Middletown transcript., 1915-11-27

~RATER LAKE National park has
been termed by many the eighth
wonder of the world. Nesting
" in the heart of a great noun
tain which, in ages past, was a
living volcano, 5000 feet above the
sea. with its sapphire surface unruf'
fed, rejecting the many-hued surfaces
Of the 1000 feet high crater walls
which surrounded it, it is undoubtedly
one of the most exquisite gems Of
color to be found in the world. It's
blue surpasses the blue of the Bay Of
Naples in richness and intensity and
it's somewhat weird surroundings.
pregnant with mystery and solitude,
are in perfect harmony with the placid
repose of it's surface.
There are glaciers in many coun-
tries. high peaks, water falls. cascades,
forests and fields of wild flowers to be
found In many lands, but there is only
one Crater lake. individuality is as
difficult Of attainment in scenery as 1t
is in persons, and in Crater Lake Ma
tional park one finds 1t to an extreme
| degree.
| h6 pCOplO Vi bHC OUAICu OldICb uA .
particularly fortunate in the posses
sion Of their national parks in that al
most every one of them has a marked
and striking individuality and con-
tains within its boundaries some fea
tures which viii leave a lasting i'm
preston and will be a source of Joy
and pleasure when other things are
forgotten; but Of all the sights that
can be had in the scenic reservations
of our country. perhaps none will
strike the observer with such force
and viii leave as lasting an impress
sion as Crater lake.
Crater Lake National park is in the
Cascade range Of mountains in south
ern Oregon. The lake is circular in
form and about six miles in diameter
It's surface Is at an elevation Of 6,177
feet above sea level and is an average
Of 1000 feet below the crest of the
surrounding crater rim. The great
cavity in this mountain was once the
crater of an active volcano which. al
one time or another, collapsed, leaving
a receptacle several hundred feet II
depth which is now filled with spar
king blue water, clear as a diamond
and Of blue that defies description.
Arranging for Tourists.
To make this unique gem Of ex
quisite beauty available to the travel
ing public has been no simple problem
The park is traversed by roads from
the west and from the south and tn
, approaches are along easy gradients
and through wonderful forests ant
alongside beautiful canyons, but upol
: a closer approach to the ascent to tn
rim of the crater, the difficulty o
, reaching the lake becomes more an,
more serious. and the problems in
( volved in establishing proper accom-
2 modations for the tourists and mair
J., tanning them throughout the seaso
:, becomes more and more complex.
3 The superintendent house is Il
4 Gated several miles from the rim G
the crater and at an elevation of 6 90
/. feet above sea level. This altitude
while more than 1000 feet below tn
d rim of the crater from which a vie
/ of the lake can be had, is still on
which, at this latitude is covered wit
4 SHOWS for many months of the year
!. 1t is however, the most practicabl
a place at which to locate the goverl
a ment headquarters and to establis
a small village consisting of a fe
r stores and supply stations. 1t is no
q however. at the rim of the crater an
y therefore could never, under. any ci
!. cumstances, be a place where touris
!, would be content to stay. for there
ever the mountain top with the lal
beyond beckoning the traveller to Il
- goal of his pilgrimage.