San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-01
An Extinct Volcano in Oregon

Prof. GEORGE 4. Hollis writes To tho
New York Sun from Oregon:
Near Jordan Valley, in Baker Conn
ty, there exists an extinct crater. which,
has been noble and terrible agent q,
Nature. This crater is situated 20 mle.
north of the stage road running from
Boise City, Idaho, to Winnemucca. Ma.
vada.
Securing the services of Mr.. Samuel
Martin, fine gentleman and competent
guide, on the 25th of this month. wa
went out to visit and take scientific
notes. At "a O'Clock we reached the
rim of tho crater, and looked down ipto
its dizzy abyss. The length of the crater
is 5000 feet, and it will safely reach
800 feet in width. The depth Of the
present cavity is estimated at 1900 feet
The entire crater is burned out, but the
ashes and cinders have accumulated on
the west side for 200 feet above the rim.
and still remain. On the bottom, huge
powders are lying over the lava crust,
A little vegetation grows on the west
side. The formation of the sides shows
a wall of granite, and stratum of wash
gravel under it. The circumference Of
the crater at the present is one mile.
The elevation at the base is about
5000 feet above the sea level.
Close estimation gives the fact of the
former height of the crater at 10000 feet.
Seventy yards north is deep hole,
$50 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 80 feet
deep. This hole has been blown clean
out. Hyou get intoit by accident you
can not get out, unless by ropes, as the
walls are perpendicular. Thirty yards
east of this is another hole, about the
same in proportions and appearance.
On the. northwest side chimney has
been built out of the lava slabs, which
is Is feet high and 8 feet at the base. My
theory is that it was built for the pur-
pose of landmark, and perhaps by
some tribe of Indians now extinct as
place of burial. The last eruption must
have taken place at least 500 years ago.
From good authority 1 find that only
four men have entered the crater before
us. Mr.. Martin has lived where he does
now for seven years, and is trustwor-
thy man. An arm of lava rock extends
back into the bill west, but l had no
time to examine it. The vast amount
of lava proves that the volcano was one
of gigantic proportions. The field
covers an area of 25 miles in length,
and ranges from half mile to ten miles
in width. Its thickness ranges from 8
to 100 feet. 1t is fretted and curled,
sunken and elevated. In the lava, about
a mile and half from the crater, is an
other small crater, and around it on all
sides are slides which appear as though
old Cloven Foot had been using it for
the purpose of dumping the lava. 9th
er places resemble race-track. Some
of the seams are from six inches to five
feet in width, caused by the lava cool
ing, no doubt. There is no vegetation
on the lava, except here and there lit
tie bush struggling for existence. A
volcanic scent permeates the entire re-
gion; and it is scene of desolation.
There was no running water nearer
than four miles from the crater, but
there are several fine lakes in the vicin'
ty. One of them is called Cow Creek
Lake, and is two miles wide by three
and half in length. Its average depth
is about ten feet. In some places it IS
80 feet. Fire fish abound in it, and the
hills about the lake are even in outline
Cow Creek Canyon is about six miles
long, but very deep and rocky. In some
places it is one-quarter of mile wlae
and the walls tower upward for several
hundred feet.
In a narrow gorge examined some
human bones that have turned to fossil
and are now somewhat decayed. line
skull has disappeared; so l can not Tell
whether they belonged to white man.
or an Indian. This whole country
wild, full of new curiosities, but an eA'
cellent stock-range. The settlements
are very scattering, and in fact llttlen
at the present known of it. am posi-
tive that this crater and this vast neiu
of desolation have never been presen'eu
to the world before.