Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-03-19
CR-1TER LAKE.

Our article on Crater lake will be
read with interest as it is from the pen
of Charles L. Mosher the former pub
Usher of the Plaindealer of this city
but now the editor of the Arizona Ga
zette daily paper published at Phoe.
nix IN that territory.
Phoenix Arizona, Feb. 10th 1856.
EDITOR REVIEW I trust that you,
knowing what little history that may
locally be connected with my name,
and being also thoroughly acquainted
with the fact that my time is entirely
devoted at present to editorial duties
will not accuse me of wild amateur
desire of rushing into print.
| will here remark that am highly
gratltied to learn that the general gov
ernment has seen fit TO take steps to
set apart Crater lake, in the Cascade
range OF mountains, as public park.
It's magnitude and sublimity Thoroughly
justify such course
But what desire to especially OBJ
Ject to is communication in your paper
of the 10Th of January, 1886, signed
&c. L." and which purports to be a
description ~" of this great natural
wonder. Your correspondent alludes
to the fact that he has several times
visited the "mystic" or Crater lake,
and then illustrating the truth of the
{ old adage that familiarity breeds con-
tempt" essays description which
would make the angels weep-partic-
ularly If it is true, as theology teaches
that they exercise a supervision, or in
any event have a clear vision of this
vale of sorrow which we now inhab,t,
In 1877 during the month of August
with my friend Jim McCully, who at
my last information was a resident Of
the Rogue river valley, ] paid a visit
to Crater lake. We came from the
Klamath or east side, on the govern.
ment road, during the construction of
which Crater lake was originally dis
covered. This led us up the south
side of the canon of Anna's river,
which in granduer met every necessity
or fantastic idea which the widest
imagination needed for safety. A
stream below you three hundred to one
thousand feet glIstens in the sunlight
like silver, immense columns and pill
lars arising to the brink of the abyss,
the result OF constant dripping of water
from melting snow-frequently colored
and often tessellated, removes from
the mind the effect of awe and adds
to the eye that of granduer and beauty.
From the summit Of the pass we turned
to the right, and a alide through timber,
pine openings, clad with the verdure
and beauty of Oregon uplands in mid
summer brought us to the great Graf
er lake. Before reaching its brink
however, and some distance below, the
stake of the coast survey was pointed
out to me, together with the altitude
marked upon tree. Remember now
that | am trusting to a somewhat
treacberous memory, and that too after
lapse of nine years, but if I am not
greatly mistaken the altitude was
given at 6,400 feet. McCully pur-
posely led me to the brink of the of the
lake without>previous warning, telling
me that we were still three miles dis
tant from our destination.
was riding an old gray mare, sup
piled wi th ''aldermanic corporations,
and which had never shown the least
particle Of life, but when she caught
glimse Of the lake, the scene of awe
had its effect upon her, and she wheeled
on her hind feet with dizzy rapidity and
threatened for thenonce to take me back
to "Seven Mile creek" or to eternity.
No approach to the waters of that
lake are less than 1000 feet from the
brink of fthemountain which surrounds it |
and as | learned there are but three
places where descents and ascents can |
be safely made. About quarter of |
mile from where we approached the
lake, is precipitous bank from which
a marble may be dropped into the
water from height of about 1000 feet |
The lake itself is fifteen miles long by
eight wide, and of egg shape. To the
western bank and about four miles dis.
tant therefrom arises a mountain
covered with frs and pines and about
1900 feet above the surface of water.
AS all the mountains and ridges trend
from the lake, and as the streams seem
to have their source therein, it becomes
to the observer that Crater
lake is really crater and in its place
once stood mountain fully $500 feet
high which has been burst asunder
in some mighty convulsion leaving the
immense reservoirs in which water is
now stored by winter SHOWS and earlier
rains. That it was once one of the
largest peaks north of Mt. Shasta
and south of Mt. Hood seems apparent