The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-18
AMERICAS DEEPEST LAKE.
Curious Facts About the Crater lake in
Oregon.

4
Oregon.
Crater Lake in Oregon is thetdeepestf
body of fresh water in America. Only
one lake in the world is deeper, namely,
Baikal, which exceeds il in densh abolI,
400 feet. Until recently it was asserted
that Crater Lake was bottomlcss. but
soundings have proved that its greatest
depth was 1900 feet. 1t is five miles in
diameter, nearly circular, and occupies
the crater of an extinct volcano
Now, no fish have ever been known to,
exist i'll Crater Lake. Not long ago n re-
quest that it 5e stocked with trout was
sent to Washington by the Mszamas, who.
are club ofcnountain climbers, having
he tdquarters at Portland. Mazama is the,
Indian name for mountain goat. These.
elm bers are anxious to angle in the eX-
tinct crater, end the Government experts
are going to find out whethersor not such
thing is practicable. 1t is easy enough
to put trout in the water, but shat would
be of no use unless there is food for them
there. Trials will be made by an expedi-
ton for the purpose of finding out how
much food there is and whether or nor it
is of a kind suitable for specified beauties
to browse upon.
This viii he accomplished Dry towing
small nets of 9auZe across the,,Ssiter. The
water will flow through the esiEze which
will catch all the animal cuI La that comes
that way The quantity of the latter
secured within given number OF
minutes or honrs will he an accurate
measure of the amount of fish food
present. They will be bottled and
preserved in farSnaline for subsequent
examination by specialist. who Svill de-
termine the species represented. Chiefly
they will be litTle shriMps and other
little crustaceans, and there will he some
insects also. 1t will be necessary to
make the towingS at different hours of
the day, because some crustaceans swim
near the surface only in the morr;ng,
others at midday and others yet ip the
evening. Shady areas us well as sunny
ones must be sought Cor various species.
a most interesting series of expari.
ments will be made for the purpose Of
ascertalnlng the ten perature of the
water at various depths. No tempera-
tlire observations have ever been taken
in fresh water nearly SO far down. With
this end in view, an equi pment of self
registering thermometers and supple
mentary apparateIs will be eaken and will
be let down by means of sounding lines
There are very few places in the entire
Jake where the depth is less than 900
teet, though it shoals off somewhat in the
southwest part. Que line of soundings
registered over 300 feet for distance of
over two miles. These depths are unap-
preached by any other lake in the
Western hemisphere.
No wonder. then, that Crater Lake was
supposed to be bottomless. However.
the truth is that all lakes over $50 feet
deep possess the same reputation. ANY
body of water that is deeper than the
longest sounding line is bottomless ac-
cording to the popular belief. A first
rate example of this sort of delusion is
afforded by Payette Lake in Idaho 1t
was formerly imagined to he bottomless
and later its depth was stated to be 9. 600
feet. Recent Investigations prove that
its greatest. depth is 305 feet. There is
no data ON which to base a guess as to
the bottom temperature of Crater Lake
put the superstition is that it will be