The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-09
GULCH WHERE DEATH is LURKING
Animals That Venture Into It Die OF
Poisonous VapOr.
From the Chicago Chronicle.


From the Chicago Chronicle.
ravine in the northeast corner Of
Yellowstone National park, in Wyoming,
is known by those living near by as 1
Death gulch. Grewsome as is the name,
it is exceedingly appropriate. 1t is a v
shaped trench, cut in the mountain side,
and begins about $50 feet above Cached
creek. Apparently it forms a natural
shelter for the beasts of the forest, as
food, water and shelter are there, but
entrance to the gulch means death to
any animal, for the poisonous vapors
that rise out of the ravine are more
deadly than the bullets of the hunts
men.
Various expeditions under the direction
of the United States geological survey
have reported as to the characteristics
of Death gulch, the last being by Harvey
w. Weed. He said that he had tested
the hollows in the gulch for carbonic
acid gas without proving it's presence
The atmosphere in the gulch, however.
was oppressive. There was a strong
smell of sulphur and he suffered from a
choking sensation. although a strong
wind prevailed at the time. At the bot
tom of the gulch were the carcasses of
manly dtllIldlS, SOInt VI WHICH ildN ltltt
death but a short time before These
carcasses were of bear, elk, hsres, SPUR
rels, etc
Mr.. Weed examined the body of a griz
ely which evidently had died but a day
before as its tracks were quite distinc
and the carcass perfectly fresh. There
was some blood under the nose. Nothing
more.
Later on Charles E. George and a Mr.
Everett of Boston visited the gulch and
made an extended examination. They de
clare the gulch is death trap which
while different in many ways from the /
famous Death valley of Java, is as Ger
tain in it's effects. AT one end the gulch
is comparatively open and the WIND
sweeps through, but at the other where
it forms ravine, the gases accumuate
and asphyxiate all animals that come
within the walls of rock. When Mr.
George and Mr.. Everett entered the
gulch the gaseous fumes were so op-
pressive that they had difficulty III
breathing, yet they entered at the end
where the gulch is practically open. TheyI
lit a wax taper and found that Whehl
placed more than forty inches from Incl
ground it was extinguished. This proved
the existence of carbon dioxide gas.
The bed of the gulch and ravine waI
Uttered with the bones and skins oil
animals long since dead They found
twenty-three carcasses Of bears, one big
cinnamon having his nose between ms
paws, just as if he had fallen asleep
The two men didn't dare to go into the
ravine. What exploration they made re
suited in headaches which stayed with
them for hours and pains in the thros
and lungs which did not subside for
long time.
Danger for Human Beings.
For ages this death trap in the ROCKY
mountains has probably been Turing th'
Inhabitants of the forest to their DOOM
With the rains OF spring the bones Of th1
dead of the preceding year are carrie
down to the creek and the gulch cleareT
for the death harvest of the summer an
winter
What impressed the visitors most ouI
side of the horror of the gulch was IN
danger to visitors who might uncoH
sciously enter the gulch. There was
difference in the appearance of the gulo
from other gulches above and below
the mountains, and there was nothin
to warn a camper. For man 20 ente
Death gIllch to camp means that he ha
camped in eternity II
The biologists say that the lavas whici
I'LL the ancient basin of the park at thI
place rest upon the TANKS of mountain
formed of fragmentary volcanic ejecu
Gaseous cmanations are given out
great volume. These come, the scientls
say, from deposits OF altered and crysts
line travertine mixed with pools In ~
creek. Above these deposits the cree
cuts into a bank of sulphur. In the 20
tom of the gully In a small stream sou
with sulphuric acid.
No wonder the poor animals seek~
shelter in the gu ch meet death there
se~o~-s