The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1909-10-01
The Great Snake River.

There is more horsepower in it
rapids than would be needed t.
operate all the railways and all tn
factories Of the United States, ant
the possibilities of the future canno
be measured. l was thinking til,
other day, as l watched its tremend
uous current sweeping along will
irresistible force and serene conf
dence through the canyon it has ex
eavated for its passage across the
state, how just and we'll deserved it.
conscious dignity, and how prouc
the soul Of the river must be of its
usefulness and importance to man.
kind.
The Snake is the seventh river o1
the United States in size, and the
Columbia, of which it forms the
principal part, is the third. The
Snake bears the same relation to the
Columbia that the Missouri does to
the Mississippi, and is larger than
any Of the tributaries Of the Misisis.
sippi.
1t rises in a group of springs
about eight miles south of Yellow
stone lake and once received a part
of its overflow as we'll as Of the yell
lowstone river, but some convulsion
OF nature raised barrier between
them, and now the waters of the lake
go over the falls of the Yellowstone
down into the Missouri and via the
Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Snake, proud and dashing
little stream from its birth, takes
northerly circuit into the park, and
receives the waters Of the Shoshone
and Lewis lakes through the Heart
and Lewis rivers. Several other
streams flow into it before it leaves
Wyoming. 1t passes through Jack
sons hole and receives the overflow
from Jackson's lake, and encircles
the base of the Teton mountains
amid majestic scenery. 1t gives from
100000 to 100000 acre feet Of
water to irrigate Wyoming and
drains 1908, 900 acres in that state.
The Snake enters Idaho just above
the southern boundary of the park,
flows southwark more than hun
dred miles through deep canyon,
from which it emerges upon wide
rolling plateau.
Its course through Idaho is more
than 800 miles and it receives the
drainage Of three-fourths Of the state.
After traversing the southern coun-
ties it crosses the state, becomes the
boundary line between Idaho and
Oregon and Washington, and then
turns westward IFS miles until it
reaches Lewiston where it meets the
Lewis and Clark river and with them
becomes the Columbia. Through
all OF this course it is useful to man.
kind; its flow never ceases and is
always abundant. While the melting
SHOWS of the spring contribute to fill
its banks above normal depth, it is
never so low as to be unable to fulfill
its mission.
The several canyons of the Snake
are among the deepest and most
precipitous in all the Rocky noun
tains, and they are attended with
many natural wonders. The Sho-
shone falls in southeastern Idaho
fank next to Niagara in volume Of
water, and surpass Niagara in many
respects. Shoshone falls are 2lO
feet high, while Niagara is but 100.
Shoshone falls are in canyon from
600 to 800 feet deep and about Is
miles long, and the scenic setting is
much grander and more picturesque
than that of Niagara. The surround
ings both above and below the falls
are Of the widest description.
Within IS miles are nine success
sive falls in the Snake canyon, any
one of which would be considered
great attraction anywhere else. At
Twin falls the river drops 100 feet;
at Star falls los feet; at Swan falls 90
feet; at St. Anthony falls 80 feet; at
the American falls, Anger falls and
and Idaho falls go feet each, and at
the Upper and Lower Salmon falls