Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-12-03
Tower Falls and the Grand Canyon Of
the Yellowstone.


In going from the Mammoth Hot
Springs to the Falls of the Yellowstone
the tourist must abandon his wagon at
Tower Falls, if he is so equipped, and
pack his outfit for the trail. The dis
lance for packing, however, is but eigh-
teen miles, if he only desires to go to the
Falls, bat if the lake be one of his OBJ
jective points he must prepare for forty
miles or more of packing trip by stock
ing up his larder and rolling in all of his
robes, for these are the coolest points in
the Park, the altitude being 5000 feet,
with the exceptions of Mount Wash
burne, whose head obtrudes over all.
On this road to the Great Falls of the
Yellowstone the principal point of inter-
est are the Tower Falls, though the
whole route is wild and picturesque, and
| If the-snowisrdeep- on The divide and in
the mountains, as is the case at this sea-
son, the trail will be beset with game,
and elk will become familiar sight.
Tower Falls are so called because of a
towering mass of stone rising up from the
verge of the precipice to a height of
about 100 feet from the water, where it
breaks over the ledge. These falls are
noted for their simple beauty, falling in
solid sheets for $50 feet, and sending
showers of spray curling up from the
foaming pool below. The volume of
water is not great, Tower Creek being a
small mountain stream, but the water is
as clear as crystal and as cold as if
drawn from frigid fountain.
The trail from Tower Falls brings the
tourists to standstill and abruptly on
the brink of an awful abyss, as it leads
directly to the Grand Canyon, into the
dizzy depths of which one gazes for the
first time with mingled emotion of awe
and admiration. On the opposite side
of the stream the walls of the canyon
rise abruptly for more than 1900 feet,
while on this there is gradual descent
half way down of sliding cinnabar and
other delicately tinted chalky forma-
tons, broken at intervals by towering
pinnacles of mineral rock, which stand
out in bold relief against the brilliant
background. These pinnacles take on
many fantastic forms, inspiring the
delusion that one is looking down upon
the decaying splendors of antique
architecture. From the base of these
solemn sentinels, the descent to the
water line is as abrupt as from surface
to torrent on the opposite side. Far be-
low winds the foaming current of white
crested wayelets spread out like sill
very band. Although the channel is
100 feet wide, it appears no larger than
o trout stream. Rounding Point Look
out the tourist is confronted with full
view of the falls, where the whole vol
ume of water breaks over a rock-ribbed
ledge and is riven by a big black boul
der in the center, and again united rolls
majestically down to depth of $40 feet
sending up showers of spray which
plisten in the sunlight like lustrous gem.
Under gashgnU. Inc view nvnf UlIii
points one of bewildering beauty. Tht
spectacular splendors of the scene il
: the canyon below the falls is frightened
by the effect of the roaring cataract OF
the senses. 1t is the most magnificen
scenery of its class on the continent
with the single exception of the Yose
mite. Above the main falls is anothe
which alone would be great atttrac
ton, but is dwarfed into insigniicanc
by the lower and larger one below
, Above this, still, is series of cascades
! over which the vast volume of waite
/, from the lake above rushes and break
into foam everlastingly. These rapid
can be heard for miles of still night
making much more noise than the roal
ing cataract at the falls. Here is tn
upper mouth of the canyon and the bt
! ginning of ten miles of canyon scener
! that pales the Colorado canyons into il
. significance. -COr. 81. Louis GlOb
Democrat