be one of the
Central Park or on the BlOOmingdale road.
Mr. Petit has urged in apology for this carica-
lure of American taste that we have no really
and that it would have appeared a farce to
initiate any recognized foreign Order.-[ Paris
Cor ". Y. World.