The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-14
ACROSS THE DIVIDE.
Progress of Pathfinder O'Neil
and His Party.
FALLS OF THE skokoMlsH.
Band Of Fifty Elk Encountered and Ten
siain-TraiI Now Cut to Summit
Of the Olympics.


In THE OLYMPIcs, Aug. 9.-On the even
ing of July 10 the O'Neil party. then
camped on the Skokomish river just below
its south branch, dropped their canvas.
hauled down the stars and stripes and
pennant of the Oregon Alpine Club, and
again the jingle OF the beil-mare broke the
oppressive stiffness of this wilderness OF
timber as she picked her way down the
newly-cut trail. followed by the struggling
string of loaded mues The route led up
the south branch for about half mile to
. point where q bridge had been thrown
across the stream. This crossing is worthy
a word of notice. Formed of felled tim
Der, and flied in with broken rocks, it
spans the mountain torrent not three
feet above its seething surface, while .
beautiful waterfall gives out its everlasting
roar not twenty feet away, making sight
worthy an artists pencil.
After crossing the stream the trail fol-
lows down the opposite bank, crossing to q
point one mile up the main river. Here on
the bank of the stream camp No. 6 was
pitched, about quarter of a mile below
which are situated the falls of the Skuko-
mlsh.
These beautiful falls are situated at the
head of the gorge, through which the Sko-
komish river runs for abolt three miles.
The whole body of water is here gath
cred into space of about five feet, falling
over ledge of rock in the form of veil a
distance of about twenty-five feet into q
very deep pool about thirty feet wide and
forty feet long. At the end of this pool it
again makes another clear drop of thirty
fnnf toE eli <~Ht r. ~ 10
left, it passes through chute formed in
The rock. and striking the opposite rock
wall. falls in cloud of spray distance of
sixty feet, striking on q ledge, and falls in
a solid body into q rock below that is
shaped like bowl and causes the water to
be thrown up again like the petals of q
flower.
From the foot of the falls perpendicular
walls of rock rise on both sides to height
of 200 feet.
With the intention of viewing these falls
to the best advantage, and also in order to
represent them to the public in proper
manner, Colonel H. e. Linsley and the
writer climbed down to the foot of them.
Here we found another of natures won
ders, namely, q small subterranean creek
flowing under this great wall OF rock.
1t is regretable that the photographer of
the expedition is unavoidably detained in
Portland, and so we cannot procure pho
tograph of these falls, but photogr aphic APP
paratus has been telegraphed for. and as
several of our members are adopts in this
line we may yet be able to get picture of
them.
On the left bank of the river, opposite
the falls, we found the Joynt river camp
of the Wickershani party, which had led
us to suppose that they did not know that
this river already had name, and so had
called it after Mr.. Joynt, a member of their
party. To compromise the matter we gave
the falls the name of Honey moon falls, in
honor of Mr.. and Mrs. Taylor. who were
members of the party and on their wedding
tour.
Our exploration party that have been
over the divide report large quantities of
snow still in the higher ranges. With this
in view Lieutenant O'Neil made camp No.
permanent headquarters for some time.
while parties were sent out in every direc-
ton to ascertain the most advantageous
route TO cross the divide.
While on one of these trips Sergeant
Yates, Marsh and Assistant Botanist
Fisher had the good fortune to come across
band of fifty elk, out of which they killed
ten.
The party had been sent out to see if
there was crossing by the head of the
North Fork, and also to get some game if
possible. as meat was wanted in camp.
On the second day out they got to the
headwaters and found it impossible to get
mules over this way. They here killed q
whistling marmot, which they had served
in different styles for three meals. That
day they passed several camps of the
Wickersham party, and slept that night
under large glacier. In the morning they
crossed over into a canyon that contained
five lakes. and here they separated, Fisher
remaining on the summit. while the other
two started in different directions down the
canyon.
After separating Sergeant Yates soon
saw very large band of elk crossing to the
east which, on gaining large snow bank,
all lay down. Yates then made his way
back to Fisher, and posting him in a posi-
ton where he could watch them and also
signal to him if they moved, he started out
and soon found Marsh. The elk lay on
bank of snow just under small bluff, and
onto this bluff the hunters got. and picking
out an old bull and two cows that Law side
by side, so that in case they overshot they
would hit the farthest and if they
undershot they would hit the near
est, they drew bead on the
old bull that lay in the center and opened
fire at $50 yards, killing the farthest cow
dead and MORALLY wounding the bull. The
elk then got up, and not knowing where
the shots came from, they came right down
under the bluff the hunters were on and
in this way they were able to kill three
bulls and seven cows.
Taking all the meat they could carry
and leaving Fisher to look after the rest,
they returned to camp and the following
morning all hands left with knapsacks to
bring in the meat, returning on August 6
with about 200 pounds of meat
They reported having seen great num-
Der of bears, and during their absence
Fisher seeing a bear had started after it
with his revolver and followed ii into brush
patch where there were five more This he
thought was rather too much of a picnic
and so resigned his claim to any bear meat.
On arriving at the elk camp Samuel
O'Neil, taking Fisher and his dog Max,
started on across the range The main
business of the camp is now TO Jerk the
supply of meat on hand. On Sunday, Au-
gust 3. our botanist. Prof. l.. +. Hender-
son. was obliged to leave us.
AS far as he had got the professor had
found the fora identical with the Cascade
opiv ha AIont-x