The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-14

engaesmens be felt compeiIeA 70 return
% Nsrh Bend that night He climbed
Aswn sut Of ths wagon. stretched himself.
drsed OFT his umbrella walked down TO
the waters edge Of the Httss cove. gave
~ object lesson on the problem the ex-
petition had set cut 90 solve ard then
oct cut on his return 20 North Bend. thus
denying himself the pleasure Of even
catching sight OF the main body Of the
lake.
II was not 20 be denied that the ground
where the tents were pitched was very.
very damp Some Of the senderfeet Of
the party sought refuge IN the barn Of .
nesgfabsriEg ranch@r. the only one on the
lake Come Of them started In 10 hoard at
the ranch Later they were glad enough to
svzN themselves Of the Stallings cuisine
and he convinced Of how much a dining
car cook can accomplish IN limited space
and under grave difficulties.
WITH TRUE SEATTLE GRIT.
Two inches OF snow fell that night II
was q surprise. but the explorers braced
themselves with true Seattle grit. They
had nothing stronger with which to brace
Themselves. Old man drag Saw" q
typ}cA! frontier weodsman formerly from
Minnesota. kindly kept watch over the
camp fires. II was well he. did The
ground Wac made up OF ro;ting vegeta.
ton and AZ soon az II had been sufficient
~ dried II would catch fire. One bright
nare-op threatened to call out the fire
department, but IL was smoshered. The
sieepsng accommodations were primitive.
but comfortable. A bale Of hay was
spread on the damp ground. On top Of
this piece Of carpet and big comforter.
Then for covering several pairs OF heavy
blankets. and within space of sx10 feet
six men, including the president of the
council and the city comptroller. slept as
soundly as in palace car.
"a hv.o kfu
The dreary sky and falling rain made
the outlook for the day promising but
the men were there for serious work and
went At II with will. For the forenoon
two excursions were planned. the object.
I've point being the head OF the lake One
party went by land. the other by boat.
Each reached its destination After lunch
con In camp still rougser trip was made
by several members Of the party under
Mr.. Thomson's guidance to the lower falls
and rapids.
Still IT rained. Now and then sharp
showers OF sleet and hall varied the wet
routine. Another nigh. In camp showed
swollen feet and stIffcned limbs but un-
diminished ardor. A huge camp fire was
kindled on the beach. and its rudy glow
and cracking biaxes made up the very
essence Of eheerfulness. Stories were told
and songs were sung till . reasonable
hour for bed time.
Then council Of war was held. Part
o! Mr.. Thomsons plan had been to take
the whole party acress country through
the Taylor creek basin, cut TO Palmer and
thence back to Seattle by the Columbia
4 Puget Sound railway. But the weather
stood grimiy In the way OF a six;een-mile
tramp over steep slopes and blind paths,
while the physical condition Of some of
the ceunciimen suggested that they were
not able TO undergo such q strain After
Tong dei'eeration that part OF the trip was
aoandoned After another drizziy night
ana an early breakfast, the forenoon of
friday was spent in further examination
OF the surroundings Of the lake. Shortly
after noon camp was broken and the ex-
cursionlsts took their way back 10 North
Bend, where they spent the night, return
ing TO Seattle yesterday morning.
POLLUTION IMPOSSIBLE.
In the minds OF the men who went to
CEDAR lake and spent two days examining
It's shores and the valley above and below
the question of the possible pollution OF
the water at that point ie no longer a de-
patabie one Every member of the PARTY.
without exception. In convinced tina, the
TAX or pollution from agricultural settle
ments. mining Developments and the like
Is preposierous and absurd.
Indeed II h impossible for one. to spend
day an the shores Of the lake and the
banks or the river and come away think
ing otherwise. Beautiful for situation the
lake Is surrounded on all sides by wooded
heights that slope sharply almost to the
waters edge. and the few flats that an.
pear here and there would be completely
submerged by ten or twelve-foot rise
in the lake. There II ne possible footing
Tor farmers or ranchers at any point
around the lake. Up and down the river
the situation liz practically the same. ex-
cert that In some places the ground Is
level enough 10 afford good Judgment.
Even here, however. the timber Is prac-
ucaiiy worthless. being chiefly hernleck.
and the soil Is utterly unfit for agricultural
purposes, 1t consists of a thin LAYER Of
vegetable mold. not more than an inch
or 80 thick. with a substra;um Of rusty
gravel
aeiar lake II deep pocket formed by
glacial action In the spurs of the Cascade
mountains. As the crow flies II 4, about
thirty miles from Seattle. being twenty
seven miles east and twelve miles south
or the court house. 1t IS OF course In King
county. from the east boundary OF which
il ls fifteen miles II Is more easily reach
ed from Seattle by taking the Seattle &
International road To North Bend and
thence going southeast by private convey
ances distance OF about nine miles.
IL IN 1875 feet above sea level The
highest point in Seattle. which Is the sum-
NIT u Queen Anne hill near the water
tank. is $50 feet above sea level
In shape the lake In itss rough outline is
net unlike huge letter J. the long body
extending in q @outheassersy direction and
the curve OF the letter doubling 10 the
north AMI e8st. 1t is on the northwe~,
shore Of sise lake inst a, the bottom Of
the curve that the party Was encampea.
Cedar river enters The lake at the top Of
the long straight arm and leaves II 3,sst
az tar bottom. er where The curve begins
II Vii be sega from this rough descriptive
diagram thas the carve constitutes a SORT
81 cove in the lake. while the main body
stretches with very slight DETECTION
southeast ans northwest The greatest
ierFth az the lake ~ three ard oglu-auar
ter miles. lis average wfdth Is about half
mile. The Esaersl contour q the chores
- remarkably regular b8lng asnas: ah-
sa}9isly deso3 az ahaFp LAMENTATIONS In
fact the oniv indenJat'an ia where Rex
river enters from the south
While the basin e tee lake WAS form
ea By glacial actien. Il n The sans time
constitutes an enlargement 81 the river
channel From sha .,rFsst .~sas.