Wichita eagle., 1886-09-24
OUR NATIONAL PARK.
BEAUTIES AND WONDERS OF THE
YELLOWSTONE RESERVATION.

"A GeOIOSlcal Curiosity . The Famous
Devils Slide-valley of the Stinkins
Water-The Snow E1k-Henry Lake,
Snake River.
There are many wonders within our great
national reservation that have never been
notlced by the numerous guide books, and
there are just as many more outside of the
border line and in the neighborhood which
should have been included when the park was
created The mistake was in not making it
twice the size, for the whole country round
about Is one region of continuous wonders,
such as no other portion of the known or un-
known world can boast of. The Cinnabar
mountains, the Devils Slide, the beautiful
valley of the Sinking Water, the Teton
Basin, just across the Continental divide. and
last, but not least, Henrys lake, over in
Idaho-these and the other marvels close by.
when taken as whole, and leaving out ali
that is not included in the park proper, COM
bine region of stupendous and startling
wonders. fully equal, if not actually superior.
to all that is contained in the 1915 square
miles Of the park
The Cinnabar mountains are full of petri-
factions of every kind, and the fossils scat
tered all through the canyons and gorges and
| on the peaks are numerous and varied enough
to supply all the museums in the country for
ages to come. On the SUBMITS of these huge
piles are undoubted evidences of the glacial
period. Glaciers exist even now in the Wind
river and Teton ranges, much below 12,O0O
feet
A GEOLOGICAL CURIOSITY.
But the most remarkable example of the
glacial period in this region is huge bowlder
resting on the brink of the Grand canvon,
about a mile and half below the great falls
1t is very compact, a coarse crystalline fields
pathic granite, in shape rectangular, the edges
sharp and unworn, ard its cubical dimensions
somewhat more than $500 feet 1t is within
stones throw of the brink of the canyon,
and rests upon a series of sheets of rhyolite.
surely not more than 200 feet in thickness.
In seeking the possible source of this rock one
would naturally turn toward the south, the
sources of the Yellowstone: but the great
ranges to the cast and south are volcanic.
and are not known to contain a single
exposure of granite rock. There are no such
formations in the whole upper Yellowstone: |
Tor there Is a total absence OF granite pebbles |
on the shores OF the lake or in the beds of the |
rivers. The home of this wanderer must be |
sought in the north, beyond the valley of the |
Third canyon, fifty miles away, and at the
southern end Of the Gallatin mountains.
-Four miles from the northern border line
of the park and just after passing the Second
canyon going south is the famous Devils
Slide. 1t is a rosy, brown-colored shoot run
ming from the top to the base of the mountain
at an angle of about 30 degrees, and looks for
all the world like toboggan slide that
has been generously sprinkled with CHINA
mon. At the top on either side rise two lofty
minaret towers, so wonderfully paired in
size, shape and outline that one might very
well suppose they were constructed from a
single model rather than being, as they are,
the simple handiwork of nature. The slide
starts from this point and shoots down a
steep grade. bringing up sharp and abrupt on
the brink of the Second canyon, The Indians
believe that when it thundered the evil one
went plunging down this awful incline, pitch
ing into the roaring Yellowstone at its base.
ma then by some subterranean passage within
,he earth mounted to the top again, and re-
)eated his little diversion until it ceased thun-
iering. The lightning was caused by friction
With the fiery -colOred roadbed in the devils
apid descent. r
a GARDEN OF EDEN
The Valley of the Sinking Water is the
most beautiful little garden of Eden on the
North American continent. The title would
eem to convey the impression that it is a bad a
melting stream, of offensive odor and vile
aste, as its name would Indicate On tho
it is a beautiful mountain riyuet of
he clearest and purest water, but strongly
npregnated with sulphur. On account of its
eculiar Odor it was named by the Bannock
indians, whose reservation was, a long time
go, the park, "Yuskinmaya Wicsta." which !,
into the vernacular signifies bad
'ater Here 1t IS that the few large game
nlmals still left alive in the northwest seek r.
refuge from the ready rifle of the hunter.
his beautiful country is the home of the
nghty elk Here are to be found the brown h
'ecies, the giant blue elk, and the rarest of
1 game animals, the albinO elk. The snow
K is certainly the scarcest of the big game S.
Ill left IN our country, and until short time
90 was known to the white man only by ira
ton lie Indians have often spoken of it,
1t their statements were never credited
ow comes the proof in the seeing A band
fifty was sighted in the Sinking Water se
untry by party of hunters last February,
I'd, although they We're pursued for two
Us and night by the indefatigable noun
lneers, yet did they fortunately succeed in
eA4O NN.AoiS VI tIIc pot hunters.
ley finally made their escape over into the st
ational park, where they were safe from kt
rsuit e.
lust across the western boundary in Idaho
the lovely Henry lake. Before it is too late
IS beautiful sheet of water should be pre-
we'd from destruction 1t is situated on
, public road built by the government.
ding from the upper geyser basin to Vir.
Tia City. This lake is the headwaters of the
nry's fork or Snake river Snake river.
lowed throughout its course, is truly a
er of rapids For three miles above the
oshone falls it flows through immense
-erns with lofty basaltic walls on each side
,dreds of feet high. At the Twin or Little
Is the river is divided by an island, and the
, streams rush over separate precipfces
pitch into pool 175 feet below. As -
wed from the bluff, hundreds Of feet above. VI
sight is grand; and as for looking up
m below, the gorgeous panorama is too
ful and tremendous to describe in words
e miles below are the great falls where
entire river descends in one mighty sheet
feet Forty miles further are Solomon,s
Sort keogh Cor. Chicago Times.