The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-02-11
Cur 0lio.
A FOREST RESERVATION.
The First Importance of the Yellowstone Ma
tional Park-A Water Storage Reservoir
Enlargement of the Park-Wisdom of sena-
tor Vests Proposal.

tional Park-A Water Storage Reservoir
Enlargement of the Park-Wisdom of sena
tor Vests Proposal.
Arnold Hague in the N. Y. Eeemag Post.
Qfthe varied beauties off Yellowstone
Park much has been said in praise The
splendor of the Grand Canon, the grandeur
of the Lake and of those scientific curiosi-
ties, the geysers and hot springs, have been
described over and over again until every
one is more or less familiar with the ma
tural marvels of this wonderland Now
that the once famous pink and white ter
races on the shores of Rotomahana in New
Zealand have ceased to exist, the similar
deposits in the Yellowstone Park stand un-
rivalled Notwithstanding all that has been
written, based upon sentimental considers
tions, in favor of maintenance of the Park
by the general government, the most for
cible argument for its preservation is an
economic one far outweighing all others in
importance. 1t is one which has seceiVed
but slight attention outside of narrow
circle of the friends of the Park who realize
the true value of the region.
The object of first importance in main
tanning the Park is the preservation of its
forests. Forest preservation is rightfully
attracting increased attention in all parts
of the country, and it IS now very generally
admitted that rigid enforcement of the
proper restrictions in the cutting of timber
is demanded for the public welfare. Owing
to the many conflicting interests in the
more settled communities, additional pro-
teetion by legislation Is by no means u
simple problem. Nowhere is this better
shown than in the struggle in New York
State to preserve the timber Of the Adiron-
dacks against the encroachment Of lumber
men.
The Park is natural reservoir admirably
adapted by its Typographical structure for
the storage of water, No region of equal
area in the heart of the Rocky Mountains
presents so many favorable conditions for
receiving, storing, and distributing liberal
water supply. For the preservation of this
water the dense forest which covers this
region is of incalculable value. The CEN
tral portion of the Park is broad, elevated
volcanic plateau hetWeen 1000 and $500
feet above sea level, with an average eleva-
ton of about 5000 feet; it is accideuted
by broad depressed basins and scored by
deep gorges and narrow valleys. Surround
ing it on the south, east, north, and north
west, are high peaks and mountain ridges
rising from 1000 to 1000 feet above the
general level of the enclosed table-land.
Across this plateau from the southeast to
the northwest, with very sinuous course,
runs the Continental divide, separating the
waters Of the Atlantic from those Of tho
Pacific. Several large bodies of water, no.
tably Yellowstone, Shoshone, Lewis, and
Heart Lakes, form such characteristic fea-
lures on both sides of this divide, that the
country has deservedly received the appel
lation of the Lake region of the Park.
Hundreds of smaller lakes occupy irregular
depressions either in the lava flows or in
shallow basins of glacial origin high up in
the neighboring mountains. Scattered over
the plateau, in striking contrast with the
greater part of the Rocky Mountains, occur
numerous ponds, marshes, and meadows,
which hold very considerable amounts of
water throughout the greater part Of the
year. More than $500 thermal springs
bring up their waters from below to swell
the surface flows, while innumerable cold
springs coming out from beneath the rocks
add their share to swell the current.
Careful observation of plateau, mountain,
and valley shows that about "a per cent of
the Park region is forest-clad The bare
portions of the Park are mainly areas above
the timber line, steep mountain slopes, and
wet marshy bottoms. The forest is essen
tally coniferous. A few groves of aspen
(Populus trenauloides) add brilliancy to the
autumnal foliage, but are SO Insignificant
that from an economic point of view they
may be discarded. Quite two-thirds of the
trees are what are known as black pine
(Pinus Murrayqaq), and one may travel
for miles over the gravelly ridges of the
plateau without encountering any other
species. On moist ground at high eleva-
tions, and where the SHOWS lie later in the
season, this species gradually gives way to.
the balsam and the spruce. Over large
areas, of course, the three species occur
more or less mingled. In few favored
localities the statelier tree, the red fir, is
conspicuous by its size and vigor. The
black pine rarely attains any great size,
trees more than two feet in diameter being
exceptional, while over considerable areas
they are SO diminutive as to be locally known
as alodge-pole" pine. The young forest is
generally made up of shapely, graceful trees,
but the maturer growth is not specially at
tractive. The charm of the forest is found
in the natural groupings aud park-like
character of the trees in the more open
country, many of those on the mountain
slopes being of exquisite beauty. For
grandeur and imposing appearance they
are not, however, to be compared with those
of the Sierra Nevada or Cascade Ranges
Precipitation Of moisture throughout the
arid region of the Far West is governed in
part by mountain mass and in part by the
great altitude of single ridges. Across the
Park plateau and the Absaroka Range to
the eastward the country is unsurpassed in
average elevation by any area Of equal ex-
i n. n