The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-11-05
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
A Phenomenal Formation in the
Oregon Wilds.


oregon WiIds.
Twenty years ago Crater lake was
unknown to the general public. 1t
is deeply set in the summit of the
Cascade range about IS miles north |
of the California line, in the central
western edge of klamath county, |
Oregon II miles and a little west of
north of Fort Klamath, 10 miles due
west of the upper end of the klamath
Indian reservation, about IL miles a
little east of north of Fort Scott, and
like distance 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, con-
tanning 249 square miles, was estab-
lished by congress in May, 1902.
The geological record of this coun-
try from the earliest epochs to the
present time is replete with volcanic
phenomena, but the climax seems to
have been reached in the earlier por-
ton of the Neocene period, when one
of the largest known volcanic fields
of the world was vigorously active in
our northwestern states. This area
of volcanic activity stretched from
the Rocky mountains to the Pacific,
embracing large part of Wyoming,
Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon
and California. The western limit
ne hN al to Ro1 t.
the western border of the Cascade
range. The wrecking of Mount Ma
zama and the development of the
great pit or caldera, which for beauty
and grandeur rivals anything of its
kind in the world, was the browning
event in the volcanic history of the
Cascade range.
The rim encireling Crater Lake ap-
pears, seen from a 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 profoundly i'm
pressive. The eye beholds 20 miles
of unbroken cliffs, the remnant Of
Mount Mazama, ranging from ovel
500 to nearly 1000 feet in height, en-
circling a deep, blue sheet of placit
water. in which the mirrored wall!
vie with the original slopes in bril-
liancy and greatly enhance the dept
of the prospect. The lake is abou
four and a half miles wide and 81,
and a quarter miles long, with al
area of nearly twenty and one-hal
square miles.
Mr.. Diller discusses at length tn
three types of lavas in Mount Maza
ma, and describes Wizard Island Il
the lake. with an area of nearly nine
tenths of square mile, as a perfect
ly preserved volcano, having cinde
cone about S45 feet high, crater q
it's summit about $50 feet in diamete
and 80 feet deep, and a lava fiel
around it's base. The bottom of tn
crater on Wizard Island is solid Law;
Inside its rim upon the southwes
slope is a great snow bank, which az
cumulates during the winter an
lasts almost throughout the year.
The glaciers of Mount Mazam
have left distinct records in the forI
of striae and moraines, with the on
wash plains lower down upon tn
mountain slopes, and in the glacif
canyons of Sand and Sun creeks, tn
final glacial work of the mountain.
There can be no reasonable dout
as to the former existence of Noun
Mazama, but it's shape and size ar
more difficult to determine. Noun
Mazama is composed largely of lava
similar to those of Mount Shasti
and from the slopes Of that famou
peak we may draw an inference a
to those of Mount Mazama. MouT
Shasta, unlike Mount Mazama, doe
not stand on an elevated platform
1t rises with a majestic sweep {
IL 900 feet from gentle slopes abol
its base, gradually growing steept
upward to the bold peak. At tn
height of 5000 feet it has about tn
same diameter as Mount Mazama I