The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-09-26
Max McClay in Portland Telegrai

of baing the burial ground Of the In
dian dead for centuries whose numbers
we d I, "ot know, but it has de emand
upon The scientist aud scholar by
reason of certain natural conditions
that can truly be called wonderful
Small in size, it is great in interest, for
probably no spot IN the world with an
area Of scarcely five acres can present
SO many natural wonders as this; no
place can man see such curious and
varied conditions as here.
The surface of tine island is indeed
strange and rare. Here is a sandy
beach of but few feet in length, there a
little cove where rowboats may anchor
in safety from the rushing waters on
every side, and above all of this towers
precipitous wall of Jagged rocks, so
high and steep that man cannot sur
mount them. Nature seemed to have
placed ii there as barrier between the
landing place aud the sacred burial
ground upon its summit. Over on the
Washington side of this wall narrow
defile leads to the top like stairway
cut out from the solid rock. 1t is the
only approach to the height above,
aud is known as the "Silent Pass" for
up this natural stairway the Indian
dead were carried to their final resting
place. Nature has done curious piece
of work in chiseling out this narrow
pass and carpeting it with strands OF
fine white sand. The whole island
shows the wonderful works of nature,
but the most wonderful work of all Is
the little body of water at the base
nh
To the casual observer it presents
nothing strange and wonderful. The
water, clear as crystal and cool at all
times, looks the same as the wild, tum-
bling water of the Columbia only few
feet away, but standing OH the narrow
bank of rock that separates it from the
river, one will almost deny his vision.
The lake is higher than the river.
When the water is high in the river it
washes over the rocky walls of the lake
aud fills it to overflowing, but as the
water recedes it no longer fills the
rocky pool, and then the wonder be-
gins. While the river becomes lower,
the lake remains the same. Just so
high, so cool and clear. LII July the
water in the lake stands six or seven
feet above the water in the river, and
at the dry season it is from Is to 20 feet
higher. Those who are frequent visit
ors to the island say that the water
never varies in height, and George
Chamberlain of Mosier, who knows the
island as well as he knows his plum
orchard, stands as authority and spon-
sor for this curious fact. He has visited
the island at all seasons, and says that
he has been there when the lake water
was surely 20 feet above the water of
the river. The shores of the lake are
solid rock, as though nature had placed
it there to be the wonder of man for
ages, and at one side the wall is but a
few riches wide, and looks as though
at any moment ii might give way and
the little lake break with its entire force
into the river below.
Soundings have been made, and at
places the water is many hundreds of
feet deep. AT the Washington side
there is a narrow beach of sand, max
ing it a miniature reproduction of the
great lakes that are the wonder of man
on account of their great size. Lake
Lanora is less than a hundred feet long
and hty feet wide, but what IL lacks
III StNt ~ CdcllN llluhiS up III IubGlCOOs
What causes this no one can tell. How
it happens that this little body of
water, surrounded on all sides by the
river, remains the same height during
the year round, with no apparent inlet
or outlet, is study for science. That
its waters are not from the river, which
flows but few feet away, is without
question, but from whence does its
supply come? 1t shows what wonders
nature can work, and of them all Lake
Lanora is the greatest, for where can
one stand upon narrow wall of rock
and see on one side the waters less than
foot beneath his feet, calm and peace
ful as a summer sky; while on the
other side, many feet below, the angry
waters lash rocky shore?
On the west end of the island is an
other curious work of nature. 1t is a
well of perhaps 10 feet in depth, cut
out Of the solid rock Its top is perfect
ly round and nearly six feet across,
while its bottom breaks through the
side of the cliff by an oblong opening
that is about three feet long and two
feet high. During the low water it is
simply shaft in the solid rock that
presents but little interest, except in
the wonder Of its construction, but
when the water is high and beats in
angry hillows against the cliff, the
the water enters at the bottom of the
well and plays in fantastic ways upon
the sides. Now rolling up like the
water In the gauge of steam engine,
now breaking In beautiful sprays on
every projection, and leaping up over
the sides as though impatient at its
narrow bounds In the sunshine 1t is
well Of sparkling diamonds, kissing
back the sunbeams i'm varied radia-
tions. When the waters are the lowest
sand creeps in and fills the mouth and
iuvades the playground of the waters;
but each summer the river rises and
the dashing billOws wash the sand
away, sometimes throwing it up
through the top Of the well and spread
ing II on the bleak rocks around.
On the west side the island spreads
out as though to greet the passenger in
its rough, rocky arms as he sails up the
river. On each side the headland
tapers Off to a narrow point. At the
north point the incessant breaking of
the waters has worn tunnel through
the narrow promontory. At low water
the opening is visible, and looks like
the yawning mouth Of a great monster,
and the pillows play hide and seek
along its rough sides. The opening is
about 10 feet high aud 20 feet wide,
and is rather arched in shape. It ex-
tends through the point for distance
of about so feet, coming out on the
Washington side. At low water q boat
can pass through here and come out
into the sunlight, making an inspiring
ride through tunnel made by natures
wonder-working hands.
The tunnel is straight, and about the
same height aud width for the entire
distance. That the constant wash of
water and tireless work has worn this
pass through the solid rock is pleasing
realization of what incessa Mt work will
do. Although 1t has taken centuries
to accomplish the task, the waters
laugh and dance rs though at play,
now that their work is done. Cool?
Yes, no spot can he cooler or sweeter,