The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-18

written that this mountain did not blow
out. as a spouting volcano. but telescoped.
without celebrating the tracks of ancient
glaciers, as they crept downward. When
this remarkable change occurred, an enor-
nous cavity was left, four by five miles In
extent and four thousand feet deep. with
in which a circular cone arose, affording a
lest smoking vent. Subsequently this great
cavity partly filled with water, clear. pure
and cold, to a depth of two thousand feet,
leaving the cinder cone projecting s5 feet
above the surface. which is now known as
Wizard island, and the water as Crater
lake. In the top of Wizard island is an ex-
tinct crater one hundred feet deep. known
as the Witches Cauldron. The water is re-
markedly clear and always of the deepest
possible blue. Bluer than the sky above, or
the most extravagant colors of an amateur
artist. Bluer than the rejected lover. There
is nothing so blue but indigo water on
wash day. and yet this Is not the same
tint. 1t is a pure ultra marine, more ex~
quisite in its delicate tinge than an artist
can conceive or copy, and yet, along the
shore, or in shallow places, it blends into
the most exquisite turquoise. When the air
is still the reflection is as perfect as a
plate-glass mirror, and at such times 1t is
hard to tell where the rocks cease and re-
HecIlOIlS DeSln. w neI SlOTlilS pSdi opolt ~
surface, waves lash the shore like an angry
sea. The walls rise on all sides nearly per-
rendicular, from one thousand TO two thou
sand feet high, with here and there, at
rare intervals, a canyon. down which one
may descend to the waters below. The sur
face of the lake is 6,239 feet above sea level,
or about as high as Mount Washington, in
New Hampshire, and is two thousand feet
deep. Aside from the ocean there are but
few deeper bodies of water IN the world,
namely, Lake Bical, in Siberia, and the
Caspian sea-
A MOUNTAIN CHRISTENED.
When this great mountain fell within
itself, it left a ragged rim, at an elevation
of from seven thousand to eight thousand
feet above sea level, or close to the line
of perpetual snow, banks of which may
usually be found here throughout the en-
tire summer. Close to one of them. in a
beautiful grove. we made camp. and trusted
to it for our water and a convenient place
to keep fresh meat and other articles of the
ccmmisary department. One week had been
set aside for the clubs annual outing at
this place, and Friday was designated as
Mazama day. In the forenoon a business
meeting was held in the Witches CaulGron,
and as the mountain itself had never been
named, appropriate exercises were held in
the evening, at which time Miss Fay Full
Ter, of Tacoma, vice president of the club,
and the first lady to reach the summit OF
Mount Rainier, broke a bottle of water,
distilled from snow taken from the crater
in Wizard island, and c~hristened it Mount
Mazama. This name has been accepted by
the United States Geological Survey, and
will, in future, appear on government maps
of the lake and vicinity.
Every year the club organizes an ex-
cursion into the mountains of the Pacific
Northwest, and one special feature of these
outings is the campfire talks and enter
tainments. This year the best American
talent was present and the finest lectures
imaginable were delivered by the following
gentlemen: Mr.. J. S. Diller, geologist of
the United States Geological Survey, who
has spent the summer preparing a geologi-
cal map of Crater lake and it's environs;
DIR. C. Hart Merriam, chief of the United
States Biological Survey; Prof. b. w. Ev-
ermann, of the United States Fish Cons
mission; Prof. F. V. Coville, botanist OF
tie Agricultural Department, and others.
These lectures give to the Mazamas an
educational feature that is unsurpassed by
any similar institution and encourages the
members in scientific research. Next year
it is altogether likely. that the number of
Ililt GClCilt15lo liz VIII pS
greatly increased. At the close of the chris
tening exercises, ON Friday evening, at a
given signal, a quantity of red fire was
burned on the rim of the Witches Cauld-
ron, and the lake was brilliantly illumi-
mated. Next year 1t is not unlikely that
the club will spend ten lays or more at
Mount Rainier, during which time, all who
wish. will have an opportunity to climb to
the summit, and to get pretty well ac-
quainted with the mountain, in the vicinity
of Paradise Valley, one of the most beau
tiful spots on the face of the earth. Dur
ing the intervening time every effort will
be made to induce eminent scientists to
participate in the outing, and to speak at
the campfires. 1t is probable, too, that the
members will. devote considerable attention
to scientific kite-fiying, in the hope of be-
ing able to send them VI, not only from
the top of Rainier, but also from other
mountains, and thus study the atmospher-
ic conditions at an altitude of from fifteen
thousand to twenty thousand feet. When
it is remembered that the worlds record
has been. recently broken, by sending a
kite to a height of less than eight thou
sand feet, it is, readily seen that the ex-
pertinent will prove both interesting and
Instructive.
A SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE.
WIie WITH the NldZdIfldS LHlS year l. re-
ceived from the United States Forestry
Commission. a request to return to Port
land and them to Crater lake,
which l did. There were in the party Prof
G. S. Sargent, of Harvard; Prof. VIM. II.
Brewer, of Yale; Gen. II. l., Abbot; Mr..
Arnold Hague, of the United States Geo.
logical Survey; Mr.. Clifford Pinchot, the
forestry expert, and John Muir, of Cali.
fornia. At Pelican bay, on upper klamath
lake, we were delayed a few hours, SO Mr.
Pinchot and l improved the opportunity by
fishing. This is certainly the sportsman's
paradise, or the Indians happy hunting
grounds. Ducks, bear, deer and other game
abound and the fishing is superb. The ma
tives persisted that no one could catch
anything here with a rod. Nevertheless
Mr.. Pinchot insisted on using his, weigh.
ing just four ounces. A trolling kne was
attached, and he soon had an eight-pound-
er, which was landed in ten minutes. This
he expected to do on every occasion, but
quietly expressed his disgust for such lazy
fish. 1t was not long, however, until q
nine and one-half FOUNDER took his hook
and it required just one hour and forty.
seven minutes to land him. These fish are
known as silver trout, and often weigh a.
much as fifteen pounds.