The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-07-10


is only one really great caldera of this KIND III Tue
world-only one immense basin apparently formed
through the complete melting by intense hct. Vi
the entire core of great volcano, ana the i"iiie
in and utter disappearance through sufterraneah
caverns Of its massive bulk.
The titanic CONFUSION that formed this reitdrh-
able beauty-spot no human eye witnessed. "rSo
gists have concluded that ages ago, IN the great
chain of volcanic mountain peaks when TO-DAY eA-
tends from Washington TO California-amohg tueln
Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt Adams. Mt JeHeisoh'
Three Sisters, Mt Mclaughlin. Mt. Shasta ana has-
sen Peak-there lowered which mas pee"
called Mount MaZar'a. that may nave toppeu uio
tallest of it's fellows Judging from the p'tc"
of the remnants of it's outer slopes, sclehtls's 'on
clude with reasonable certainty that' II re'oh
structed it's snow-clad peak would rise 1roin
seven to eight thousand feet above It's DroKe"
rim Mazama stands today an uncrowned kine
shorn of it's diadem of burning gold and gltterhs
silver vet holding within its heart treasure .ne
rorest in the word-a beautiful lake. the deepest
of all lakes with waters the bluest OF all Diue
waters And this is Crater lake
Crater lake is almost circular, varying from nse
TO six miles In diameter. It's known depth Is 2'Ooo
feet and it is believed to be the deepest body or
fresh water in the world. Its surface Is o'iH
feet above the sea- 1t has inlet or outlet belng
fed by springs and winter SHOWS; IT'S water es-
capes by underground channels, reappearihg as
springs in the Klamath region few miles away.
1t is completely girded by precipitous cllns ana
steep talus slopes that fall sharply DOWNWARD
from its rim 1900 to 600 feet to the waters edge.
Closely encircling 1t rise many high peaks notably
Llao Rock, The Waterman. and Cloud Cap; aiso
Glacier. Garfield and vidae Peaks.
Surrounded by canyons, ravnes and pnnaced
rocks, and belted by a wilderness or pouiuer7
strewn forests, the region for years was ihacces-
sible. and UNEMPLOYED except by the more ven
turesOme who attracted by stories OF ,he
Indians of this mystery lake in its fantastc set
ting Yet It's discovery was accidental; IL DC
Cured in 1853 while an exploring party was
searching in the Cascade mountains for the ram
Gus Lost Cabin mine.
A dispute arose over the choice Of a name, the
party dividing between Mysterious lake ana Deep
Blue lake. The advocates of Deep Blue lake won
the vote, but in 1869 visiting party renamed 1t
Crater lake, and this by natural right becasne i's
title
The first sight of Crater lake is well-nigh be-
wildering Unless looked into from the rim IL Is
invisible Wonderment at the height and steep
ness Of its encircling cliffs succeeds the hrst as
constituent; admiration Of the loveness Oh II"
coloring next enthralls the beholder III the Sc
uuence of Impressions It's unique Deauty mes III
no small measure in its coloring the Driiiiaii.
of which If reproduced in painting or PRINT "oui'
seem exaggerated and impossible to those VINO
have not seen the reality. Nowhere else IS tiere
such an azure One feels that glass OF IT'S wa
ter would show blue if stained WIN c"ptiIt' "ui
II Is clear as crystal and pure The deeper
parts are a brilliant ultramarfne' shadlng 10
turquoise in the shallower reaches, and to iight
Jade green in the few indented coves around the
shore A hundred feet down the glaze or plate
ia MAINLY discernjble The surroundings help the
brilliance 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 mottled
and splotched with bright yeows and reds mark
ings left by volcanic action long ago, and always
there is the dark green Of the pines and frs and
shrubs that grow on these decvities wherever
they find root-hold. The waters are usually plac-
i'd cleaning though glazed by the sum- and in
this mirror Of Nature the reflections stand out
with astounding distinctness.