Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-08-24
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.

The YELLOWSTONE PAkk.
The twelfth annual report of the
United States geographical and geo
logical survey of the territories, EN-
braclng Wyoming and Idaho, by I'll.
V. Hayden, chief geologist, is now
being bound by the public printer.
In the report it appears that the
area of the Yellowstone Park is. in
round numbers, 1850 square miles,
Its surface is in large part level or
rolling, with several groups and short
ranges of mountains diversifying it.
In the eastern part extending its
Whole length, and forming the water
shed between the Yellowstone and the
Big Horn stand the rugged volcanic
peaks of the Yellowstone Range.
Nearly all of tie Park is covered with
dense growth of magnificent pine
timber. Indeed, west of the Tooth
meridian there is no area so densely
timbered with the exception of Wash
ington Territory. The mean elevation
of the park above the sea is between
1000 and 5000 feet, which implies too
cold climate to admit of agriculture
except in very limited localities. 1t
Is safe to say that not more than one
per cent. of this area can by any pos
Slbillty be used for agricultural pur-
poses. Except slong the northern
boundary grazing land exists only in
small patches of few acres each.
There are not, so far as know, any
mines or mineral deposits in the park.
The greater portion of the park is COW
cred with volcanic rock. Features of
more than ordinary geological inter
est occur, however, along the north
ern boundary of the park district.
Here small belt, not more than fif-
teen by thirty miles in extent, con-
tains fair epitome of the geology of
the Rocky Mountain region.
The whole series of formations
are almost typically developed. The
only marked irregularity in the sue
cession of geological events occurred
during the great mountain building
period of the middle tertiary. After
that followed a number of inferior
oscillations of the surface, during
which an extensive series of recent
tertiary and volcanic rocks were de-
posted. Connecting this period with
the present are the deposits of num-
Der of great lakes, which at the pres
ent time have their chief representa-
tive in Yellowstone Lake Detailed
Investigations were made at many
points of Interest, and a fine mineralogi-
cal collection were made.
The map of the Yellowstone Park is
II L.
scale sufficiently large to show all
details necessary to the geologist or
the traveller. The topography is re-
presented by contour lines, at approx
mate intervals of one hundred feet.
From study of this map it is found
that the greater part of this surface
of the park consists of high rolling
plateaus, broken by stream beds, cliffs,
and canons. Several small groups of
mountains diversity the surface,
among them the Red Mountains, in
the Southern part, rising 1000 feet
above the general level, or more than
10000 feet above the sea, and the
Washburn group near the middle of
the park. This group has the form of
horse shoe, opening toward the east.
The eastern border of the park is occu-
pied by a high rugged range, to which
has been long attached the name of
Yellowstone Range.
Index Peak, the highest measured
Peak III the range, exceeds II, 700 feet
in hight. In the northwestern corner
of the park is the southern extremity
of the Gallatin Range, eliminating
in Electric Peak, magnificent sum
NIT of / 1, 155 feet above the sea, which
overlooks almost the whole park The
maiu elevation of this reservation APP
pears to be not far from S, 900 feet, an
elevation so great in this latitude as
to presuppose an almost Arctic eli
mate. The lowest point within its
River, on the Yellowstone, which is
$500 feet
The marked features of the reserva-
ton are the low, indefinite divides and
the abundance of lakes and marshes.
In several cases are noted marshes ex-
tending across divides and making
1.-TWO ocean rivers" phenomena by
no means as uncommon as are popular
ly supposed The lakes, principal
among which are Yellowstone, Shes
hone, Lewis, and Heart, cover nearly
200 square miles out of the total area
of the park, which is estimated at
33, 122 square miles Many newly dis
covered groups of hot springs and
geysers appear for the first time on
this map, among which should be
mentioned the large and fine groups
near the head of Gibber's Fork of the
Firehole, the discovery of which has
been previously noticed under Peales'
report on thermal springs, gives de-
tailed description of all the springs
and geysers of any Importance found
in the park. On the maps of the diff
ferent geyser basins accompanying
his report, the springs are indicated
by numbers which correspond with
those given to them in the text, so that
hereafter there ought to be no diff
Guilty in identifying the individual
springs and geysers. He describes and
tabulates over 1000 springs and
seventy-one geysers. 1t ought never
to be necessary to repeat this prelimin-
airy work in the park. What remains
to be done is to start series of closea
and detailed observations, protracted
through a number of consecutive
years, with a view to determine, if
possible, the laws governing geyseric
action