The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-04
A VALLEY or DEATH.
T. Kavine In Yellowstone National Par
Where Game is Asphyxiated.

Where Game Is Asphyxiated.
"In Yellowstone Park there is a
ravine tnat proves as deadly to animal
life as that Death Valley of Java,
where wild beasts perish by the score,"
said Henry W. Mcintyre. The gentle
man was connected with the party who
surveyed the reservation, under the
leadership of Arnold Hague, the park
seologist. While following the streams
% trace the extinct hot springs the
explorers reached q ravine in which
he bones of m any animals. bears. deer.
'abbits and squirrels, were found.
The presence of the remains caused
the party much wonder, and a solution
of the strange affair was found only
from the side of the valley to a carcass
that was yet fresh lit on it's prey, and
almost Immediately fell to the ground.
The death of the bird" continued
Mr. Mcintyre, twas caused by gaseous
exhalatiOns, whose presence in the
park had been before unsupported.
The larger game also met its death by
inhaling the deadly gas. The ravine
is in the northeastern part of the park,
in the vicinity of the mining camp of
Cooke Creek. and not far from the line
of the mail route. All about this re-
giOn gaseous eXhalatlOns are given off,
which form sulphurous deposits. In
the almost extinct hot-spring areas of
Soda Butte. Lamar river and Cache
and Miller creeks the ravine was found.
This region is rarely visited, although
it is an admirable spot for game.
which, however, goes unmolested by
man, the laws against hunting being
very severe. The road to the valley
has few attractions, and the visitors
to the Fossil forests and Hindoo basin
seldom make the trip.
"In the center of meadow, reached
by an old elk trail, is shallow de-
preston that was once the bed of a
hot-spring pool. This is now dry and
is covered with a slight deposit of
salt. and that Is the bait that at
tracts the elk and other game of the
region. The lick extends for seventy
five yards up the ravine and is thicker
and more palpable towards the upper
end. The creek runs past along the
side of the valley and boils and bub-
bles as if it were the outlet of hot
spring. But the water is cold and the
disturbance in its surface is caused by
the emissions of gas, mainly carbonic
acid. 1t also contains sulphur, as
particles of that are seen on the sides
of the creek. AS we went up the
stream the OdOr of sulphur became
very strong and caused irritation of
the bronchial passages. About eighty
yards above Cache creek were the
bones of large bear and nearby was
a smaller grizzly decomposed, but
with the skin and hair yet fresh.
Only short distance farther on were
the skeletons OF many more animals,
such as elk and deer and other large
game. Squirrels, rabbits. birds and
insects were lying about in quantities
and the ravine looked as if it had been
the scoop of a drive into which the
animals of the park had been hunted
and had there been left to die of hun
ger out of mere wantonness. There
were no wounds apparent on the
bodies before us; all the animals had
been asphyxiated by the deadly gases
that hung a few feet from the surface
of the gulch in a dense, palpable cur
tain.
1.-The first bear we saw was a good
way down the gulch, where a neck is
formed. TO that point the gas must
have been driven by the wind. and its
deadly nature may be easily guessed
when it is remembered that the slight
est motion causes a diffusion of the
ether that would tend to decrease it's
noxious properties. Here is the ex-
PLANTATION of the oft-repeated assertion
that game was being exterminated by
hunters in the Yellowstone, notwith-
standing the stringent laws that had
been passed for the protection of ami
mails there. | had seen it noted that
each year bears, deer, mountain tigers
and other wild animals were disap-
pearing from the reservation, and it
was asserted that friends of the people
who had charge of the park were al
lowed to hunt there in defiance of the
law. There were probably $50 bodies
of wild animals in the gulch when l
was there. But, although there were
skeletons entire and single bones, it
must not be supposed these were the
remains of all the game that had found
death in the ravine. They had &C
cumulated only since the last rain
storm. Through this gulch a mount
ain torrent runs when the SHOWS have
melted from the mountains or after a
hard rain. Then all things, stones,
bones and bodies, are tumbled together
on their way down to the mouth of
the gulch, whence they are carried
away in the creeks Or are left to mark
the course of the stream and bleach on
the table lands. l had noticed near
the Mammoth hot springs the bodies
of mice and bugs, but had never at
tributed their presence to the deadly
gases that were so rapidly killing of
the large game of the park. San
Francisco Chronicle.
Tommy was at Sunday school in
his first pair of trousers, and picture
OF lot of little angels was before the
class. Tommy. would you like to be
little angelo asked the teacher.