Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-03-09

western border of the Yellowstone
Park. This dyke which is four miles
thru can be plainly seen and studied
by tourists going to the park if they
follow the Warm River up to the west
ern entrance to the Park. When this
great weight was tilted up it settled
back against the volcanic formations
which underlie the Yellowstone area
and of course displaced vast amount
of hot molten rock which was squeezed
out first below the dyke and that
which could could not get out this
way was forced thru the layers of
superficial structure until it found
place to come to the surface, which
it did in about eight places along the
northern border of the lava beds as
known today
Remember this whole valley was
filled with water, the water now going
down the Yellowstone river once fed
this Payette lake, and when this mass
of rock was tilted up in the air it
changed the course of the Snake to
the Yellowstone. From that time
there has been very small amount of
water coming down the Snake as the
greater portion of the water shed was
changed from west to east.
AS the water filled the basin of
course the hot lava must run into
the water which it did and can be
easily proven by study of the various.
types of lava nuggets which can be
picked up along any part of the lava
beds near the edges.
AS the lava in its various flows, for
there are more than one, gradually
filled up the valley by flowing hot
lava into the water, the surface of the
lake rose until it became too much
for the barriers to hold it and
away it went out and down the var
ious ways to the Pacific ocean. The
great Columbia river carried most of
it away, and today one can see in
the Blue mountains of Oregon the
effects of this terrific force as it
left this part of the world on its
way to a lower level
AS the water went out the lava
cooled in various forms and many
fantastic shapes can be seen now on
the lava beds, North of Kimama is
one Butte which from a distance looks
exactly like one of our largest battle
ships and is called Steamboat Butte,
named long ago by some one who
possibly wondered how a steamboat
got so far from water.
AS the settling process went on in
the big dyke to the northeast, more |
lava was squeezed out in the same |
manner as the first flow and, at the |
Shoshone Falls it is very evident that |
there We're at least five flows at var
ous times. three very large thick de-
oosits and two smaller ones. Remem-
Der this whole bottom of the lake
vas at one time covered with the
lows, all this time they were becom-
ng cooler and cooler and finally they
plit open and all the flows on top
lid back on the lower one toward
he sawtooth mountains, and gave
gradual slope to the whole mass
owards what became the Snake
liver canyon. The part on the north
Ide Of the river, the smaller end on
be south side Of the river, when
he break took place was tilted away
ON the river, this is the reason
ny on the south side Of the Snake
yer al drainage with the exception
q few surface streams there are
, underground streams running or /,
owing into the Snake River j.
An oyer the country on the north N
le Of the river We find streams ol
hleh win rise flow fof distance h,
ea disappear in the lava. this water co
feeding 2 yasi body % water Which ~
lsis in the bottom ~ fhls baaln IN
tlia time el
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