The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-06-08

townships u northeast u tbe elss
Buttes. "
II Is practicalls Without surface
streams owing 10 the small precipt
tation, theporps $charac 10 tlie soil
and the assured condit ion 81 tlsc IN
DERIVING lava sheets. The entise re
gion shares In the same genera geo.
logic and climatic conait lions: thesal-
leys are occupied sforf the most part
by basaltlc5 lava 81 flows /. The sltsiaee
over broad areas Isl comp oil Loose.
porous material large $yo icaIiic dust
and lapllla The rainfall small, and
the surface streams are senerarly abs
sent, VI is3
a characterlsticsfeat ures 81 tho great
sandy. desert and 8ofIs tle adjarsnt
country Isl the gpresenee Sseroded val.
leys and cones dispro portippatels
large iii reference Vi tile weak streams
now occupying them. and SShat IS
even more conspicuous the presenco
in several Instances III cliati-
nelss no longer ocenpi lea nv water.
streamlcss Channel. &
These features ME similar 10 and
In fact form d part ~ the cliasnt teria
tics Of tho great basin and much OF
thecountryadj to I'D particularly
on tho north, showing that what III :
now an arid country was formetly ven
watered. d v
One fstheses atreamle less channels
has a length 8of$ Snbont hi miles. rs
course IS we'll defined and iii CERTAIN
localities Az is d marrow, stesFsided
canon ut least 200 or 400 feet deep,
cut In tbasalt. III the mcnor III tias
oldest lnhabitant this channel haA
never been known to receive guficient
water to FORM 10 cont innoas stream.
One q tho most 3remarkab he streams
embraced In the area Investigated III
the SDeschutes 8rlyer, ID fflne sstrean ii
clear, cool water witch has its
source on the east slope "a the vas
cade Mountains. lows northwasa ansi
Joins the Columbia about s15 miles
above the DallesS s,e co,sass Nj
drains Is forested holds seyeras
lakes Of exceeding beaaty, on accoun'
LOT the clearness of their waters ans
j the prlmeyal wlldness sof; Tie forest
covered mountains about them.
Owing to the Ion of the main
tributaries % the river Id lakes, ~
; well rs the forest shell Of It's drain,
age, and SalsoE 70 tile fact that nearly
4 the whole ~ the regio on drained ny
the head channels of The river Ii cot
cred by q thick rface sheet III nj.
] mlccons dust Wife acts;asa saiter is
J. waters are sconsple ilously ciear In mt
I ditions to the TEXTURES lust describesi
the Deschntesy III; of special interest
1 e geographers, sas a g e$hiblts cert IN
pecpliarltiises MO 5eoIamon ls dealt witis
The Il Desc atss RixsE iii
Although flowing from nigh pllinE
On which precip itattpl VARIES sre;st
with seasonal chaag es. and Whore
snow s1t'' melt 81 rapid y al Tie hsat al
summer increases lts volume oyet y y
large section ~ its course Ii ptacii
SAL cal, stant throagh oat the yeat
stream gaugings over d distance Of
% miles show that me variations in
te height Of the river during the YEN III
ore not / more than eight oF psrhaps ten
ms where Tho width ls not ahnor.
mally restricted.
4 " Wooden bridges vii ichsc cross die r III
er In this portion of lbs course ara
placed e only two Or Three feet above
lts - surface g during the summer siiIs..s
anild sven the amour space thus III. (
| fforded beneath their flooEs II ,e,e,s
mined bySth height III ire approachs
g. an! and not tie tlgctaatien ID de
surtacs levels sof Bsthe water n
The reason fol The prsc tieally soon
st sta volume of he sehatss d main
/ Y u oeeanse cred tltrousl,oni
I,art o 4 its course eeilular :lsa
nto wllich i "a nov when d tens
a lEeftery e rise 70 sfaehced Ehs
greater the jyolpni o. tlie MI er. he
more eeiffilcfent tlls naIural slii,t
.t1si.n fsptill8a becomes US
ihSest iga g tons siieate that
ssa 1;Le9t which, thus from iIse
fl Y y; = a. ltsssga enss
tEe$laga n and % iight ii
part at least often ats distance Il
from m 80 e. from where Il sis
appeared. IN s