Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-10-20
The Upper Yosemite Falls.

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 falling in one
unbroken sheet 1850 feet into the chasm
below. After it leaves the rock above it is
soon torn into spray, being swayed and moved
by the wind with marvellous grace and end
less variety of motion. For q short distance
this cataract descends in wide unbroken
sheet, with continuous rumble; it is then
caught and whirled upward in rising, seeth-
ing, and eddying, wreathing mist finally fall
ing into the chasm below, and rising in a 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 de-
scending with q continuous roar in one un-
broken sheet, swayed by the force of the
! wind in graceful undulations, its white foam
ing mass in bold relief like a broad ribbon
on the dark rocks, with its many tinted rain
bow mists is a sight to move the behOlder
with admiration and awe From a distance
this fall resembles great sheet Of white
satin hanging over the rocks. This fall is
lut lilSU Vi Il SUITES vi tilIcc Dl Tie
Merced river, the second being $50 feet and
the third 45O feet high. The course of the
river below the falls is covered with boulders
and rocks carried down by the seething
waters; the rocks are covered here and there
with moss and ferns, rendering many agree
able contrasts of color.
Prof. Brewer, describing this fall, says 1T
seemed as mobile as smoke, and assumed
new varieties of outlines each instant, so light
and airy that it seemed as easily swayed by
the wind as lace; yet it struck with deaten-
ing thunder. The conclusion was percepti
BILE through the granite for some distance.
The discharge OF water is estimated at 25O to
300 cubic feet per second In winter the
water falls behind great cone Of ice, which
is from 100 to 200 feet thick and emerging
beneath the ice, grand, stupendous arch is
formed like those in the glaciers at Mount
Blanc. Standing at the foot of this magnifi
cent fall, thousand feet above the bottom
of the valley, the violent tempest of spray,
ice pellets, hail, is felt with great force, the
hands and face being stung like shot by pelt
ing hail stones. These fell in great profu-
sion, but rapidly melted, for the sun shone
full on the fall, and adjoining rocks reflected
the heat. The diameter of some of these
pellets was 1.10th of an inch. Thus we have
here the spray of a waterfall condensed 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 200 or l 400 feet of its
descent. A large volume OF air is drawn
into this falling mass along it's whole course,
the sheet spreading as it descends. The
quantity of air is SO great that it pushes out
ward on the bottom of the valley and Is very
perceptible as a cool current more than a mile
distant from the base of the upper fall. The
air us sucked into the fall is Immediately
cooled to 80 by the ice cold water. AS it
passes in it is very dry, and the rapid satura-
tion within the sheet is sufficient to freeze a
portion of the drops"