OCR Text |
Show 130 lW KY MOUNTAIN CJO:NlmY. n.L no vny distant ]1 ri 0l1 in tho pa.~t, th1' alt lake rxf!'ncl1'tl Pi thr r con JH'clvc11y or in i:-;o la! Pd llOJ'tion · Vl'r tho "'n·at<' J' part of' tho G n•af Ba ~ in. H would be a mo::;t inl<•n•sting sub,jvct to trace thr hi story of' !hi:-; wond rful lake far ba('k ·in fliP g<•ological pa~t; fi'Ol11 tho n•cord · whi el1 hnrt• bl'<'n l eft in the ~l'dinJ<'Ill H, I ilai'C obtained COlnpamliv<•ly few fa<:LH n.R yPl, but Lli<'Y '<'<'Ill to lw quill' t'O II t:luHiV<', ant1 l l>el iev<· t l1at m<:h su<·r 'H~ i n• st<•p in till' chn ng<'s whi ·h Llli ' 0 '1'\'n.L rPgion h:t · Hndt• ro·on<• ran he illl<'l'))l' •Letl ll'itil :H'<'Ji m<·y frO JII Llw reconl· l eft in lll<' ' JII'f:L · > dellO~il~, if thl'r eould b · st udi<•d in <l<'lnil. Om• of I IH• m o~L <·nn,.;pi<' IIOIIH I'PaLun•s in lhi.· ba~ i11 , i::; tho sys1P 111 of' lel'l'tL(TS 01' lH' lll' IH'H w!Jir:h bordl-'I'H Lhe \'<.tlll'.}'S :l.' W\'11 HH tho { I'I':WI:-i. 'l'h PS<' IPJTa<'<'S Sl'l' lll to f'ornl a11 indvp •nd ·nt H.)' ·LL~ IIl in tlli .· ba~ in , t li ~:>< :<!ll - 11 <' t •d both in l'l'gard to linH· and Llu• <:<t ll RI'i:l that JH'Oilu<: •d lh ·m f'ron1 lllORP so well known along flw J\liHSO UI'i aml 'o lu1nb ia l ~ i vP I ". ol only do lJH'.)' ~\'\' Ill to h1· nnil'<' l'Sal orer t hi ~:> gn•at hm;i n, 1Jul lh<'y are all of' aboutlh1• :;:UIH' lvv<·l. J ha ve never oh '(' t'l' v(l more than Lll'o o1· thrre of' llwse lwn<'h\'s wt•ll tl.efi11 Pd, but Uaptain l:wHlHll'.}' HpmkH of' t'O itn! inn· 1:3 su<:GI'"sivt• fi'IT:W<'H at the northern end of th • lak •, th l1ighe:;l aboul200 f'pl'l n.bnve lhp ral ll·y. ln 1·olunw l I. of I l1 1• Pacifi0 Hail road Reports, pag • 07, tl1 ' I'O is a mo' t in Lt• r<•.ting nof1• in l'<'"':trd ... ~ to llit'HL' l'l' lll <Ll'kabl • .·li on• Jin1'S ' whi ·11 I an1 su1· · will h<• as inRlruetii'O to flio:-ll' who 111ay J'ead llli · volume, a: it has h<'<'n to 11w: " 'l'h t• old shon• lilli'S c•xisfino· in LliC Yil'illity or lll<' On•al. all Lake )11'(', Pnt an inten•sling Hltlll y . '() Ill or LIH' Ill [11'() Pll'vaLc·(l buL a rew f't•I'L (f'rolll fire to l\rpnfy) abon' l111• p rrR<' II t I '1'<-'1 of' Lll<' lnke, nn<l an• aH di tinct and Wl'll <ll'fin l'd as its lH'l'.<'lll bca0lil' ·, whil sL Ll1eir Jn ao· ni Lude nnd smoothly worn f'onns as Ullllli ::;takahly indieat • Lilt' lt•vpls wl!i('ll Lilt> wall'i'S maintai1wd n.t tiH•i r l'l'SJH'C'liro .f'ormationl'! for l'l'J'.}' l'OII ~:> id e rahk )WI'iods. ] n the Tu i II a \ 'alI I'.)', al f he ou Lit 'lid or the lakt·, LIH·y ar. H\l remn.rknbl,r d i ~ tin Land JH'<' llliar in rorm anLl p siLi 11 that th<•y atlra0ted tlw attention or the l i'<U.;t inrOI'IIll'd L<•a nl ston; or Ill .}' party, to wh om LIH·y app •arrd ad ifi0ial. F rom llJPS<' hl'ttches th , Tn i I Ia Vallt•y a ·<·end:; gradually lowaJ'<.l thr Houth, n.nd in a r·w 111iles b '00 111 'R blo ·lu•d up by a ·ros ·nu~ go of' lll O Uiltai n~, with pasHn.g • at ith<.•r .