The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-07-19
AyALLEY OF DEATH.
Rsvino In the Yel!owston. Park Where Game
Is ASphyxiated.


Ravinc In the Yellowstone Park Where Game
Is ASphyxfated.
"1n Yellowstone park there is n
ravine that proves as deadly to ani-
NAL life us that Death Valley of Java
where wild beasts perish by the
score" said Henry W. Mcintyre at
the Palnce hotel Inst night. The
gentleman, says tho San Francisco
Chronicle, was connected with tho
party who surveyed the reservation,
under the leadership OF Arnold
Hague, the park gcoloyist. While
following the streams to trace the
extinct hot springs the explorers
reached Il ravinc in which the bones
OF many animals. bears, deer, rabbits,
and squirrels, We're found. The
presence of the remains caused the
party much wonder, and IL solution
OF the strange affair was found only
when II crow that had been seen to
fly from the side OF the valley to q
c;lrcass that was yet fresh lit on it's
prey and almost Immediately fell to
the ground.
"'The death of the bird" continued
Mr. Mcintyre, was caused by case
ous cxhnlntions, whose presence in
the park had been before unsus-
pcctel. The lnrgcr game also
met itS death by inhaling the dead
ly gas. The ravinc is in tho
northeastern part of the park. in the
vicinity of the mining c;tnnp OF Cooke
Creek, and not far from the line of
the mail route. All about this re.
gion gaseous exhaations nre given
off, which form sulphnrous deposits.
In the almost extinct hot spring
areas OF Soda butte, Lamar river,
and Cache and Miller creeks the ra-
vine was found. This region is rare
ly visited: although it is an admirn-
ble place for game, which, however,
goes unmolrstcd by man, the laws
ngninst hunting being very severe.
The road to the valley has few at
fractions, and the visitors to the fos-
sill forests and lIindou basin seldom
make the trip.
I'm the center of ~ meadow. reach
ed by an old Elk trail, is ~ shallow
depression that was once the he'd of
n hot-spring pool. This is now dry
and is covered with IL slight deposit
ofsalt, and is the l,lit that attracts
the elk and other game olthc region.
The iick' extends for seventv-iive
yards up the rlvineand is thicker and
more pal pable toward the upper
end. The creek runs along the side o
the valleyand boils and bubbles asifit
were the outlet ola hotspring. But the
itatcr is cold and the disturbance in
gs surface caused by the emissions of
wns, mainly carbonic acid. 1t also
contains sulphur. as particles of that
are seen on the Sides oftllccreek. 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 a large
bear and rear by was a smaller
grizzly, dccompoScd, but with the
skin and hair yet fresh. Only u short
distance further Oh were skeletons of
many more animals, such us elk and
deer and ther large game. Squirrels
rabbits, birds, and insects were ly.
ing about in quantities, and the rn-
vine looked as il it had been the
scoop of IL drive, into which the an
imals OF the park had been hunted
and had there been left to die ofhun-
ger out OF mere wantonncss. There
were no wounds apparent on tho
bodies before us; all the animals had
been asphyXiatrd by the deadly gas
es that hung Il few feet from the sur
face OF the gulch i'll IL dense, palpublc
curtain.
''Thc first bear we saw was II good
way down the gulch, where ii neck is
formed. To that point the gas
must have been driven by the wind,
and it's deadly nature may be easily
guessed when it is remembered that
the slightest motion causes IL diflu-
sion of the ether that would tend to
decrease it's noXious properties.
Here is the explanation OF the oft
repeated assertion that game was
being exterlninuted by hunters in
the Yellowstone, notwithstanding
the stringent laws that have been
passed for the protection of animals
there. had seen it noted that
each year bears, deer, mountain
tigers, and other wild animals were
disappearing from the reservation.
and it was asserted that friends of
the people who had charge of tho
park were allowed to hunt there in
the defiance OF the law. There were
probably $50 bodies of wild ami
mails 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 oil the game that had found
death in the ravine. They had ac-
only since the last rain
storm. Through the gulcll Il noun
tain torrent runs when the SHOWS
have melted from the mountains or
after n hard rain. Then all things,
stones, bones and lhoGies, are tum-
bled together on their way to tile
mouth of the gulcli, 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 attributed their pres
cnce to the deadly gasses thut were
so rapidly killing the large game of
the park"