Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-11-20
CRATER LAKE.

j. 5. Diller Of the United States
Geological Survey, gives the follow
ing with reference to Crater Lake;
Twenty years ago Crater Lake was
unknown to the general public. 1t is
deeply set in the summit of the Cas-
cade range about Go miles north of the
California line, in the central western
edge of Klamath coutpy, Oregon, II
miles little west of north of Fort
klamath, 10 miles due west of the up
per end of the Klamath Indian reser-
vation, about 12 miles little east of
north of Fort Scott, and like dis
tance due south of Mount Thielsen.
The remnant of the great mountain
enclosing the lake was named Mount
Mazama in 1896, and the Crater Lake
National Park containing 2i0 square
miles was established by congress in
May, 1902.
The geological record of this country
is replete with volcanic phenomena,
but the climax appears to have been
reached in the early portion of the
Neocene period, when one of the
largest known volcanic fields of the
world was vigorously active. This
area stretched from the Rocky noun
atins to the Pacific, The wrecking of
Mount Mazama and the development
Of the great pit or caldera, which for
beauty and grandeur rivals anything
of its kind in the world was the
crowning event in the volcanic history
of the Cascade range, The rim enoir-
cling Crater Lake appears, seen from
distance, as a broad cluster of gently
sloping peaks. To one arriving by the
road at the crest of the rim, the lake,
in all its majestic beauty, appears
suddenly upon the scene and is pro
foundly impressive The eye beholds 20
miles of unbroken cliffs, the remnant
of Mount Mazama, ranging from over
500 to nearly 9OOO feet in height, en-
circling n deep blue sheet of placid
water. in which the mirrorod walls
vie with the original slopes in bril-
liancy and greatly enhance the depth
of the prospect The lake is about
~ miles wide and Ga miles long,
with an area of nearly SOls square
miles.
Mr.. Diller discusses at length the
three types of lava in Mount Mazama,
and describes Wizard Island in the
lake, with an area of nearly nine
tenths of square mile, as u perfectly
preserved volcano, having cylinder
cone about $40 feet high, crater at
its summit about 25O feet In diameter
and so feet deep, and a lava field
around its base The bottom of the
orator on Wizard Island, is solid lava.
There can be no reasonable doubt as
to the former existence of Mount Ma
zama, but its shape and size are more
difficult to determine. Mount Mazama
is composed largely of lavas similar
to those of Mount Shasta and from the
slopes of that famous peak we may
draw an inference as to those of Mount
Mazama. Mt Shasta, unlike Mount
Mazama, does not stand on an elevated
platform. 1t rises with majestic
sweep of II, 600 feetfrom gentle slopes
about its base, gradually growing
sleeper upwards to the bold peak. At
the height Of 5000 feet it has about
the same diameter as Mount Mazama
at an equal elevation in the rim Of
Crater Lake Above this, Mount
Shasta rises over $500 feet
The evidence does seem to show
that during the final activity Of Mt.
Mazama there must have been within
it column Of lava rising to a height
of over 5000 feet above tho base of the
Cascade Range. 1t is possible that
this great pressure, aided perhaps by
some other forces, made an opening
formed low down upon the mountain
slops, which allowed the lava to cf-
cape. The subsidcnce Of the lava
within the mountain left it unsupport-
ed and caused It to collapse.
Crater Lake changes level During
the summer, when there is rapid cyap.
option and little or no precipitation,
the surface of the lake subsidies; but
during the rainy winter it rises again.
The oscillation is limited to about
four feet, The lake appears to be fed
chiefly by the vast quantities Of snow
which drifts across the crest and
lodges in great banks on the inside.
The annual precipitation Of the region
is estimated as between 20 and so in-
chcs. Crater Lake has no visible out.
let, nor any invisible one reaching the
surface directly within few miles
But the walls Of the caldcm enclosing
tho lake are made up Of alternating
sheets Of lava, dipping away from the
lake practically in all directions, and
they are 30 porous as To- afford easy
passage for much wator Springs on
the mountain are abundant and rc
markable in size, especially on the
southeast, along fault in the noun.
tain side, which probably affords an
outlet for much OF the water that per-
colatcs through that portion Of the
rim.