The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-14
WONDERS OF CRATER MOUNTAIN.
A Descent Into the Interior of an Ex-
tinct Volcano.

Crater mountain is one Of the Umatilla
Indians great spook depots from ancient
times. Bucks that are now White with the
hoary frosts of many winters recoilect hang
ing in the trees tightly strapped to their
nursing boards while their mothers roamed
the forests In search of game for the lords
Of creation. or wood for the tepee, and
from infancy love TO relate how the Great
Spirit spoke to them with the awful voice
OF terrific thunder in the bowels of the
earth. Many are the stories and legends or
Indian lore told Of Crater mountain.
One of the favorite ones is told of a
great war between the Shoshones and
Umatilias. When the Umathlas had con-
quered their foes they proceeded to slaugh-
ter cd and young, regardless of sex. One
beautiful Shoshone maiden. seeing that
death was inevitable from her pursuing
foes. plunged headiong into the burning
crater. and instantly the volcanic erup,
ton ceased, much to the CONSERVATION Of
found, on looking down the chasm OF inky
darkness a Respondent light with the form
OF the Snoshone maiden in the midst OF the
appafition. They told IL &c their dusky war
riors, and TO this day Crater mountain is
looked upon with reverence from an Indian
point of view.
j. A. Wright: Crater mountain is To-
Gated some eleven miles from the camp
or CornucoDia. on the south side of the
range. whose caps are tipped with eternal
snow. Many chasms and assures nave in
the misty past cleft the mountains and
left them in the most fantastic shapes.
N-@R<1 " oAON oAG1A a VI l&lll
he.yht Is reached. and close under the
base OF one of the great peaks is the
famous kline volcano. Ashes and lava
are found in great Drofusion and in such
ndesc~ISable masses that it makes the
ascent one OF peril and great difficulty.
NOV ths b once a. the top q peek down
tie most morbid minds with all the SEN
sational;srn necessary for a lifetime. A
down and listen to the sounds as they
struck on the projecting sides of the dark
chirrney until the sounds died away. leav-
ing nothing but for the mystifed explorer
to guess ii had reached the bottom"
Many have. been the stories circulated
OF the, wonderful cavern that extended
stout cable was provided and a basket
swung from a pully. The Hon. Joseph,
wish camera and note book. was care
fully lowered some S7s feet. when he no.
ticed an aperature in the side of the
chimney. and by signals agreed upon a
halt was called in his downward career.
and he crawled through a cleft in the
great chimney and the work OF explora-
ton began The first sight that met his
chamber from whose mighty dome huns
stalactites of great beauty. which was en-
danced by the light of the candle. and
Pickering candle seemed to possess the
power. OF some unseer hand that made
millions of the brilliant stalactites dance
biln afed's at the s sssasgi g g5eap snowy o W
The explorer CROPPED his way to the fal
end OF the chamber, where he thought he
heard sounds of falling water; nor was
he mistaken. for, squeezing himself
through an opening, he found himself In
another chamber of great beauty with a
the earth. The incrustation from the sui.
phur water had transformed the cavern
into a coral-like substance and left Ii In
such fantastic shapes. He found In the
water some lively little lizards and some
frogs that change color on the slightest
provocation. and two large rats, who eyed
4 the explorer with a CURIOSITY that seemed
to bode no good, and he longed for his
little gun.