The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-09
FEATURES OF CRATERLAKE
IFrom the Minneapolis Tribune.l


IFrom the Minneapolis Tribune.l
Crater Lake is in the northwest portion
of klamath county. Ore. twenty, miles
west of north of Fort Klamath, and about
ninety miles northeast of Ashland. The
Indians of southern Oregon have known
1t for ages. but until recently none nave
seen it, for the reason that tradition,
handed down from generation to genera
tiOn, described it as the home of myTladS
of sea devils, or, as they were called,
LAOS, and it was considered certain
death for any brave to even look upon
it. This superstition still haunts the Kla-
maths. While a few of the tribe have
visited it, they do so with a sort of a
mysterious dread of consequences.
1t was discovered by a party of twelve
prospectors June r. 1853, among whom
Louden, Pat A1cManus Isaac Skeeters
and a Mr. DOdd. These had left the main
party and were not looking for gold, but
having run short of provisions, were look
ing for the wherewithal to stay the
their stOmachs. For a time hunger for
sock them, as they stood upon the cllns
stretched before them. After partaking
of the inspiration fostered by such gran
or Deep Blue Lake 1t was subsequently
called Lake Mystery, and by being con-
gradually assumed that name, which is in
itself so descriptive.
sea level and IS completely surrounded by
cliffs or walls from 1000 to over 1000 feet
high, which are scantily covered with CO.
ard Island. which is S45 feet high, cfrcu-
lar in shape, and slightly covered with
timber. In the top IS depression or
crater-the Witches Cauldron-1OO feet
deep and 475 feet in diameter. This was
evidently the last smoking chimney of a
once mighty volcano.
Directly north of the island is Llao
Rock a grand old sentinel, standing bold
" out on the west side Of the lake and
reaching over two thousand feet perpen-
dicular- From the top of it you can drop
a stone and it will pass down and grow
smaller until your head begins to swim
and you see the stone become mere
ED6Ck and fade entirely from view. and
at last, nearly half a mile below, it
strikes an unruffled surface of the water.
In making sOundings there several years
ago writer makes this report:
yards off shore. 1t was supposed that
we might possibly find as much as 100
feet Of water. but as the lead ran out
ing 100 feet, until over POO were out Al
1.2l0 feet the machine stopped and out
pent-lp feelings exploded in one wild yell
OF delight. For a number of days the
Eoundings were continued. The greatest
ing allowance for stretches of wire. would
give zoos feet. OF the whole number
made Is are over 1900, IS over 1900 II over
Z, fUO, l6 over !. 800 and 10 over 1,500. It<was
found that at the bottom of the north
s57 VI II 80 FtlS d pam OA SSNeIai square
HnleS, almost perfectly level, while south
of the center is a cliff about 800 feet high
ana west Of the center seems TO be cinder
cone, nearly 1,Z0O teet In height, with
summit is 500 feet below the surface Of
There is probably not a point of inter-
est in America that so completely over
comes the ordinary Indian with fear as
crater Lake From time immemorial no
power has been strong enough to Induce
him to approach within sight of it For
a paltry sum he viii engage to guide you
thtther, but. before you reach the noun
1slln top will leave you to proceed alone.
To the savage mind it is clothed with a
ueep veil of mystery. and is the abode of
al manner of demons and monsters. Old
Allln DaVy, chief of the Klamath tribe
gives the following Indian history
OF the discovery of the lake:
A long time ago. long before the white
man appeared in this region to vex and
drive the proud native out a band of
1Iamaths. while out hunting. came sud
denly upon the lake and were startled by
Its remarkable walls and aWed by its
majestic proportions. With spirits sub
qued, and trembling with fear, they si-
lenty approached and gazed upon his
race something within them told them
the Great Spirit dwelt there and thew
dared not remain. but passed silently
down the side of the mountain and camD-
Cd Tar away By some unaccountable in
Huence, however, one brave was induced
10 return He went up to the ve--v brink
OF the precipice and started his camp fire
Here he lay down to rest: here he silent
till morn, slept until the sun was high
IN the air then arose and Joined the tribe
1ar down the mountain. At night he came
again; again he slept until morn Each
night found him sleeping above the rocks
each night strange voices filled fbe air
At last, after a great many moons he
climbed down in like manner, and fire.
quentiy saw wonderful animals similar
IN all respects to a klamath Indian ex-
cept that they seemed to exist entirely
In the water. He suddenly became hard