The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-07-11
It is q. Valley Of Deatfl.

1t is valley OF Ueatn.
''In Yellowstone Park there Is ravine
that proves as deadly to animal life as
that Valley of Java, where wild beasts
perish by the score," said Henry W.
Mcintyre at the Palace Hotel last night.
The gentleman was connected with the
party who surveyed the reservation,
under the leadership Of Arnold Hague,
the park geologist. While following the
streams to trace the extinct hot springs
the explorers reached a ravine 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 q solution Of the
strange affair vas found only when q
crow had beer seen to fly from the side
of the valley to carcass that was yet
fresh light on its prey, and almost iname-
diately fall to the ground.
'The death of the bird" continued Mr..
Mcintyre, "was caused by gaseous e1ha.
lations, 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 north.
eastern part of the park, in the vicinity
of the mining Camp Of Cooke Greek, and
not far from the line of the mail route.
ALI about this region gaseous exhalations
are given of, which form sulphurous de.
posits. 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 centre of the meadow, reached
by an old elk trail, is a shallow depres.
sion that was once the bed of . hot
spring pool. This is now dry and covered
with slight deposit of salt, and that ID
the bait that attracts the elk and other
game of the region. The lick extends
for seyenty.tiv yards up the ravine and
is thicker and more palatable towards
the upper end. The creek runs past
along the side of the valley and boils and
bubbles as if it Was the outlet of a hot
spring. But the water is cold and the
disturbance in its surfaces is caused by
the emissions of gas, mainly carbonic
acid. .Italso contains sulphur, as parti-
cles 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 pas.
sages. About eight yards above Cache
Greek were the bones of a large bear and
near by was smaller grizzly decom.
posed, but with the skin and hair yet
fresh. Only q short distance farther on
were the skeletons of many more ami.
mails, 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 drive into which the
animals Of the park had been hunted and
had there been leftto die of hunger out
of mere wantonness. There were no
wounds apparent on the bodies before
us; all the animals had been asphyxia.
ted by the deadly gases that hung q few
feet from the surface Of the gulch in a
dense, palpable curtain.
'sThe first bear ne saw was good way
down the gulch, where 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 remem-
bered that the slightest motion causes
diffusion of the ether that would tend to
decrease its noxious properties. Here is
the explanation of the oft repeated
assertion that game was being extermi.
mated by hunters in the Yellowstone,
Notwithstanding the stringent laws that
had been passed for the protection OF
animals there. l had seen it noted that
each year bears, deer, mountain tigers
and other wild animals were disappear
ing from the reservation, and it was
asserted that friends of the people who
had charge of the park we're allowed to
hunt there in defiance Of the Law. There
were probably $50 bodies Of wild ami.
mails in the gulch when I WAS there.
But, although there we're skeletons entire
and single bones, it must not be supposed
these were the remains of all the game
that had found death in tho raVine
They had accumulated only since the
last rainstorm. Through this gulch 8
mountain torrent runs when the anows
have melted from the mountains or after
hard rain. Then all things, stones
and bodies, are tumbled together on
their way to the mouth Of the gulch
whence they are carried away in the
creeks or are left to mark the course o:
the stream and bleach on the table lands
I had noticed near the Mammoth ho,
springs the bodies of mice and bugs, but
had never attributed their presence tt
the deadly gases that we're 80 rapidly
killing off the large game of the park
San Franc;sco Ch, onicle.