Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-11

feet sheer drop, then come a series Of cas-
cades partly hidden in which the fall is
over coo feet, and finally a vertical drop
Of 900 feet
Forests of Enormous Trees.
From the cliffs surrounding the valley
the scene Is one of remarkable inspira-
uon and beauty. At the foot OF the
traveller lies the valley floor-the green
trees and meadows and the winding river
giving the effect of a rich velvet carpet
over which line Of silver has been drawn:
here and there one gets glimpses Of the
foaming white waters hurting themselves
to the valley below; on both sides of the
valley rise the great walls of rock sculp-
tured by the elements into various fan
tastic shapes and figures
! In the Yosemite, the Sequola and the
General Grant National parks are found
the groves Of big trees, the like Of which
are seen nowhere else in the world. These
trees grow to height of $40 feet and have
circumference OF over 100 feet at the
base the bark sometimes exceeding forty
inches in thickness. In the Mariposa grove
the road extends through the base Of one
or these trees and coach and four is
regularly driven through this tunnel in the
traveller. The rings in the trunks Of these
trees show that many Of them are over
1000 years old. Cathedrals and castles have
been built and fallen into decay. empires
have come and gone. but these grizzly
giants Of the western slopes still raise
their hoary heads and spread their CRATE
ful shade as they did in the days of the
Caesars.
| The largest glacial system In the world
radiating from any single peak is situated
on Mount Rainer in western Washington
Inc Mount Rainer National park includes
the mass OF this great mountain and all
the approaches to II. The traveller an
preaching Mount Ralner passes through
areas in which the climate and the veReta-
ton range from temperate to artic The
lower valley is thickly covered with fir
hemlock and cedar the underground Is
dense and the forest floor is covered with
moss and litter of fallen branches and
decayed wood. AS the mountain is assembled.
the vegetation changes; at an altitude Of
1000 feet the forest cover consists of noun.
tain hemlock, Alpine fir and Alaska cedar
GRADUALLY the trees become smaller. they
are gnarled and twisted as If they had
endeaVored to escape the fury of the fierce
blasts that sweep over the upper slopes
Inc trees dwindle to struggling bushes and
then the climber is on the bare rocks
pohshed and SCARED by the masses of
snow and ice that have swept over them
Inc last four miles to the summit is along
the ridges between the glaciers or over the
Ice The way is rough and steep and is
dangerous one unless accompanied by a
guide
A Lake with a History.
The Crater Lake National park, in oregon
mas within Its borders lake that is unique
among the natural wonders of the world
This lake, into which no streams flow and
which has no visible outlet. lies in what is
left OF the caldera of a great mountain
that rose to an elevation of over 1900 feet
above the sea. He who cares nothing for
the wonderful history of this lake msy
well be entranced by It's remarkable and
striking beauty. Around the lake are
twenty miles of unbroken cliffs ranging
from 500 to 1000 feet in height, whose bril-
liant colors are reflected In the clear placid
waters Of the lake. Near the western edge
| OF the lake is Wizard island, in the top of
which is an extinct crater 100 feet deep and
800 feet in diameter, and near the southern
shore is a Jagged rock which from a dis
lance resembles a ship, but which ap-
parently disappears when the shadow OF a
cloud strikes 1t. This lake is not. the only
attraction of the national park in which II
is situated. The surrounding peaks afford
opportunities for climbing and the extended
views from their SUBMITS offer an ADEQUATE
recompense for the effort necessary to
reach them.
In southwestern Colorado and north
western New Mexico at one time dwelt
enc Of the most remarkable races of the
| ma Iferl, a..
border the canyons that have been cut in
the Mesa Verde are over 400 prehistoric
ruins. Three of the most important ruins
Cliff Palace, Spruce Tree House and Bal
cony House-have been excavated and re-
paired and give the visitor an idea of now
! these prehistoric people lived. This park
is twenty-five miles from the nearest rail-
read station and can be reached only on
horseback or on feet.
The Casa Grande ruin near Elorence
Ariz., is an Indian ruin of undetermined
antiquity. which was discovered in 1854 by
Padre Kino. a Jesuit missionary This
fgreat house is said to be the most i'm
portant ruin of its type in the southwest
and for this reason It has strong claims TO
archaeological study. repair and permanent
preservation. The main building was or
isinally five or six stories high and COW
SISu space oSN4S Feet Some OF the rooms
have been excavated or restored and over
100 rooms on the ground floor are open to
the public.
America Leads I'm Park Conservation,
While the governments Of Europe have
been for many years far in advance of
America In the preservation OF the forests
they have at last come to look to this coun-
try for policy with regard to national
parks. The reports Of the superintendent
and the laws and regulations governing the
various parks have been forwarded 20 the
government OF Switzerland and to the
Nereln Naturschutz park OF Stuttgart
Germany which has for its object the es-
Enlistment OF parks for the preservation
and protection Of the fauna and flora and
Austria and Germany and which plans TO
establish smaller parks modelled after the
Yellowstone. Information on the Yellow
stone park In particular has been sought
by the superintendent OF the New Zealand
tourist ana health resorts. by the secretary
OF the national parks in New South Wales.
and by the secretary OF the Royal Geo
graphic society OF Australia
1t Is almost forty years since congI ess
NwMA