Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1900-03-13
NATURAL TRAP.
Death Guich Captures. or Asphyxiates
Many Wild Animals.

Death Guich Captures. or Asphyxiates
Many Wild Animals.
Death gulch is a small and gloomy
ravine in the northeast corner of the
Yellowstone national park, says APP
pleton's Monthly In this reg ION the
lavas which fill the ancient basin of
the park rest upon the tanks of noun
tains formed of fragmentary volcanic
eJeeta, while the hydrothermal
forces of the central portion of the
park show but feeble manifestation of
their energy in the almost extinct hot
spring areas Of Soda Butte, Lamar
river, Cache creek and Miller creek"
Although hot water no longer flows
from these vents, gaseous emanations
are now given off in considerable vol
ume." "On Cache creek, about two
miles above its confluence with Lamar
river, are deposits of altered and crys-
talline traVertine, with pools in the
creek violently effervescing locally.
This is due to the copious emission of
gas. Above these deposits the creek
cuts into bank Of sulphur and gravel
cemented by this material, and a few
yards beyond is the debouchure of a
small lateral gully coming down from
the mountain side. In It's bot IN is
small stream OF clear and cold water,
sour with su1phuric acid, and flowing
down q narrow and steep channel cut
in beds of dark gray volcanic tGff. AS
cending this guleh the sides, closing
together, become very steep slopes OF
white, decomposing rock. The
only springs now flowing are small
oozes Of water issuing from the base
OF these slopes or from the channel
bed, forming thick, creamy, white
deposit about the vents and covering
the stream bed. This deposit consists
largely OF sulphate OF arumina.
About $50 feet above the main stream
these oozing springs of acid water
cease. but the channel of thu gulch
remains the same. The odor of sui
phur now becomes stronger, though
producing no other effect than a slight
irritation of the lungs. Climbing
through this trough, frightfully
weird and dismal place, and occupied
by only a tiny streamlet and an ap-
pa1ling odor, we at length discovered
some brown furry masses lying scat
tered about the floor of the ragine
about a quarter of mile from the
point where we left Cache creek. APP
preaching cautiously, It became quick
ly evident that we had before us a
large group of huge, reeumbent bears
The one nearest to US was lying with
his nose between his paws, facing us,
and so exactly like huge dog asleep
that It did not seem possible that 1t
was the sleep of death. To make sure,
I threw a pebble at the animal, strik-
ing him on the flank. The distended
skin resounded like drum head, and
the only response was a beleh of poi
sonous gas that almost overwhelmed
us. Closer examination showed that
the animal was a young silver tip
grizzly (Ursus horribilis). A few drops
Of dark red blood stained his nostrils
and the ground beneath. There proved
to be five other earcasses, all bears, in
various stages of decay; careful search
revealed oval areas of hair and bones
that represented two other bears, max
fng a total of eight earcasses in all.
Movement to Erect a Statue Fs.ied.
The movement to erect a statue In
memory of Cromwell at Huntingdon,
England, where he was born has is"
ANONYMOUSLY failed. The mayor Of the
borough, Lord Sandwich, recently in
formed the town council that of the
subscriptions which had been received
only two reached two figures. These
were the subscription of Lord Ripon
and himself. Independently of these
two sums, the total was under fifty
pounds. Only five dollars had been
raised in America. There was not Que
subscriber in the borough of Hunting
don. and only two or three from the
county. About twenty or thirty small
sums had been received in England and
America, and, as the local committee
had done all 1t could, it was now time,
after four months, to close the matter
He suggested that the best thing would
be to return the money to the subserib-
ers. and this course was decided upon