OCR Text |
Show APPENDIX NN. 1279 sweep to the east, flows onward, finally emptying into Pyramid Lake, which has no visible outlet. Thus the waters of the Lake Tahoe Valley are tributary to that great interior basin, that peculiar system of so- called " sinks," in which all the waters of Nevada, with a few trifling exceptions, are swallowed up. The eastern en aim it breaks down qnite precipitously to the east into the valley of the Carson, some of the branches of which river rise in the little valleys of Hope, Faith, and Charity jnst east of Carson Pass. The western snmmit slopes gradually to the west, all it* waters from Carson Pass to Summit Station on the Ceutral Pacific Railroad ( some 43 miles) being collected into the Atnerioau River by its south, middle, and north forks and their various . branches, by which, as might be expected, numerous valleys and deep canons are '- formed. I t was not until the 14th of September that the party moved into the area assigned to it, when camp was made at Glenbrook, on the east shore of Lake Tahoe. The route followed from Carson was over the King's Canon road, which, winding up the slope of the eastern summit until it attains an altitude of some 2,500 feet above oar camp in Eagle Valley, descends to the lake, giviug grades practicable for heavy teams. Another ronte between Carson and Glen brook, known as the Clear Creek route, aud used by the Lake Tahoe stage- line, joius the first mentioned at th* summit. A steep grade on this road not far from the bummit causes the King's Cation route to be preferred for heavy teaming. The stage- route is about a mile aud three- quarters shoiter than the other, by which the distance is about fifteen and a quarter miles. Travelers by either route pay toll at the summit. G leu brook is very prettily situated on a small bay about the middle of the east shore of the lake. A brook flowing through a deep aud shady glen empties into this bay and gives the place its name. Settled in I860, it was the first place of any permanence on the lake, and is now the principal village, claiming some four hundred inhabitants. It is the center of the Lake Tahoe lumber- trade and possesses four sawmills and a planiug- mil). The saw- logs are'floated here from lumber- camps on the north, west, and south shores of the lake, and I was informed that about 25,000,000 feet of sawed lumber are annually tnrned out. The principal markets are Virginia and Gold Hill, the great mining center of Nevada. The lumber is now carried to the top of the eastern summit by means of a narrow- gauge railroad built in 1875. As the grade of the wagon- road from Glen brook to the summit is about 290 feet to the mile, the railroad avoids this by running some three miles north of Gleubrook, then ascends the slope by a zigzag, the general plan of which would be a flattened aud distorted Z. f The angles of the Z are arranged as the ordinaly railroad Y, and thus a considerable difference of level is overcome by moderate grades. From the summit a flume between U and 10 miles in length runs down the Clear Creek. Canon, and by this lire- wood or Inuiber can be delivered within a mile of Carson. Received here by the cars of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, it can be carried to the points where it is wanted. One of the firnt objects to strike the eye after reaching Gleubrook is a monnnent mass of basalt just to the south, which bears the interesting name of Shakespeare's Cliff. A moment's careful inspection will show. on an almost vertical escarpment not far from the summit a mass of greenish- gray lichens standing out plainly against the dark surface of the rock. A glance at this will without any stretch of the imagina tion transform it into a truly striking resemblance to the head aud bust of the great poet as seen in profile; the high forehead, massive brows, and pointed beard being wonderfully reproduced. This was plainly visible from our camp in the neighborhood of a mile to the north. Situated about the middle of the eastern shore, and not half a mile from it, with an altitude of some 800 feet above the lake, the cliff affords a fine panorama of the entire western and the greater part of the northern and southern shores. Of the lake itself I attempt no description, as that will be found in full in the report of the geologist, but the following facts in connection with it may be of interest: The geographical position of the lake is well fixed by the one hunlrcd aud twentieth meridian of west longitude transversing its length, and the thirty- ninth parallel of north latitude crossing its southern end. Its developed shore- line may be set down in round numbers at 70 miles, and its snpeificial area at about 188 square miles, of which two- thirds lies in California, the remainder in Nevada. Five counties border upon i t : Washoe, Ormsby, and Douglas in Nevada; Eldorado and Placer in California. The p'incipal settlements are Glenbrook, on the east shore, Rowland's, on the south, aud Tahoe City on the west. The others are MuKinney's, on the west, near Sugar- pine Point, Yank's on the sonth, and Hot Springs on the north shore, and State- line Point. At all these points accommodations may be found for tourists. During the summer and fall Tahoe City is connected with Truckee on the Central Pacific Railroad by a daily line of stages carrying passengers and mails, while Glenbrook is similarly connected with Carson. A small steamer makes a daily tour of the lake, toucuing at all the places mentioned. A stage is also sometimes ruu between Hot Springs and Truckee. A good road connects Glenbrook and Rowland's, whence a moderately good one runs to Yank's. Thence, to McKinney's there is a trail, very bad, near Emerald Bay, and from McKiuney's to Tahoe City there is a road. A rough trail, passable for riding or pack |