The Tomahawk., 1920-06-03

country that contain immature lakeS' puL INV
is only one really great caldera of this Kind IN ce
world-only one immense basin apparently formed
through the complete melting by intense neat o.
the entire of great volcano, and the 1al'ins
in and utter disappearance through suDterfaaesn
caverns of its massive bulk.
The titanic CONFUSION that formed this remark
able beauty-spot no human eye Witnessed "eo1o
giss have concluded that ages ago, IN the great
chain of volcanic mountain peaks which today eS-
tends from Washington to Cafornia-among them
Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt JEFFERSON
Three Sisters Mt Mclaughlin, Mt. Shasta and Las"
sen Peak-there lowered one, which mas pee"
called Mount Mazama, that may have topped the
talest of its fellows. Judging from the pitch
of the remnants of it's outer slopes, scientists con-
clude with reasonable certainty that, If recon"
structed, its snow-clad peak would rise from
seven to eight thousand feet above its broken
rim. Mazama stands today an uncrowned KING
shorn of it's diadem of burning gold and ghtterlng
silver, yet holding within its heart treasure tns
rarest in the world-a beautiful lake, the deepest
of all lakes, with waters the bfuest Of oil blue
waters And this Is Crater lake.
Crater lake is almost circular, varying from i've
to six miles in diameter. Its known depth Is 2,OOu
feet and it is believed to be the deepest body OF
fresh water in the world. Its surface Is 6,l11
feet above the sea. It has inlet or outlet. being
fed by springs and winter SHOWS; Its water es-
canes by underground channels, renppearing as
springs in the klamath region. a few miles away.
It is completely girdled by precfpitous cliffs ana
steep talus slopes that fall sharply downward
from its rim 1000 to 600 feet to the waters edge.
Closely encircling it rise many high peaks notably
LAO Rock The Waterman, and Cloud Cap; also
Glacier Garfield and Vidae Peaks.
Surrounded by Canyons ravines and pinnaced
rocks and beted by wilderness Of boulder
strewn forests, the region for years was lnacces'
sble, and unexpored except by the more VEN
tureson1e who were attracted by stories or the
Indians of this mystery lake in Its fantastic SET
ting Yet it's discovery was accidental; 1t oc'
curred in 1853 while an exploring party was
searching in the Cascade mountains for the FAM
Gus Lost Cabin mine.
dispute arose over the choice of name, the
party dividing between Mysterious lake and Deep
Blue lake. The advocates of Deep Blue lake won
the vote but in 1860 visiting party renamed 1t
Crater lake. and this by natural right became Its
title.
The first sight of Crater lake is well-nigh be-
widering, Unless looked into from the rim 1t Is
Invisible Wonderment at the height and steep
ness of it's encrcing cliffs succeeds the first as
tonishment; admiration Of the loneliness OF Its
coloring next enthralls the behOlder in the Sc
uuenc. of impressions. Its unique beauty lies IN
no small measure in its coloring, the brilliance
of which if reproduced in painting or print would
seem exaggerated and impossible to those who
have not seen the reality. Nowhere else Is there
such an azure. One feels that glass OF Its wa
ter would show blue as If stained with coDalt, OUT
It is clear as crystal and as pure. The deeper
norts are q brilliant ultramarne, shading to
turcuoise in the shallower reaches, and to light
1ade green in the few indented coves around the
shore. A hundred feet down the glaze Of d plate
is plainly discernible. The surroundings help the
brliance of the blue; the rocks are of metallic
hues: the peaks Of the rim are often snow covered
the lava gray Of the steep SCARED walls IS mottleo
and snlotched with bright yellows and rcds mark
ines left by volcanic action long ago. and alwayi
there is the dark green of the pines and frs and
Shrubs that grow on these declivities wherever
they find root-hold. The waters are usually plac
i'd, cleaning as though glazed by the sun. and II
this mirror of Nature the reflectlaas stAa1 CIV
with astounding dstinctness-