Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-04
DEATH GULCH.
A DEADLY GAS SPRING IN VEL
LoWsToNE PARK.
Remains of Animals Found That
Had Been Asphyxiated by the Ir-
respirable Vapors in the Fatal
Ravine.


respirable Vapors in the Fatal
Ravine.
The familiar fable of the upas tree,
living in valley of death wherein all
life was killed by its deadly exhalations
and the ground was strewn with the
bones of its victims, has been proven,
like many travellers tale, to be high
ly colored and exaggerated account OF a
natural phenomenon. The upas tree is
now well known to have poisonous sap,
but not poisonous yapors. But the
story survives in the accounts given OF
the Death Valley of Java, which it was
long believed no traveller could cross,
"wherein every living being which pen
| etrated the valley falls down dead, and
the soil is covered with the carcasses Of
tigers, deer, birds, and even the bones
of men, all killed by the abundant ex-
halations of carbonic-acid gas, with
which the bottom of the valleyis filed.
Such is the description given by Lyell,
of this famous valley; while another 10
cality is described as place where ''the
sulphurous exhalations have killed
tigers, birds and innumerable insects,
and the soft parts of these animals are
perfectly preserved, while the bones are
eroded and entirely destroyed. The re-
searches of Junghuhn have shown that
these accounts are much exaggerated,
the "yalley of Death" being a funnel
shaped depression but 100 feet in diam
eter instead of a valley half mile
across. In the bottom of this depression
there is hole fifteen feet in diameter,
from which gaseous emanatious are
given out, which at times accumulate to
depth sufficient to envelop and suffo-
cate animals on the bottom of the hol-
low. Repeated visits by Junghuhn, ex-
tending over period of twelve years,
showed that the amount of gas varied
greatly from time TO time, but rarely
ever rose over two to six inches above
the bottom. AT the time of his earlier
visit he found the body OF Javanese
native in the depression, but expert
enced no difficulty or oppression while
there himself. This same body was still
undecomposed, owing to the presery-
ative effect of the layer of gas, when he
repeated his visit eighteen months later
The only other remains seen during his
subsequent visits were the carcasses of
six swine. which We're decomposed and
putrid. At this time the absence Of the
gas was shown by the presence Of crow
feeding upon the dead bodies.
Though thus shorn of much of its +
former glory, the Paknraman, or poison 4
hole, is the largest and most dangerous /
of the gas springs of mofettes of Java, /
and indeed Of the world, and really de- (
serves the title of a natural death trap. /
Though such carnations are common .
in all volcanic regions, this has been the .
only place known where the gases have
accumulated and caused the death OF
the larger animals.
In the Yellowstone National Park,
now so well known as the wonderland
of America, there is a place equalbng
this famous death valley, and where the
gaseous exhalations have proved fatal TO
numerous bear, elk and many smaller
animals.
This place, to which the appropriate
name Of death Gulch" is given, was
discovered by the writer during the past
summer 1S8S) while making a geologi-
cal examination Of the region for Mr..
Arnold Hague, the geologist in charge
Of the survey OF the park. 1t is situated
in the extreme northeastern portion Of
this reservation, short distance south
of the mail route, which, leaving Lamar
river, follows up Soda Butte creek to
the mining camp of Cook City. In this
region the lavas which fill the ancient
basin of the park rest upon the tanks of
mountains formed of fragmentary vol
canic ejecta, and tertiary andesitic brec-
cias, which rest in turn upon nearly ;
horizontal paleozoic strata; while the
hydrothermal forces, which are repre-
sented by the geysers and hot springs
Of the central portion of the park, where {
the lava sheet is thicker show but feeble 9
of their energy in the az {
most extinct hot-spring areas of Soda I
creek, Lamar river, Cache creek and |
Miller creek. Although hot water no c
longer flows from the vents of these {
lreas, the deposits OF travertine, sintcr $
md decomposed rock attest the former I
of thermal springs. Gaseous !
are not given off, however, c
n considerable volume, producing ex- 4
ensive alteration in the adjacent rocks. e
md giving rise to sulphurous deposits. S
1t is ut one of these places that the e
atal ravine is found. Situated ON u
ydcilt CREEK. nut TWO illleS ABOVE us =
confluence with Lamar river, il is q
asily reached by n horseback ride of o
ONE miles from the mail station of n
soda Butte. The region is, however, s.
arely visited; for hunting is forbidden p
n the park, while the place has not q
'een known to present any attraction s.
or the few visitors who pass near it ON s.
heirway to the well-known Fossil forests tC
nd the weird scenery of the Hindoo v
asin. IL
The gulch ends, or rather begins, in s.
scoop or basin about $50 feet above f.
ache creek; and just below this We n
1und the fresh body of large bear, a g
llver-tip grizzly with the remains of a 81
in an advanced state of de- m
above him. Near by were do
he skeletons of four more bears, with el
lie bones of an elk a yard or two above.
lille in the bottom of the pocket were
10 f,.ael, ,.a,,,os,,e pf c,.-..-,l