The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-16

the mountain on the ether side Of the creek
and sEeps down with a force Increasing
every second. swapping OF every tree IN IT'S
course. stripping them OF limbs and bark
and carrying their naked trunks into re
creek and far up the hIther side The log
cabin with a shake root. in which were
Charles Allen. William Mack and John Nc
Kenzie. was buried under snow 20 a depth
o. twenty-five feet, the roof being sweo.
of and the interior filed. Alien was By
the FIRE. which sofsened the snow. and ha
troa snow until he reached the surface.
Mack crawIed up the chimney. which was
built cone-shaped. OF rocks. on tbs end OF
the cabin. Mckenzie was completely
buried and only ger what air came n along
a beam which fe,l quartering over him.
The other two men set 10 work TO dig him
out and IN two hours reached him and
dragged him 10 the open air. He was so
nearly suffocated that his reason had be-
gun 20 fail and ne was insaneiy biting his
flesh when released, but fresh air soon
brought him TO himself. Tke snow stiIl
lies deep around the cabin and the logs lie
far up both sides OF the creek and half
choke It's bed. some OF them two or three
feet in diameter. Far up the opposite hill
the swath cut by the slide can be traced.
though the grass has sprung up since it
swept the earth clean.
X
The trail goes on through alternate
strips OF timber, rich meadow IN which
grass and flowers have sprung up ike
magic as the snow melted. and over snow
drifts which lie sheltered from the sun
among the timber. Thus three miles above
the Red Hill company's cabin. great
open meadow is entered. stretching across
the canyon from the base OF the cliffs on
each side with such an even curve as
though X had been gouged out between
the SUBMITS. Flowers OF every tint and
every combination OF tints. OF every form
and texture, grow in profusion. and the
grass is Of a green 10 rival the best spots
in the Emerald isle. The horses gorge
themselves on II and never care TO wander
80 long al they have such pasture. This
meadow stretches away 10 the base of
the rocks forming the lower rim of the
basin where Phelps creek has its source,
the only break being where clumps of
dwarf pine and fir show dark on the slopes
frightening the effect of the brighter
colors of the grass and heritage among
which the flowers bloom in profusion.
There are the heather, buttercup, Wild bean
or iupin. larkspur, deer's tongue, which
shoots its leaves through the snow when
ever the drifts grow thin enough. and
flowers which only a botanist could name
and he would give them some Latin
names which no ordinary man can re-
member. The many water courses have
been burrowed by the mountain beaver,
which feeds on the grass and weeds and
lays. them up in neat sheayes 10 dry AMI
then slows the hay away In his hole for
winter consumption. Among the rocks the
whistling marmot burrows his holes from
which he comes 10 feed and sit on the
rocks. where he gazes around and emits
his melancholy whistle. He is shaped like
a small pig. with gray fur stripped with
brown and is nimble as a cricket and shy
OF human society. Instead of being no bet
ter than dog meat, as / was led to say
in writing about the whistlers of Horse
shoe basin. his flesh is sweet and tender
as that of a rabbit and is a favorite ar
ticle of diet up Phelps creek. ! can teS.ify
10 this from personal experience. for /
toasted off boiled whistler at Mr.. Harveys
cabin in the Phelps basin and found IL
sumptuous fare.
Above the great meadow at the head of
the canyon is the basin in which Phelps
creek takes it's rise and a single glance
suffices to satisfy a man that Red hill,
which stretches away TO the left from the
upper rim, contains mineral. though not
to satisfy his love OF the beautiful. On
the left. as You look up at IL, the basin
Is enclosed by a line of perpendicular
curve to the summit of Red hill. bounding
the canyon on that side. Those buttes are
deeply stained with red and green by iron
and copper and they glow so brightly that
their rich coloring Is plainly visible TO a
man standing in the canyon thousands OF
feet below. In the middle OF the semi-cir-
Gle forming the basins upper rim larger
butte stands forward from the others.
the gaps behind II and among them all
there a black mound of rock projects
through the white surface. Around 10 the
right the buttes continue almost unbroken
till they connect with the summit OF the
Entiat range. forming the right wall of
the canyon. A mile down from the basin
the summit of this range is split into a
line of pointed crags called the Entiat
Needles and on its further side flows the
Entiat river. through a canyon where
strange noises are heard every spring and
are attributed by Indians to mud geysers.
The main slope of the basin IS filled with
snow. from which -four cascades pour in
roaring resonance over the lower rim and,
cOursing through the meadow. from
Phelps creek. Climb TO the summit OF the
upper rim and you will see Red and Green
lakes filing other basins. from which Rail-
road creek issues and. leapirg a precipice
by a succession Of falls aggregating 1900
ECtt IN aff-hk- FlaNSEH Win 4 Ec-SEADins
roar through SIS canyon TO Lake Chelan
on tho cast. From the same point the
similar basin on The west Of Red hill can
he seen. its eternal snow feeding twenty
cascades which combine 70 form the Che
wah river. The same summit also affords
n view Of the sources Of the Suiattle. low
ing west and Agnes creek. flowing north.
50 that this central point sends water 10
all points OF the compass. The write-cceted
> - So II
perilo1s way along the lodges Of the prec'-
pices descending sheer from the lower
rim. though he is only a slowly moving
white speck or the dark rock
On the day after Mr.. Harvey and your
correspondent arrived at the formers
camp on the side OF the canyon close TN
der the shadow OF the Entiat needles the
sky became cloudy. the air cold and a high
wind combined with a scattering rain 10
give an example OF what the elements
can do az such great attitudes 10 make
life uneut oyabie. There We're Eve In the
party. =. ". Elliott and Frank and Gus
Shaser having been ~ work on he claims
which the four Own Jointly. The viri
rose rapidly and rushed in fierce blasts
down the canyon dragging the clouds
over the lagCed rim II the basin and ling
ing them in biz rain showers over the
meadow The air became chilly. ard
when the campfire ssas piled higher. tte
wind would suddenly veer and blow smoke
and eTnhers over the shiveriHg forms Of
the party. The winds howiing combined
with the roar OF the cascades and the
Ercaning OF the trees 20 make a din ct
dIsCord such as one rarely hears So II
continued all night the Wind blowing
Capriciousiy first down. then Up the can
son md then whirliuE en- no perceptibie
direction. This was just a mild taste Of
what rough weather In the mountains
must he.