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Show 1 2 8 0 REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. animals, connects Tahoe City, Hot Springs* and Glenbrook. Finding at Glen brook an excellent camping- ground and good feed for the animals, it was decided to make a main camp here and study the features of the eastern summit by detours to the south and north. Accordingly, on the arrival of the topographer at this camp, a trip was made to the south, aud a main station established on a well- defined point, showing well from the stations in the neighborhood of the base, near Virgin a City. About this time, a so, a second small party, in charge of the geologist, was ordered to make a trip arouud the lake, putting up signals on points along its borders, which might be of assistance in establishing the shore- line, and at the same time obtaining reliable information concerning the trails and roads about the lake. The work along the range to the south having been completed as far as thought necessary from this camp, a detour was made to the north. During this trip the uarrow-gauge railroad already referred to was surveyed and the lake shore meandered far enough to the north to be connected with without difficulty on the home trip. V main triangulation statiou was also made and the topography of the range finished as far as possible to the northward. Marlette Lake was likewise visited aud surveyed. This little lake is beautifully situated in a basin just west of the main ridge, aud considerable interest attaches to it from the fact that it is the source from which the Virginia Water Company intend drawing their supply. It is easily reached by a very fair wagon-road which leaves the stage- road at Spooner's Station, about five- eighths of a mile from, the summit. It drains into Lake Tahoe, but by damming its outlet it has been increased to many times its origiual size. It now measures about 1£ miles in length by half a mile in breadth, with a snperlicial area approximating to 300 acres. Our barometric observations make its altitude 7,750 feet or 1,548 feet above Lake Tahoe, and high enough above Virginia City and Gold Hill ( some 16 miles distant in a straight line) to give a good head there. In order to get the water across the ridge a tunnel is beiog pierced through the granite rock composing it about 3 miles north of the lake where the ridgn is narrowest. This tunnel is iu a fair way toward completion, and will have a length of nearly 4,500 feet, with a cross- Bection of about 6 by 8 feet. The water will be led to its west end by a ditch or flume. On the eastern slope the flume has been built and is in operation, being at present fed by some of the mountain streams of that slope. Pursuing a tortuous course down the niouu tain- side until a steep slope is reached, the flume discharges its contents into a pipe which descends rapidly until it reaches its lowest poiut at Lake View, on the low ridge separating Eagle and Washoe Valleys. Following up this ridge for some 5 miles the pipe delivers its waters to a flume which conveys them to their destination, Gold Hill and Virginia. Returning from this trip to the Glenbrook camp, September 24, we were delayed a day on account of its being necessary to discharge the two packers and a cook, whose places I was fortunately able to fill without much difficulty. Meautime the party seut around the lake having reported, camp was moved on the 26th to a point near Rowland's, on the south shore of the lake. About 3.3 miles south of Gleubrook the road passes Cave Rock, which is the most prominent object on the eastern sho- ea being easily discernible from our stations on the western ridge. It is a mass of porphyritic trachyte rising some 150 feet above the lake, the road being carried round its base on trestle- work. The rock derives it name from a cave exteudmg some 30 feet into its side. The top and sides of this cavern are darkened by a peculiar pitchy deposit similar to that described in full in vol. v, ( Zoology, p. 55U, j of the published reports of this survey.* Between 2 and 3 miles farther Zephyr Cove is reached, once a popular stage- station, but now deserted. In the pa my days of staging, before the completion of the overland railroad, the road was kept in beautiful condition, aud sprinkled twice a day. Although not traveled nearly so much as formerly, it is still au excellent road, and a great ileal of farm aud dairy produce passes over it to the \ irginia markets. In about 4 miles from Zephyr Cove Email's Station is passed, at which poiut f he Kingsbury Grade road crosses the eastern summit, coming out in the Carson Valley about 3 miles' south of Genoa. A little less thau a mile farther ou Kearney's Station is reached. When the the State-line was rnu it was foaud to pass directly through the inn, and it is said that guests may dine either in Nevada or California by simply changiug sides at the table. The boundary monument on the lake shore near by was visited and brought into the scheme of triangulation. Here we left the main road, which continues up the east side of the valley, and took the road along the south shore of the lake to Row laud's, and camped in a meadow near by. Leaving the maiu party hero, the topographer and myself, with a small party, started for Freel's Peak. Bad weather and a broken barometer obliged us to devote two days to our observations here. A small monument and a bottle containing records found on the summit showed that the peak had been visited Sep- * It is worthy of remark that caretuI observations by the naturalist of the p t r iy dp not con firm the theory taere advauced aw. ibing the deposit to lizards, but point rather to the opinion expressed by Prof. Cope, that it is produced by some small mammal, probably the Xeotoma cinerea. |
