Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-11-17
The UPPER YOSEMITE FALL.

This magnificent waterfall is one of the
most stupendous of natures wonders. 1t
is the highest fall yet discovered, leaping
clear from the rocks into the air. and fall
ing in one unbroken sheet $3.50 feet into
the chasm below After it leaves the
rock above it is soon torn into spray, be-
ing swayed and moved by the wind with
marvellous grace and endless variety of
motion. For short distance this catar-
act descends in a wide unbroken sheet,
with continuous rumble; it is then
caught and whirled upward in a rising
seething and eddying wreathing mist,
finally falling into the chasm below, and
rising in fine cloud like spray, often
tinged with all the varying colors of the
rainbow. The aspect of this majestic
waterfall is awe inspiring in the extreme.
The great mass of water descending with
a continuous roar in one unbroken sheet,
swayed by the force of the wind in grace
full undulations, its white foaming mass
in bold relief like broad ribbon on the
dark rocks, with its many tinted rainbow
mists, is sight to move the beholder with
admiration and awe. From distance
this fall resembles a great sheet of white
satin hanging over the rocks. This fall is
the first of series of three cataracts of
the Merced River, the second being 250
feet and the third 45O feet high. The
course of the river below the falls is cover
ed with boulders and rocks carried down
by the seething waters; the rocks are
covered here and there with moss and
ferns, rendering many agreeable contrasts
of color
Prof Brewer, describing this fall, says:
"It seemed as mobile as smoke, and as
sumed new varieties of outlines each in
slant, SO light and airy that it seemed as
easily swayed by the wind as lace: yet it
struck with deafening thunder. The con-
cussion was perceptible through the gran
ite for some distance The discharge of
water is estimated at $50 to 800 cubic feet
per second. In winter the water falls be-
hind great cone of ice, which is from
100 to 200 feet thick, and emerging be-
meath the ice, grand stupendous arch is
formed like those in the glaciers at Mt.
Blanc. Standing at the foot of this mag
nificent fall, a thousand feet above the
bottom of the valley, the violent tempest
of spray, ice pellets, or hail, is felt with
SlCdo IOICC, tllC 1dliuS anu lace DelIlg
stung like shot by pelting hail stones.
These fell in great profusion, but rapidly
melted, for the sun shone full on the fall,
and the adjoining rocks reflected the heat
The diameter of some of some of these
pellets was 1.10 of an inch. Thus we
have here the spray of a waterfall con-
densed and frozen into hail. The water
of this stream, being supplied from the
melting SHOWS, plunges over the brink of
the precipice just at the freezing point
In its fall it appears to be 'atomized' for
l 200 or l 400 feet of its descent A large
volume of air is drawn into this falling
mass along its whole course, the sheet
spreading as it descends. The quantity
OF air is so great that it pushes outward
on the bottom of the valley and is very
perceptible as cool current more than d
mile distant from the base of the upper
fall. The air as sucked into the fall is
Immediately cooled to 80 deg. by the ice
could water. As it passes in, it is very
dry, and the rapid saturation within the
sheet is sufficient to freeze a portion of
the Drops