Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-22
YOSEMITE.
A Descriptive Lecture ON ITS Beau
ties.

Rev. John Laird lectured last even
ing at the Presbyterian Church, choos.
ing for a subject Yosemite Valley
He handled it in his usual felicitous
and eloquent style, and although the
theme is somewhat hackneyed, sue.
ceeded in interesting his numerous
audience.
The first portion was devoted to a
rapid sketch as to the formation of the
party, where and how to go, how long
to stay, routes, etc. After mentioning
the location and topography, he gave
the following as to its formation:
Yosemite Valley is a deep, plateau
gorge, like a trough followed / n the
mountains. 1t Is about sever miles in
length, and from halt a mile to a mile
and a half in width. The area is about
| $500 acres, diversified with trees and
carpeted with flowers. The bottom is
almost level, and is 4 900 feet above the
sea level, and B 900 feet-almost a mile
below the general level of mountains
round about it, over which leap numer-
Gus waterfalls, tumbling down from
300 to almost 3 200 feet. "Three things"
says Professor Whitney, distinguish
the Yosemite from all known valleys:
First, the near approach of its walls to
vertically; second, their great height,
not absolutely, but compared with the
width OF the valley itself; and thirdly,
the very small amount of debris at the
foot of the gigantic cliffs" Professor
SilIiman says "that by some great vol
canic CONFUSION the mountains were
reft asunder, and an immense assure
formed" John Muir believes 'that
glaciers formed it," Professor Whit
ney says 'that the bottom OF the valley
sunk to an unknown depth" Some
say it vas formed as are most of the
canyons and valleys of the Sierra-by
water deuudation. Whitney says that
neither fissure, nor ice, o water ex-
plain its origin; but that the subsistence
theory does. The bottom fell out, and
that is the way the valley was formed"
| Should it lie said that this theory is *.
are a good many things exceptional / n
California.
The speaker here branched off into
a description of the various prominent
features. Oar space is so limited that
we can only give the following of,
YOSEMITE FALL.
Our first excursion in the valley was
to the Yosemite falls. The lip or edge
OF the fall is a rounded mass of gran
ite, perfectly smooth. The distance up
TO the lip, above the valley, is $500
feet. The fall is not one perpendicular
sheet, but comes down in three leaps.
The first leap is l 900 feet, where it
strikes on a ledge OF rock, and from
this point the water descends in a Sc
ries of cascades for about6, 600 feet per-
pepdicular, and then gives a final
plunge of 400 feet upon the rocks De-
low, and is then carried way by riv-
ulets into the MERGED river. One
striking feature OF the Yosemite fall is
It's swaying to and fro at the upper
part, the wind bearing it to one side
then the other, not breaking into spray,
as the mass of water is too great for
that. but widening it u toward tine
bottom. This Migratory motion makes
an effect under the light of the full
moon indescribably grand. From one
position the fall looks like one contin-
uous sheet, without a break; shit a
little, aud you see il leap straight 900
feet, then the silvery cascades. then the
tiual plunge. IT'S impossible to give
any adequate description of this, in
some respects, the grandest waterfall
in the world. 1t looks like a cataract
descending out of the skies. The wind
plays fantastic tricks with its long,
glittering, foaming band of water as it
roars down the awful height, whirling
it as a captive, or dashing 1t against the
rocks till it breaks in mist below.
Louder grows its voice as you gaze
upon it, roaring royalty betimes, shak-
ing the Air with its deep-toned mono
tone-distinct, though broken now and
then by a crash and boom as roars the
deep sea, or breaks the surf upon a
rocky shore; aud deeper seems its
snowy whiteness as it spouts up into
the air, cone like, and then, descending,
falls in rocket-like masses. See. now,
the central column plunges in it's
mountain power, the silvery column
surges TO and fro, the little side streams
and bright jets, like arrows flying or
comets shooting. Now the water
leaps for joy; now it recedes as it in
dread; now plunges in bold defiance,
and rumbles on as if in deep despair,
its roa never ceasing. But neither
words of tongue nor brush of pencil
can reproduce it; but once seen, the
vision remains through life, and per-
chance after death.
After the lecture was concluded a
collection was taken up, the audience
responded literally, and then dis
| persed well pleased with the evenings
entertainments