The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-09
A NEW GIANTS CAUSEWAY.
FOUND BIZ GOVERNMENT EXPLORERS
NEAR MOUNT LYELL.

Agent Nelson's Men Enter the Yosenite
Park by . New Route and Sec Many
Interesting Thines-Death Valleys Ter
rors Surpassed In saline Valley.
BAN Francisco. Jan. Especial Field Agent
Nelson OF the Governments Death Valley ex-
ploring party has just reached here after an
eyentful trip through the mountains back Of
Yosemite Park, where he explored the new
territory and discovered basaltic columnar
cliffs which. he declares. are fully equal to the
Giants Causeway on the coast Of Ireland. The
party went from Darwin in Death Valley
across tho Paramint Mountains to the Grape
vine range In Nevada. and then returned over
the White Mountains. entering Yosemite by
new route. In Saline Valley they found It
worse than In any part Of Death Valley. The
manganese In the rock was oxidized By the
intense heat OF the sun until It was like fur
mace. Nelson said Of their experiences in this
valley:
We had a fine black dog. and on arriving In
the valley the dog. being warm jumped into
spring to cool himself. When he got out the
heat was 80 intense It steamed and scalded
his skin. and next day all his hair came out,
and he was completely raw. The following
day he died. That night it was 30 hot in the
valley that went early. before the sun was up,
to examine the traps We had set. found sew
eral small rodents. but they we're dead and
cooked in the traps from tho heat. and fell to
pieces when attempted to get them out
Our next objective point was the White
Mountains. between California and Nevada,
sixty miles away and 1900 feet high. There,
as We gradually assembled. We reached banks
Of snow and the fora and fauna OF the Arctic
zone. 1t took us two weeks to get up and pre-
pare to get away again. In that time we cap
m ~
Thence We proceeded to Owens River. and
from there on to Yosemite. We made our way
over enormous glacier beds. crossing into the
head Of the San joaquin River Mountains,
which rise to great height here and are full
OF frightful gorges.
" From the head OF the San joaquin we left
all known trails and proceeded across the d.
vide OF tile Sierras. IL. 500 feet high. and down
into the extreme head Of MERGED River. We
had some rough experiences there The coun-
try is cut up with precipices. and for twenty.
five miles rs we pushed on toward Yosemite
We at no time knew what half a mile would de.
velop Acurious sight we beheld was three
humming birds amid the snow and Arctic
plants. For three days i1 was awful. In tina.
time we did not make more thana mile day.
We would camp at night sometimes in sight oil
the ledge where we had camped on the previ.
GUS night.
"On tho border Of tho hitherto UNEMPLOYED
part OF Yosemite Park back Of Mount Lyell. al
the head Of tho north fork Of the San Joaquin
We one day came upon a sight so strange and
interesting that we did not care to move on
until We had made full exploration. What
we discovered was curious cliffs Of basaltic
spires. some reaching fifty feet high. and all
six-sided. One thirty feet high stood
out unsupported. At the base OF the
great cliff were thousands OF pieces Of
basaltic spires which had fallen and broken
The pieces were from ten to fourteen inches
thick The basaltic spire which stood Out
alone was about foot thick. do not doubt
that these columnar cliffs will eventually be-
come famous. Their location at the head o.
the north fork Of the San Joaquin Is one o.
| great picturesqeness and beauty.
when We reached Yosemite. old Caller
| Clark. guardian OF the valley, could scarcel,
| believe when we told him by what route We
had come. He said the Indians avoided that
country because 1t was so rough. The expedi
| ton. since 1t was organized year ago. ha:
secured from 1000 to 5000 skins Of variou.
| animals. and many thousand birds. flowers
and plants. As a result Of it's work the ANNA
| life OF California will be better known thar
ever BEFORE"