The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-01-18
A MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE.
The Wonders of the Great Fall Of the
Yellowstone River.
Correspondent Boston Heraldl

+. Correspondent Boston Herald
Some twenty miles further down the river,
and four or five miles to the left, is SULPHUR
Mountain. This is formation of pure sui
phur crystals (under a lime colored coating)
which, when broken and held mp in the sun
light, glistened like brllliants. At the base
of the mountain are number of boiling and
steaming springs, the water strongly impreg-
mated with the odorous mineral. There is
evidence that this mountain was built up by
deposits from the overflow, land not upheaved
by volcanic action. Wherever the water
flows it leaves lime crusted deposit of sui
phur, and is building up the plain along its
course Quite Yalume of water flows
through the valley adjacent to this mountain,
and the overflow from these springs finds its
way into the Yellowstone through the chan
mel. Sulphur Mountain covers as great an
area as Boston Common, and in altitude
would rank Capitol Hill, if crowned with the
Bunker Hill monument. Ages of activity
must have been required to build up this sui
phuric mass. From its apex one can trace
the source Of the winding Yellowstone, al
most from the lake to the falls, as it winds
along by mountain and through plain, on its
way to mingle its sparkling waters with the
Muddy Missouri at Fort Buford, six hundred
miles away. From Sulphur Mountain to the
falls is but six or seven miles, and on still
night it is barely possible to hear the roar of
the cataract as it echoes through the vast
hills and along the mountain above. In pass
ing down the river on the left bank, through
the pine-clad bluffs, the first object of inter-
est encountered is the rapids. Here the wa
ters of the Yellowstone are confined to
channel of one hundred and twenty feet, and
flow over series of powders, with fall of
about one hundred and fifty feet to the
mile
~ FoAMING AND ROARING,
And resounding through the canon below
and through the timbered bluffs above. Fin
slly the torrents breaks over the first fails, a
precipitous descent of over one hundred and
fifty feet, the mist meantime rising in dense
cloud through which the sun shines, if the
day be clear, with resplendent rainbow ef-
feet Here one gets the first glimpse of the
great canon which for ten miles submits its
shaggy sides and towering pinnacles for
the admiration and awe of man. a few
steps further and the tourists walks out upon
ledge of granite and looks down from the
dizzy height, and his senses become confused
as he focuses his eyes on the torrent below
as it flows in silyery stream, apparently no
longer than an Adirondack trout brook, and
the roar of the fall of three hundred and
seventy feet breaks upon the tympanum.
The grand canon of the Arkansas would pale
into insignifcance by the side of this scene
Of awful grandeur. There is nothing on
this continent to compare with it but the
Yosemite, and it is doubtful if 1t ranks in the
essential elements of beauty and grandeur.
The falls here are perpendicular and un-
broken, except by one dark-cresled bowlder
in the center of the current on the very brink
of the preclpice. The whole volume strikes
the poo, at the bottom Of the canon in an al
most solid sheet, and sends up clouds of
spray in the sunlight with dazzling effect.
The outlook from below the falls is, perhaps,
the best, and varied views and Impressions
may be had from number of standpoints.
Our artist secured thirty-six views from al
most as many points. of observation. The
descent to the bottom of the canon is danger
ous and almost impossible, but it has been
made by romantic fools who would risk their
lives to 60 upon record ss having had an ex-
ira hazardous experience Our party went
went down to the danger line only. From
this point, which is some distance below,
but ia full view Of the falls, the scene 10 one
of spectacular splendor. The stream below |
appears as if one could span it with q ten
foot pole. whereas il is more than one hun |