The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-09-07
ON CRATER MOUNTAIN
Historic Remains of an.
Extinct Volcano.
It Was Explored by Hon.
j. A. Wright.
Story of a Beautiful Indian Maiden
Plunging into the Burning Crater to
Escape Punishment of Enemies.

Escape Punishment of Enemies.
Crater mountain is one Of the Uma-
tilla indians great spook depots from
ancient times. Bucks that are now
white with the hoary frosts of many
winters recollect to hanging 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 Of Indian lore
told Of Crater mountain. One of the
favorite ones is told Of a great war
between the Shoshones and Umatillas.
When the Umatillas had conquered
their foes they proceeded to slaughter
old and yourg regardless Of sex. One
beautiful Shoshone maiden, seeing that
death was inevitable from her pursu-
ing foes, plunged headlong into the
burning crater, and instantly the vol
canic eruption ceesed, much to the
CONSERVATION of her pursuers, who, on
the following day found on looking
down the chasn of inky darkness q
resplendent light with the form Of the
Shoshone maiden in the midst Of the
apparition. They told it to their dusky
wa arricrs. and to this day Crater noun
tain is looked upon with reverence
from an Indian point of view that al
most passes the bounds Of cupidity.
Many other stories are extant of this
wonder. However, sufficient is
in light to make the explorer pause and
reflect on the mighty power of nature
and the punity of mankind when
weighed in the scales Of power. The
following, says the Baker City Demo-
crat, is from the dairy Of Hon. J.. A.
Wright, who is a careful scientist, ever
on the alert for something new and
always ready to look into the deep
mysteries OF nature: Crater noun
tain is local ifaaae eleven miles
from the camT ~ CorGpsDTia. on the
south side of khss tInge whose caps are
tipped with eternal snow. Many
chasms and assures have in the misty
past cleft the mountains and left them
in the most fantastic shapes. yege-
CdLlOH CSdScS u SIOWNdltSI q CCi "a Ia
height is reached and close under tfae
base of one Of the great peaks Is the
famous extinct volcano. Ashes and
lava are found in great profusion and
in such indescribable masses that 1t
makes the ascent one of peril and
great difficulty. However, once at the
top, peek down into the blank, faith
omless abyss. supplies the most morbid
dc, xxy;f oil y1n(
essary for a lifetime. A favorite
amusement was to throw rocks down
and listen to the sounds as they struck
on the projecting sides of the dark
chimney until the sounds died away
leaving nothing but for the mystified
explorer to guess it had reached the
bottom Maay have been the stories
circulated Of the wonderful cavern
that extended from the sides of the
great chimney. A stout cable was
provided and a basket swung from a
pulley. The Hon. Joseph with camera
and note book was carefully lowered
some 378 feet when he noticed an ap-
erature IN the side Of the chimney,
and by signals agreed upon halt was
called in his downward career, and he
crawled through a cleft in the great
chimney, and the work of exploration
begun. The first sight that met his
astonished gaze was most stupend-
uous chamber from whose mighty dome
hung stalactites of great beauty, which
was enhanced by the light of the can
die, and fairly struck terror to his
heart, as the fickering candle seemed
to possess the power OF some unseen
hand that made millions of the bril-
liant stalactites dance in respondent
beauty. A great snowy owl blinked his
two balls of fire at the astonished Jo-
seph, and with such persistency he
thought surely this is the witches
cauldron'' and expected to find perched
on some point of rock one Of the impS
from the unfathomable hereafter.
However, nothing of the kind came in
view and the explorer CROPPED his way
to the far 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 beiuty with g. stream of hot
sulphur water running into the earth
or rocks. The incrustation from the
sulphur water had transformed the
cavern into a coral like substance and
left 1t in such fantastic shapes. He
found in the water some lively little
lizards and some frogs that change
color on the slightest provocation, two
large rats, who eyed the explorer with
a curiosity that seemed to bode no
good and he 1onged for his little gum"
AN EMBEZZLER ON TRIAL.