Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-31
THE LAVA BEDS.
Captain Jacks Stronghold in Modoc
County.

Red Blum Sentinel.
Commencing in the northern part of Sis
kiyou county and running south and east
into Modoc and Plumas counties is q sue
cession of lava beds, of which little is
known, except by those who have seen
them. As they are actually beyond de-
scription, when described as wild, desolate
and barren, does not give one that creeping
sensation which an actual peep at them
does. To cross one of these lava beds much
caution is necessary. The nature of the
lava is of an obsidian cast, very hard, sharp
and rough. The upheaval has been so
violent that great caves and assures are
formed. The arches of these caves are
very dangerous to pass over as the dis
placement of a single rock would cause the
whole top or roof TO fall in. Subterranean
lakes were found. One was discovered the
past summer near Dry lake, Modcc county.
This lake is fifty feet wide and runs back
under the cave apparently a long distance f.:
as the end cannot be reached no one can
tell how far it does run back. Again
assures and crevices reaching for miles,
and several hundred feet deep, will appear.
South of Chalk mountain there is an i'm
mense ice cave, which contains tons of ice
all the year round. This cave is sur
rounded with lava of several different
kinds and of all shades of the rainbow.
Large blocks of obsidian, or volcanic glass,
is mixed in with the lava, making in all a
beautiful and wild scene.
Glass mountain, few miles TO the north
east, is indeed great CURIOSITY Imagine
q terraced mountain 1000 feet above the
level of the sea, and composed entirely of
this volcanic glass, shining and glittering
in the sunlight, casting off the sunrays as
If it were diamond Terraces, castles and
forts are faithfully represented. A glance
at this mountain by moonlight is grand; a
sort of soft, weird light is cast off, which
hills one with unspeakable admiration.
Ice cave No. 2 is situated from Glass
mountain, north by west, twelve miles.
This cave has also an inexhaustible supply
OF water and ice Here our party found
water and plenty of feed for our exhausted
animals. After searching nearly two DAYS
for water this cave was accidentally dis
covered, and a godsend it was for both man
and beast. Our party camped here one
night recently, and were kept awake most
of the night by the screams of several Calf
fornia lions, who came uncomfortably near
our beds, and would give Il scream and de-
camp-we had shut off their water supply
The unearthly scream of these animals and
the bowling of several large owls. taken
with the thought of numerous Indian
nassacres which had taken place in this
vicinity, caused our brave hearts to quake
Ten miles north of Ice cave is Tule lake
and Captain Jacks stronghold. and directly
across the lake is the famous Bloody point.
Captain Jacks rife pits are of natural
formation in the lava, being sinks and
flows probably five hundred in number
they command all entrance to the cave. A
handful of resolute men could hold twenty
times their number at bay here-some
bloody work was done by the Indians dur
Ing the campaiuu of 1874 Spunral nt ar
points in that vicinity have a bloody record
After one has seen the place he has strong
desire to get away rs quickly as possible
From what the writer can gather, a terrible
disaster would have befsllen the regular
United States troops had it not been for the
volunteers, who were nearly ell well ac-
quainted with the locality, and cautioned
the regulars Of the danger of storniing the
Indians in their stronghold.