The New York herald., 1879-11-16
A GLORIOUS COUNTRY.
Synopsis Of the Princeton Scientific EX-
plOratiOn cf Utah and colorado.
THE WONDERS OF The ROCKY MOUNTAINS
The Garden Of the Gods Magnificent GIagn0ns The
Home Of the Tnut---EItsEiVe Forests
and Flowers in Abundance

The joint report of William Libbey. Jr.. and W.
W. Mcdonald of the Princeton scientific expedition
to Utah and Colorado is published. and embodies
the results of their observations and work in the
departments Of topography, meteorology and hyp-
sometry. Accompanying the reports three maps.
the first the result of typographical reconnois-
sance in the valley of siniths Fork. the Uintah
Mountains of Utah; the second giving the triangu-
lation of the same; the third defining the
lation between Fort Bridger and the valley Of
Smiths Fork. Colorado and Utah considered
geographically and hyposmetrically. while the
meteorological report is confined to Utah. including
q record for part OF the time spent there.
FRONT RANGE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
The reporters describe the front range Of the
Rocky Mountains from Denver as a very
pleasant sight after the long journey the Plains
the pleasure Of which is mixed with surprise at the
sudden change from pain to mountain. the cause of
which has been Il puzzle to many traveller. The
abrupt change from plain to mountain is not more
sudden. however than the change in the geological
composition of the two systems under consideration
The mountains rising along the border line present
in their rough preciptous faces the strong bold
outlines produced by the metamorphic rocks, the
granite. gneiss and the shists while the
sedimentary rocks at their bases-the lime
stones. shales. sates. clays and chiefly
sandstones-present very different appearance.
from the and then that all these sedirnentary
rocks deposited against their base. These
mentary rocks at their point of contact with the gran
ties not horizontal, but have been turned up on
cid by the force exerted by the granite mass
which they were deposited. when it lifted them to
their positions. Their slope to the
this point is not more than sixty degrees at any
place. They form the basis OF the great plain
and were the bed of tho sea which
covered them. and which. on receding
left those thousands Of feet Of sediment
! to be carved out and carried off by
tho ice and water. which have left such wonderful
traces of their power in this western country. The
first feature Of the low lands that strikes the eye
the low series of hills of very line of eleva-
| ton, forming sort of horizon or belt near the
| foot Of the mountains. cut ut intervals by
the streams which descend from the noun
tains. The ends of these hills that over
look the streams being afterward rounded give each
section long, gently curved line at its upper
| face. which has earned for them the rsther
fortunate name OF hogbacks.' They seem to be .
| very natural boundary line between the two geo.
| logical systems here brought together. 1t is now
| believed that the sedimentary rocks. the ends Of
| which are now exposed to view along the eastern
| side OF this valley. must have extended very much
farther into the mountains. and that after the clev
| tion of their they partly removed by
erosion. The thickness of these layers is gwen by
DIR. Hayden's surveys at 1000 feet
| THE GARDEN GODS.
About halfway between Denver and the Garden of
the Gods is the divide which separates the waters
1 OF the Platte from those of the Arkansas. This
slight elevation OF little thousand feet
above Denver controls the flow OF the tributaries Of
those streams until they reach the open plains to
take the direction of the long gentle slope to the
east. To the south Of this divide these monuments
increase in number until the Garden of the Gods
reached, which owes its name to the grand display
OF these singular objects at that place.
These monuments seem to have been formed in
several ways. principally. however. by erosion:
these isolated parts have been left because they
were either of harder material than that surround
ing them more able to resist meteoric shocks.
| They seem to be an aggregation of quartz and
pebbles loosely held together in nearly circular
condition. which tapers from the thick base
toward the top. This shaft is surmounted by
cap of rust coored sandstone. which owes
its greater size to the oxide of iron that
forms cement. binding the grains together.
| The smaller monuments here described vary in
height from ten to twenty feet. There are also tho
castellated forms of the larger table buttes or
| "mcsas" These massive objects from one
| hundred to two hundred and nifty feet in height,
and are sometimes capped with layer of purple
porphyritic basalt. They rise from the beautiful
green meadows. their almost perpendicular sides
give them appearance which is particularly i'm
pressve just at sunset There to be but little
| doubt that this line of upturned
throughout the whole length of the front range,
though hidden in some parts Of its length. 1t is
separated from the front range by valley; the por-
Colorado Springs is tho most picturesque. and Will
always retain its celebrity account Of the strik-
| ing forms Of erosion just described.
INGENIOUS THEORIES.
Following this the report treats of South Park
an area OF 1.2OO square miles. with general eleva
ton of 5000 ieet rising ut times 10000 feet is
surrounded by mountains, the bases OF VIII ch bear
| marks of its having been the bed of lake. The
valley of the Arkansas hundred miles cut through
the mountains to Poncho Pass. with width Of
eight ten miles. affords OF the finest fields
for the study OF glacial action In the West. At first
the valley must have had huge glacier running
from north to south through its length, there
on the sides of the mountains and i"ifASo in the
drift matter its slopes. Then part OF this valley
formed the bed OF large lake, AS is shown by the
dnnAs In fhA hnf her fhax-u cn1
This lake occupied the lower half of the valley
/ when it was drained of through the opening
traversed by the Arkansas River the heavy aud
material at the upper end and the finer drift
matter at the lower end were exposed. Tho valley
| has many rounded oblong hills, which covered
| by debris and range in height from ZOO TO 7OJ
feet After this first large glacier came
| others. which might be called secondary. and occu-
pied the beds OF the present tributary streams Of
| the Arkansas. Each one OF these Ia marked by
large moranes. and where exposed the elacation is
! magnificent. The masses of rock which have been
transported by these agencies incredibly large,
often reaching 100 feet in diameter. This whole
valley must have been occupied by glacier
of from 1000 to 800 feet in depth. The terminal
moraines of this glacier are remarkable for their
size. Everywhere the traveller is hindered in his
journey by mounds, ridges, basins and powders, tho
latter often from 20 to 80 fcot In diameter Worn
rocks arc also exposed showing the effect of ice
| ropoeRApIcAL rEcuLrAnIrrEs OF UTAH
The report gocs more into details concerning
the typographical peculiarites of Utah, especially
those OF the valley. which the scientists studied
with great 1t describes the geological struc-
ture minutely. quotes from Professor Marsh's de-
scription of the Green River basin with its descend
ing series OF concentric. wavclke ridges and follows
with observations upon the Uintah range, which has
elevation of nearly twelve thousand feet reach
ing It's maximum in Giberts Peak, at an elevation
OF 1000 feet. The range forms Immense ridge,
with almost level but badly broken up belt on
top, which has elevation of about six thousand
feet above the table land the north and
about seven thousand feet above the similar table
land ON the south Tho valleys are numerous deep
and narrow except at the head. aud extend quite to
the summit. Between these valleys on the north
the transverse and generally unbroken ridges by
means OF which the summit can be reached by
gradual ascent. On tho south these transverse
ridges scem to be very much broken toward tho
summit. The opposite valleys start from nearly tho
same point. and have between thoni only a thin
precipttous wall. which erosion is slowly removing.
Large basins range along either side of the summit
line. and thus have direction considerably oblioue
to that of the prevailing Winds and in
the amount OF snow which drifts into them during
the winter must be enormous.
A GLORIOUS COUNTRY