Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05
oREGoN's SCENIC GARDENS.
Curious Rock Formations Along the
Columbia River.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The person who gave the name OF Pillars
OF Hercules to two picturesque basalt.c
columns rising from the edge OF the Co
lumbia river, in the Cascade range, on the
Oregon side of the river. chose a name that
was peculiarly appropriate. One of the in
teresting nuts which the biologists in this
country have had to crack has been when
and how the majestic Columbia burst
through the basaltic Cascade range and
found its way to the foaming margin of
the northern Pacific ocean The Columbia
river after pursuing it's placid way across
the arid wastes of land on the eastern side
of the Cascade range for nearly 20 miles
approaches the stately row of mountain
peaks and pushes through between the
towering peaks of Mounts Hood and Adj
ans. After descending in a boiling cas-
cade. from which it is said that the range
of peaks derives Its name. the Columbia,
or, 1t has often been called. the Oregon
rolls between overwhelming banks to the
white bulwark erected by the turbulent
sea across its mouth.
One with good strong arm could throw
a stone across the river at the point where
1t enters the portals of the mountains. Lit
orally the river has turned itself on edge
in order to squeeze through. Some dis
lance below this point the river pours over
a succession of rugged lodges. Then 1t
smilingly passes on its way to the sea. The
Is thought by some to rival in sublimity
that to be found anywhere in the world
Pinnacles of volcanic rock tower toward
the heavens. On them have lodged seeds
carried thither by the wind or birds. From
these seeds trees have terminated. These
cling to the rocks with a remarkable ten
acity and some of them. one would think,
have a precarious living.
On the very summit of one of these Pill
lars of Hercules a single representative of
the evergreen trees which abound on The
western slope of the Cascades elevateS Its
foliage with all the impudent audacity and
farcical diminutiveneSs of a clowns stove
pipe hat. There 1t stands securely
fastened and its foliage as rakishly inclined
as the hat on the clowns brow. What
depth of soil it has in which to plant its
roots doubtless not many know, for the
ascent of the column has probably been
accomplished by few.
1t is said that in the early days of COM
merce on the Columbia, when sailing ships
plowed their way up the stream into the
heart OF the country, the yardarms would
often become entangled in the branches of
the trees which overhung the water. To
the sailors after their long so1ourn at sea
1t was like entering paradise. Beautiful
waterfalls added to the charm of the scene.
They came pouring as If from the sky over
precipices 500 feet high, and hidden in
mist. plunge into the serene bosom OF the
great river.
There are a number of other striking
formations Of basaltic columns besides the
Pillars of Hercules. There are battle
mented castles, rounded domes and a thou
sand rocks Of other fantastic shapes. One
group Of pinnacles, down which numerous
small streams descend, is called Cape Horn.
Dominating the scene everywhere through
this region the two extinct volcanoes.
snowcapped warders of the pass. Mount
Adams on the north and Mount Hood on
the south.
The Indians have a legend as to the
origin of the distractions to navigation
which form the cascades. They say that
the two earth giants the mountains. jeal-
Gus Of each others power once quarreled
furiously. They belched forth fire and
smoke and hurled great stones at each
other. Some of these stones passed across
the river. while many others fell into the
stream In the fiery conflict a roof of rock
which spanned the river was broken into
fragments The lodging of all these frag-
ments and stones in the stream created the
cascades.
The white man has several theories One
is that the ledge of solid rock over which
the current sweeps was deposited by
great rockslide down the sides of the
gorge. These mountain sides are Wilder
nesses of broken crags extending to the
SUBMITS 5000 feet high. The ledge is
crowned with large powders great that
the massy body of water cannot move
them.