New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-02


different climatic conditions than similar upliits
! near the ocean. This is we'll illustrated III .nc
| Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians Inc
| former are surrounded by dry atmosphere OF
wonderful transparency, reach far above timoer-
| line and abound in naked cliffs, rugged summics
| and profound canops. The latter, as already de-
scribed. present far different aspects.
| The nearly uniform elevation of many peaks
IN individual ranges throughout the central part
of the continent well as the abruptness OF the
porres and canons separating them, indicate the
method Of their formation. The peaks and crests
of the various ranges owe their existence TO the
| unbeaysl seemingly by intumescence from be-
meath large areas of the earths crust, followed
| by disintegration and erosion. Deep gashes have
| becn cut in the upheaved blocks and the exca-
waited material carried away by streams toward
| its ultimate destination, the sea. The peaks,
spjres and domes left between the canons and
! porecs stand as monumental records of the vast
| ness of the task already performed-a task, how
| ever scarcely more than begun The present con-
ditons continuing, the mountains will ultimately
/ be leveed, and plain rising barely above the
sea will spread its carpet of grasses and flowers
where now the clouds cannot pass unchalenged.
The western limit of the Rocky Mountain sys-
tenn in Utah and Idaho is in part nearly as
The grandeur of the Wasatch Mountains. whose
SUBMITS overlook the valley of Great Salt Lake
from an altitude of 1000 feet. Is undoubtedly
| familiar to many readers.
MOUNTAINS OF THE GREAT BASIN
Between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra
Nevada there is belt Of country about 500 miles
broad that is extremely arid and strongly con-
| trasted with other portions of the United States
in nearly all its scenic features. This is region
| of interior drainage and for this reason was
named by General Fremont The Great Basin.'
Crossing it from northeast 10 southwest are many
| sharply serrated mountain ranges which divide 10
| into independent drainage areas, from which the
water escapes only by evaporation. But little
moisturcs reaches the valleys, consequently they
are desert-lilc and arid The mountains. how
| ever are even more barren and lifcless than
| the ashen-coored plains between, and rise sharp
and angular against coudiess sky. Their
| only clothing is the purple haze OF the desert.
They are Towers of Silence. The music of running
waters. the rusting Of leaves, the songs of birds
and the busy hum of insect life are seldom heard
among them. Although their rugged sides are
never purple with heather white with daisies,
they are not lacking in color. Many of the ranges
are composed of volcanic rocks of various tints
and at times arpear even more gorgeous than the
hills or New England i'll October number of
the mountains of the Great Basin rise from 1000
10 1900 feet above the sea, while the visual
heights of the more imposing SUBMITS vary from
6 GOO TO 5000 feet. The high peaks not
grouped in special areas bit occupy the crsts Of
the narrow ranges throughout the entire region.
The highest mountain the east border is
known as jeff Davis Peak. II stands in Nevada
near the Utah boundary and has an elevation
above the sea Of 1900 feet The highest Of all
however, is Mcbride Peak situated Oh the Nevada
California boundary, near Lake Mono It's
elevation, as determined by the United States
Coast and Geodetic Survey, was also the height
given for JEFF Davis Peak, is 1892 feet. As
seen from adjacent valleys its apparent height is
about 1000 feet.
Owing TO the peculiar climatic character OF the
Arid Region of which the Great Basin is the most
typical part, the submits of the mountains are
greatly shattered, while their bases surrounded
by debris piles and alluvial cones Of vast SIZE
but the rocks do not suffer decay and are Lot
carried away by streams AS a consequence. the
valleys are filed to depth, in many instances of
from 5000 to 5000 feet and the mountains, as
we now see them are frequently but the crcsts of
buried ranges. Where this condition is most pro-
nounced the sharp ridges protruding from the
level plains have acquired the name Of " Lost
Mountains"
SIERRA NIvADA AND CASCADE RANGE
The western rim Of the Great Basin is formed
by the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Mountains
Each of these ranges has dominant peaks OF great
magnitude. In the more elevated portion OF the
Sierra Nevada, and overlooking the desert valleys
Of Nevada and Southeastern California. are many
domes. spires and serrate crcsts which surpass IN
picturesquencss the highest and boldesf sum
mits of the Rocky Mountains. The Sierra Nevada
IS formed of long narrow block Of the earths
crust which has been appraised along the west side
Of profound fracture. As the block slowly
upheaved it was tilted to the west IS TO have
sharply defined crest line along its eastern border
Gorges canons and amphitheatres have been sculpt~
ured in the mountain ridge, and It's crest line
notchcd so 70 form many prom-
nent spires and pnnaces Among the
countless peaks that bristle along the
summit is finer than Mount Ritter
Mount Lyell and neighboring elevations. which
overlook both Lake Mono and the Yosemite Val
ley. This group of spires and minarcts is part
of what is known as the High Sierra but
not the grandest portion Their elevation is
little over 49, 600 feet The same general series
Of tapering peaks. with profound canons between,
extends a hundred miles and more 10 the south.
and eliminates in Mount Whitney, just west Of
Owens Lake. Cal This is the highest point in
the United States. not including Alaska. As de
termincd by Professor S. y. Langley its elevation
above the sea is 14,522 feet Its visual height
from Owens Lake is nearly II 900 feet.
The scenery Of the High Sierra is without
question the finest and boldest in this country
excepting always Arctic Province" Many
Of the great peaks stand on the immediate east
border Of the range and rise with extreme rugged
| ness from the gray deserts. Their SUBMITS reach
| thousands of feet above timber line and barely
penetrate the region Of perpetual snow In
| basins sheltered from the suns rays about the
higher peaks and crests. small glaciers still lingcr
| and suggest the time when the entire range
covered by one vast ice field from beneath which