The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-18
strange CRAIERLAKE.
One of the Worlds Most Mar
velouS Water Bodies.
is A TERROR TO INDIANS
Their Legends People 1t With
Devils of the Sea.
is A TERROR TO INDIANS

Crater Lake is in the northwest por-
ton of klamath county, Oregon, twenty
two miles west Of north OF Fort klamath
and about ninety miles NJ -theast Of Ash
land. says the Minneapolis Tribune. The
| Indians Of southern Oregon have known
| of il for ages, but until -ecetiy none lave
eeI it, for the reason that a tradition.
! hslrced down from generation to genera
ton, described it as the home of myri-
ads of sea Gevils. as they were called,
Lad sand it was considered certain death
for any brave to even look upon It This
81 perA tition still haunts the Klamaths.
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
prospecto.-s June z, 1853, among whom
were ]. w. Williams, George Ross, Jas
Louden, Pa t McALanus, Isaac Shelters
and a Mr. Todd. These had left the main
party and were not looking for gold, but,
having run short of provisions, were
looking for the wllerewsthal to stay the
craving sensations that had seized upon
L
sock them as they Stood upon the cliffs
and drank in tlAe awe OF the scene that
stretched before them. After partaking
Of the inspiration fostere by such gran
deur they decided to ca Il it Mysterious,
or Deep Blue Lake. 1t was subsequently
called Lake Mystery, arid by being con-
stantly referred to as a crater lake, it
gradually assumed that name, (which is
in itself so descriptive.
The waters surface IL 6,251 feet above
sea level, and is COMP etely surrounded
by cliffs or walls from 1000 to over 2OO0
feet high which are scanuly covered
with coniferous trees. To the southwest
is Wizard Island. VIII tch IS S45 feet high,
circular in shape and Slightly covered
with timber. In the top is a depression
or crater-the Witches Caldron-1O0 feet
deep and 475 feet in d iameter This was
evidently the last smo king chimney Of a
once mighty volcano.
Directly north of the Island is Lao rock
a grand old sentinel, standing boldly out
on the west side of the lake and reach
ing over two thousand feet perpendicu-
lar. From the top of it you can drop
stone and it will pass down and grow
y
and you see the stone become a mere
speck and fade entirely from view and
at last, nearly half a mile below, it
strikes an unruffed surface of the water.
In making soundings there several years
ago, a writer makes this report:
1.-THE first was made about one Eun6red
yards off shore. 1t was supposed that we
might possibly find as much as I'D feet
of water, but, as the lead ran out our .ex-
element grew with each succea ling lCO
feet. until over 200 were out. AT 1,2lO
feet the machine stopped, and orr pent
up feelings exploded with .Gne Wild yell
of delight. For number of days the
soundings were continued. The greatest
depth recorded was 1886 feet, which,
making allowance for stretches Of wire,
would give zoos feet. or the whole num-
Der made IS are over 1900, 13 over 1890, IL
over 700, 16 over 1000 and 10 over 100. Tt
was found that at the bottom Of the
northeastern end was a plain Cor several
square miles almost perfectly level, !
while south of the centre is a Cliff about
900 feet high and west of the centre
seems to be cinder cone, nearly I,?C0 feet
in height, with a crater in the centre go
feet deep. Its summit is 600 ieet beiow
the surface of the water"
Old Allin Davy, chief of the Kama tn |
tribe, gives the following Indian h;stCry |
of the discovery Of the lake:
"A long time ago. long before the white !
man appeared in this region to vox and
drive the proud native out a band of
Klamaths, while out hunting came sud !
denly upon the lake, and were startled |
by its remarkable walls and awe1 ty its |
majestic proportions. With spirits sub {
dued, and trembling with fear, they 81
lently approached and gazed upon its face
something within told them that the |
Great Spirit dwelt there, and they dared |
not remain, but passed silently down the |
side of the mountain and camped far |
away. By some unaccountable influence, |
however. one brave was induced TO re
turn. He went up to the very brink of |
the preeipice and started his campfire. |
Here he lay down to rest; here he slept |
till morn. slept until the sun was high in |
the air, then arose and joined the tribe |
far down the mountain At night he |
came again; again he slept Eli nom. |
Each visit bore a charm that drew him |
back again. Each night found him sleep |
ing above the rocks; each nislt strange |
voices arose from the waters; mysterious /