The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-07-25
GREAT FALLS.
How the Greatest Water Power in
the Country Will be Utilized.
Some OF the Manufacturing Enterprises
That Can be Successfully Carried
on at This Place

The falls Of the Missouri, as generally
spoken OF, are a succession of falls, but
there are four principal ones, known as
the Black Eagle, Rainbow, Crooked and
Great falls, and they are met with in the
order named in coming down the river.
The distance between the upper and
lower falls is about seven miles, and in
this space, following the river, there is
one grand succession Of beautiful scene
ry and wonders of nature. 1t is gene
rally admitted that the better view of
the several falls is obtained from the
south side, but to make thorough visit
the tourist ought to take in the sights
from both banks.
1t is the intention Of the proprietors
of Great Falls to make this pleasure
resort (and in many respects the scenery
IS unequaled in nature) as well as man
ufacturing city. One of the first things
they will do will be to make roads on
either side of the river from the upper
to the lower falls, including bridge
narrow, so that tourists can make the
circuit with ease. Good accommoda-
tions for visitors will also be provided
and when these results are accomplished
only to the National Park as a pleasure
resort.
1t is not necessary to go into detailed
description CT the falls, as most Of our
readers have either seen them or read Of
them. Besides the scope of this article
will not admit Of it, The upper or Black
Eagle falls is included in the new town
site, and it is the one that will first fur
nish the power to set the busy wheels Of
the factory going. These falls were
named by Lewis and Clarke. They
Were told by Indians that on small
island at the foot of waterfall black
eagle had built its nest from year to year.
and upon reaching this place they found
the island and its only inhabitant, the
eagle-hence the name. These falls
falls have perpendicular pitch of 26
feet, and while not so grand as the Rain
bow or Great falls, they are we'll worth
going to see.
Below the Black Eagle falls a short
distance is the great spring, the largest
known spring in the world. It is safe
to say that it runs in plain view stream
larger than Sun river, the water pouring
forth from the river bank through large
crevices in the rock for distance of 800
feet at least along the shore, and giving
to the river below, on that side, a dark
green tint. But this is not all. AT sew
eral points for a distance of 100 yards up
stream this dark tinge is plainly seen
where the same spring water flows from
the rock in the bed Of the river. IF coll
lected in one stream the water from this
spring would make a mighty river. The
favorite theory in accounting for it, we
believe, is that it is a great underground
river that finds vent at this point.
Next below is the Rainbow falls, dis
tant but mile or two. While lacking
the rugged grandeur of Great falls, this
is undoubtedly the most beautiful of all
of them. The following is Capt. Lewis
description Of it, which holds as good
to-day as it did nearly eighty years ago:
ut is one Of the most beautiful objects
in nature The whole Missouri is sud-
denly stopped by one shelving rock,
which without a single niche, and with
an edge as straight and regular as if
formed by art, stretches itself from one
side of the river to the other for at least
aquarter of mile. Over this it preci-
pilates itself in an even, uninterrupted
sheet to the perpendicular depth of fifty
feet, whence dashing against the rocky
bottom it rushes rapidly down leaving
behind it a spray of the purest foam
across the river. The scene which it
presented was indeed singularly beauti-
full, since without any of the wild irre-
gular sublinity of the lower falls, it
combined all the regular elegances
which the fancy of painter would Sc
lect to form beautiful waterfall"
A few hundred yards below are Crook
ed falls, where the water leaps over
pitch Of fifteen feet Both of these falls
are in plain view from the river bank,
thus adding to the effect of the scene.
Some four miles down the river are
the Great falls, the grandest of all,
which we did not have time to visit.
TrI.s w ATER POWER