Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-27
A Wonderful Lake in Oregon
FROM the Portland Ore2ontan.

The Fleetwood was launched on Aug
II, and on Aug. 1S nine members of our
party made the circuit Of the lake on a
tour of inspection. The scenery was
grand to degree far bevond our most
sanguine expectations. Four strong oars
men soon brought us to Lao Rock, and as
we gazed in silent wonder at its rugged
side, reaching nearly half a mile above Va,
for the first time did l realize the immen-
sltv ofsuch spectacle.
Beyond Lao Rock we found beautiful
little bay, and beyond this a larger one,
probably one mile long by quarter of a
mile deep. Here we found narrow beach
OF small gravel running almost the entire
length of the bay, while further out in the
lake the bottom is composed of sand. AS
this point has not only never been named,
but probably was never before visited by
human beings, we decided to christen 1t
Fleetwood Bay.
Passing on our journey it was soon seen
that the cliffs on the north side are not SO
high as those to the south. In several
places it appeared that good trails could
easily be made to the waters edge, over
which a person might ride, and in one
place, without any grading whatever, a
good pack train could descend with COM
parative ease.
About 2 O'Clock thunder shower sud-
denly came upon us, just as two beauti-
full grOttoes came in view. Into one of
these the boat was run, where we were
entirely beyond the reach of rain. 1t
proved to be about thirty feet deep and
ten feet wide, with an arched roof prob
ably eight feet above the water, while the
rocky bottom could be distinctly seen ten
feet below the surface. So perfect was its
form that it almost seemed the hand Of
man had hewn it from the solid rock. Be-
yond it towers an immense cliff, very
high. with broken, rugged sides, pictur-
esque and sublime, which | insist on
naming Dutton Cliff, in honor of Capt.
Dutton, who has done and is doing so
much to make Crater Lake justly famous.
Immediately north of DuttOn Cliff the
elements have worn the sides of the
mountain, leaving a harder substance,
alternately colOred and yellow resembling
the mausard roof ola cottage, while in one
place tall red cbImneys stand aloft, MAX
ing, all in all, such scene that Cottage
Rock could scarcely be improved on for
name. Lying between the points above
referred to a break in the walls was found
that is almost perpendicular, but certain.
~ does not exceed 400 feet in height.
This is by far the lowest point in the
walls. just at the foot Of Dutton Cliff an
island was discovered 200 feet wide by 400
feet long, and over JOG to the top of the
rocks that stand upon it like great CHM
neys or towers, giving to it an appearance
like the castles of old. We did not land,
but an appropriate name would be Castle
Island.
Crater Lake has again risen to the occa-
sion, as accurate tests will prove beyond
all question that but few bodies of water
in the world equal it in depth, except the
ocean, and none whatever of an equal
size, while in the western hemisphere il
will stand absolutely unrivalled. Here
tofore Tahoe has been considered the deem
est lake in America, being $40 feet. Only
preliminary sOundings have been ~ ade as
yet, and the figures obtained are ubject
TO slight change. The deepest water
found so far is 1855 feet, being 315 more
than Tahoe.