- icl • l eading, l1ow •v •r, over qttll<• a n'mn.rkabh• b •ar ltes, into whaL is known to tiLe Mormon · as Ru ·It 131 Yn111·y, in wlli ·l1 t lw r • are ·till Hlnall lake or ponls, on'<', tloubth• for111 i ng l)H rt of Lll • Ore• at al t LakP. "'l'hP I'\'0<'SI:liou :; o.f' th · watcrH of' t liP hk • fro111 thn b •;w li ,•r-; at thPse cnmparaliv<'ly ·Iigl1 t >I •vafiou s, lliU Ht liavp fakl'n plae • within a vvry liiOd<'l'll gt•olngical j) •riml, :wd th' vo llllll (' of' til' ll':tll'r of' llw lak<' at Pa.<·li su bsid<'nee- b.)' 11·lmtev ·1· eauHo produ0Pd, wliethl' l' gradual o1· HlHlHIIJ odie- s<'< 'lliS as plainly to l1ave l>PI'n di1nini sht>d; f'or il:; lJI'l'::l<'lll volnme i;; not sufli<'i •1d lo fonn a lake of' L'VI'II two 01· Lhr<'<' f'p<•t in l l <'plh 01'1:' 1' ll11:' an•a iudi('a(Nl by t h<' · shore;;, allll, if' exi ·t.i uo·, would lJl' annually drit•ll up <l uriup; lll<' Hllllli11 <' 1'. " '1'1!1•;;(' lmulo.; an• not }H'\' IIli <tr to tlw l' i<'inily of' t l1iH lak<' of the hasin, b ut W<'n' ohspr v<·<l Jll'ar tho lak<' · in l•'mnklin \';LI IL'.}', an1lwill pi'Ol.mbly 1)1' f'Otlllll JH'al' o( ht' l' Jake: and in tht• llllnll' I'OIIH Hlll :tll lM:-i ii iH, W!Ji<:h lllli lt>d f'onn t h<' Un·at Hm;in . 'I'll <'.}' cl arly Sl'l'lll lo han· bt•\'n f'onn ed and lPf't dry within a }>\' ri od. ·o J'<'('l'll t thaL i t woul<l Sl'l' lll i1n pos"ibl1• for til\' II':Lll'l'H whi<·h f'or ll ll'd lllPIII to l1a.1·o I'H<·:qH'd iu to ll1u K<'a, eith t' l' by p;n•at conl'lllsion:; op<' Jiing passag<'H for liH•Jn , or by Lh<' gl':ldual bn•ukino· up of' tlw <listant sil O!'<' ( ri111 of' the basin), thu :; draining lh1'1ll ofr, witliolll lt>ar ing abu ndant J'l' ·o1·ls of tli L' L' ·<·aping watvrs, ns ll'•,.ibl • at l1·a ·La: lh' old l::ihOI'<'H ll11•y fOI'IIl<.'d. "BuL higll abov, l h<• '0 linlinutiVI' bank.- or 1'\'G(' ll t datt• HI'(' S('l' ll Oil Lho IIIOUnlnins t th • •ast, SO iilli and wv;;t, and 011 the i " l a l l\ l r~ of' Un·aL :-\a! t Lak<' f'OI'III:ttious )!I'' '(' I'V i 11 °' a Pl>al'l'll t ly a Ull i form l''l'l'alion a ' fa I' as lll<' <'.)'<' an •xl\' ncl- formn.fions, whieh hastily <·xanlill<'d, fH'<' lll 110 I • ·:; unmistakably tl1an the f'orlll t' l' to iu<lirat • l h<·i r ·ho re origiu . Th<·y aru L· levn.kd frolll 200 o1· :300 to GOO or 800 fh·t allov<• the l li'I'H<' llL lak<·, a11d mn.y 0 11 car •f'u l t•xalnina.Lion afford lli<' llH'<tiiH of' dl'll'l'lll ini ll'r lll<' C'har:tctvr of t.lw Sl'ft by whi ·h th y were f'ol'ln ecl, wh >th ~ r an int •rna! on<·, :;uh ' •q u<• nlly drain<'d oft' by the hr!'aking 01· wP::trin"' awny of' Lho ri111 of thP lm:;in, or a.n :tl'lll of the main s •a, wl1i clt with tit<' conl inl'll t l1as b\' •n t>ll'val.l'd to it:; }ll'e ·put po iliou and dmiued by Ll1e succ<• ·~ i vl' ·tcps indil'aL•ll1y LliP'' siiOI'''." ·w < might o·o ba ·k to tho Mid<ll • OJ' pp<'I' Tt•rtiary p1'rioc1, wiH' Il th · ligl1 t H:LJHisl onPS, 0la.ys and marls ll"liil' li an• now well ·liown 0 11 Llic margins of' the mou11lain near , 'al t Lnkl• C.: i ty, lLt Pro111ontory Point ancl in tl1 1 \Vdwr VallPy, must liav1· 011 · • vxkncl<'<L ov(• i' th • <rn•al<' l' portion or th' ba. ·in, with a. thi0kness of 1,000 C• t OL' lllOJ'('. Tll O. l'O ·k~ |