Arizona silver belt., 1895-08-17
FLOWS IN TWO DIRECTIONS.
Stream That Divides It's Waters Be-
 tween tho Atlantic and Pacific.

The Yellowstone park abounds with wonders, but one of which little has been published is section of the park which has recently become the study of scientists; 1t is Two-Ocean pass Here is Q stream of water which flows in two directions. This spot is the sub ject of an interesting article in the Popular Science Monthly, by Barton w. Evermann, of the United States fish commission. He says:
 Many years ago the famous old guide, Jim Bridger, told his incredu- lous friends that he had found, on the divide west of the Upper Yellowstone, n creek which flowed in both directions --onc end flowing east into the Yellow stone, tho other west into Snake river. But, as he also told about many other strange and to them impossible things which he had seen--among which were glass mountain and river which ran down hill SO fast that the water was made boiling hot--thcy were not dis posed to acknowledge the existence of his "Two-Ocean creek" Subsequent events vindicated Bridger.
 
 forks entering the pass. At the north end of low, square meadow is a small wooded canyon, down which flows the North fork. This stream hugs the border of the flat very closely. The South fork comes down the canyon on the south side, slSirting the brow of the hill little less clos ely than does the North fork The two coming to- gether near the middle of the eastern border of the meadow form Atlantic creek, which, after n course of a few miles, flows into the Upper Yellow stone. But the remarkable phenomena exhibited here remain to be described. Each fork of Atlantic creek, just after entering the meadow, divides as if to flow around an island, but the stream toward the meadow, instead of returning to the portion from which it had parted, continues it's westerly course across the meadow. Just before reaching the western border the two streams unite, and then pour their com 1 bined waters into Pacific creek; thus are Atlantic and Pacific creeks united, and continuous waterway from the mouth of the Columbia, via Two-Ocean pass, to the Gulf of Mexico is estab, | lished Two-Ocean creek is not a ! myth, but a yerity and Jim Bridger is ! vindicated. We stood upon the bank | of either fork of Atlantic creek, just above the place of the parting of the waters, and watched the stream pur- sue its rapid but dangerous and uncer- tain course along the very crest of the Great Continental Divide. 4 creek ! flowing along the ridge.pole of con ! tinent is unusual and strange, and well worth watching and experimenting | with. So we waded to the middle of ! the North fork, and lying down upon l the rocks in its bed, we drank the pure icy water that was hurrying to the Pa i cifc, and without rising, but by simply bending a little to the left we took a draught from that portion of the 1 stream which was just deciding tn uo ! east, vla the Mississippi route | to the Gulf of Mexico And then we
 tossed chips, two at time, into the | stream Though they strike the water within an inch or SO of each other, moi iufrequcntly one would be carried by
 the current to the left, keeping in At i lantic creek, while the other might bC
 carried 8 little to the right and enter | the branch running across the meadow | to Pacific creek; the one beginning a l journey which will finally bring it tc
 the great gulf the other entering upon
 a long voyage in the opposite direction | Co Balboa's ocean.