The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-12-22
More About the BigSpriing
And few Interesting Bits in Regard
to Great Falls.
The Change of Three Years in tn,
Cataract City.
A What it is That Will Make q Thirty
ing Town.
About Great Falls.

The following extract from letter to
the Boston Journal will have interest for
those at home and abroad:
In the Century for January, 1883, Col smalley
had description OF boat trip down the Mis-
souri, from point just east OF Helena, which had
been made some three years before; in 1t he
speaks Of the prospective town, with its few huts,
as though he was skeptical regarding its future.
The city was vision till it was certain that the
Manitoba railroad would come from the east,
when the Montana Central was built, for its west
em connection, and the town sprung into exis-
tence. Why? Because of the vast, undeveloped
water power, the point where the coal mine rail
road should cross the Missouri and it being the
centre OF great catt'' ;" In February.
1883, the city already j Tie hl.. otel in Non
tana, the best fiouri, nil, the best stockedh>
ware and grocery ST. J, with several fine bri,.
blocks and multitude Of dwellings from the
board shack to the well appointed house, We
had heard Of the rapid growth Of western towns
and looked on this one with curious eyes. Five
years ago there was here only the almost untrod-
den prairie: now the busy hustle of an ambitious
town, with its two newspapers and great expec-
tations. But 1t was not the town that had drawn
Missouri. We had heard the marvellous story Of
Lewis Clarkes expedition nearly hundred
years ago, when only buffaloes and now and then
stray Indian trod these vast fields; of the year
and half Lewis and Clarke were in getting to
this point and their amazed wonder when they
discovered the series of falls and the Giant spring
therefore our party got pair Of black ponies and
started on our course Of discovery. The road
one drove where he would Some two miles from
the town we came to what is called the Black
Eagle fall 1t is more Of vast cascade than per-
pendicular fall and does not impress us much; in
the middle of the fall is low island with clump
| of cid cottonwood and here is the nest of the
eagle. or another, which Lewis and Clarke saw
We rem hg @ Ssns and
drove along eastward intent on seeing the Rain
bow fall, the finest of all the series; we pass low
ing Of a long wave on Nahant Beach-iust about
as high as a good roller. And few miles farther
we approached the river again, where We heard
roar a and looking over the very high bluff there
an even fall of water from shore to shore. Just
beyond US we saw a stairway leading down more
than 100 feet from the top Of the bank, which the
enterprise of the townsite owners had led them
to build; down we went, impressed more and
more with the beauty and majesty OF the fall:
| The river walls here are red sandstone and the
/
minded us of the much swollen one at the city enc
OF the Holyoke dam on heyond US the great enr
sandstone and we know that there is another
series of falls and then the Great falls but these
are too far off for an excursion and we turn bach
try and find the Slant prn At as
small plateau between the bluff and the river; II
its centre was the Giant spring. at first we though
it was small pond or a big pool, but we saw i
was all abOil as though huge fire were boiling
hundred great kettles; it was after sunset ant
growing dark; sombre shadows were cast and thu
gurgling up of the great bubbles from the darl
depths suggested all manner of wierd fancie!
which afterWard SO blended with the real tina
your correspondent could not rest content till h.
had made another visit which was six months af
terward, In October of last year when IN full day
light he made long and careful inspection of thu
pool more wonderful than that of Bethesda o
old. 1t is In the centre OF plain about seventy
five feet wide between the bluff and the river ant
about 80 feet above the surface OF the stream OF
the upper side; the river falls very fast in from
Of 1t, reminding one somewhat OF the descent o
the rapid in part Of the Three Sister Islands
Niagara. The soil Is thick over sandstone ledg
up through which the spring forces its way; tn
pool is full 40 feet in diameter and of unknown
depth, although bOulderS can be seen here ant
there in it while a, large part Of the surface !
covered with huge punches of rank and tende
water cress which are sWayed about by the com
motion; the temperature OF the water is 81 de
column of vapor arises from it; on the surfac
there are five boiling spots, distinct and NOR
troubled than the reSCOt ttneSe are at ledSC lee
in diameter and the water boils up as In front o
canal gates of huge dam when they are raise
from the bottom.
The water of the Missouri is OF greenish hu
and carries much sediment; that of the spring
of a dark blue, very clear and sweet and chemica
analysis says almost absolutely pure; the whol
surface of the pool is in commOtion as violentl
! as Just below the headgateS of the HoyOke dan
and as though hundred angels" were trout
ling" it; the great quantity of water which thu
bols up finds an outlet toward the river in fou
streams nearly as wide as the current betWee
the second and third of the Three Sister Island
of Niagara, although the current is OF course nc
nearly so strong yet reminding one OF it; 1T Is
though it were not simply flowing down the pei
hlY channel but was being also pushed from bt