The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1899-06-01
Is A NATURAL TRAP.
Such Is Death Gulch In Yellowstone
Park.
Hundreds of " lid Animate Lose Their
Lives in the Poisonous wagons
OF the min babitable
spot.

In the heart Of the Rockies, in Death
Gulch. a desolatc ravine in the north
east corner Of the Yellowstone Park,
is a natural bear trap. Here hundreds,
perhaps thousands of animals, seek
ing food. drink or shelter, have been
tempted to come. only to drop help
lessly To their death. into a bath Of
invisible. poisonous Napor where they
sink down to add their bones to the
fossil records Of an interminable list
Of similar tragedies. tasing back TO
period long preceding the records OF
human history"
This j. the conclusion reached by 7.
\. Iaggar. Jr.. Ph. d., who describes
Death Gulch in paper in the Popular
Science Monthly. He visited the place
as a member Of the United States geo
logical survey,
"In the bottom of Death Gulch," he
SAYS. rs a small stream Of clear cold
water. sour with sulphuric acid. and
flowing down "A narrow steep channel
cut in beds Of dark gray volcanic stun.
Ascending this gulch. the sides. clos
ing together. become very steep slopes
of white, decomposed rock.
The only springs now flowing are
small oozes of water issuing from the
base Of these slopes. or from the chan
mel bed. forming thick. creamy.
white deposit about the vents, and Gov
ering the stream led. This deposit Il
sistS largely of sulphate of alumina.
Ahntt I ahtNa hp M IA
stream these oozing springs Of acid
water cease. but the character OF the
gulch remains the same. The odor OF
sulphur now becomes stronger. though
producing no other effect than slight
irritation of the lungs.
THE gulch ends. or rather begins.
in scoop or basin about $50 feet above
Cache creek. and just below this was
found the fresh body Of a large bear.
a silver-tip grizzly. with the remains Of
companion in al advanced state Of
decomposition above him. Near 10y
were the skeletons Of four more bears
with the bones Of an elk "A yard or two
above. while in the bottom of the peck
ct were the fresh remains of several
squirrels. rock hares and other small
animals. besides numerous dead but
terfiics and insects.
"The body of the grizzly was care
fully examined for bullet holes or
other marks Of injury. but showed no
trace Of violence, the only indication
being a few drops Of blood under the
nose. II was evident that he had met
his death but short time before. as
the carcass was still! perfectly fresh,
though offensive enough at the time
Of later visit. The remains of n Gin
namou bear just above and alongside
Of this were in an advanced stage Of
decomposition, while the other skclc-
tons were almost denuded OF flesh
though the claws and much of the
hair remained.
1T was apparent that these animals.
as well As the squirrels and insects.
had not met their death by violence.
but had been asphy Mated by the ir-
reSpirable gas given of in the gulch,
The hollows were TESTED for carboric
acid gas with lighted tapers without
proving It's presence. but the strong
smell of sulphur aud choking seusa-
ton Of the lungs indicated the pres
ence of noXiouS gases. while the strong
wind prevailing mt the time. toget her
with the open nature of the ravine.
must have caused rapid diffusion Of
the vapors. N. Y. Herald