| OCR Text |
Show 1 2 8 8 REPORT OP THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. Geneva, N. Y., for investigation. A few days afterwards Professor Smith informed me that he had identified the following species: Cyclolella operc& lala, C. rotula, Pinnula-ria riridis, Navicula variant, Epithmiia iurgida, E. eorex, E. argu*, E. gibba, E. Wester-manii, Gomphonema, dichotomum, G. teiullum, G. herculaneum, Himantidium undulatuw, Fragilaria capucina, Cocconeis placentula, Xav\ cula elliptic*, Cocconema lanceolatum and varieties, Ma* togloia , Cymbtlla , Celosira ttndulatum. Melonra italicais the commonest Hpecies. The sediment contests chiefly of it. Prof. Joseph Le Coute has examined sediment from the bottom of Lake Tahoe. He informs me that a few Diatoms are found at a small depth, while the sediment at great depths consists entirely of Diatoms and certain organic particles, which puzzled him for a long time, as they were much disintegrated. Finally Professor Le Conte recognized this organic matter to be the pollen grains of conifers. They are blown over the lake, sink, and do not decompose on account of the coldness of the water. In closing the chapter on Lake Tahoe I cannot do better than make a brief refereuce to the appearance of the lake in windy weather. During storms it is not uncommon to see waves 2, 3, and sometimes 4 feet in height. In ordinary weather sufficient motion is imparted to a row- boat to cause sea- sickness. Even on a calm day there is a gentle 0 undulating movement of the water along the luke- coast. During a fresh gale, the waves beat against the shore with almost as much noise and force as on the Atlantic coast. The shore- line is continually shifting, especially on the southern side of the lake, where a sand- beach occurs. Scattered along the coast of Lake Tahoe are numerous pebbles, which are wafted by the waves from place to place as on a sea- beach. . THE EASTERN SUMMIT. This name has been given to the monntain- range forming the eastern boundary of Lake Tahoe, and extending north aud south for about 34 miles. My observations were confined to the portiou of the eastern summit lying between Mount Rose and Job's Peaks. The ridge- line of this range is gently undulating, and. has a nearly uniform height, there being no lofty pinnacles rising above it. There are but few precipitous gorges in the eastern summit, and the canons are regnlar in form, with the exception of Clear Creek Canon, which is not only very broad and winding, but nearly traverses the entire range. The main stage- road to Glen brook runs through the bottom of Clear Creek Catiou, and the western part of the road from Carson City through King's Cafion extends along the northern side of this cation. These roads unite at the summit of the pass, 7,18b* feet high, near the toll- gate. From this point a broad wagon- road is continued down the western slope of the range to Glen brook, a distance of 42| miles. There ia bnt one other pass that is traversed by a wagon- road, viz, the pass between Ginoa and Kearney's Station. There are several other defiles in the Eastern Summit that can be made practicable for wagons. A wagon- road crosses the range and descends on the western slope to the Virginia tunnel. There is a road ronning to the head of the cation due south of Mount Rose. The topographical features of the country would not prevent the prolongation of these two roads across the range to the foot of the western side. The western slope of the Eastern Summit, like other ranges in the far West, is much steeper than the eastern slope. The entire range is densely wooded, although the timber has been removed on the eastern side. As the method of lumbering practiced her © U somewhat peculiar, a description of it may be of interest. On account of tho large size of the trees, saws, are used instead of axes in felling them. After a tree is cut down, it is sawed into sectious about 5 feet long. Deep holes are bored into these sections with a long- shanked auger, into which powder is stored, and the wood is blasted in the same manner as rock. There is no arable land on the eastern slope of the Eastern Summit, except in Clear Creek Canon, where a few vegetables are raised. There aie a few small Alpine lakes on the summit of the range. Tbe Twin Lakes are scarcely worthy of the name, being only 400 by 200 feet in area. Marlette or Silver Lake is about half a square mile in area. This lake is partly artificial, its size haviug been increased by damming. A tunnel about 8 by 6 feet in cross- section runs out of Marietta Lake. It will be 4,500 feet long when fiuished aud has a southeasterly direction. The waters will be conducted from the east end of tho tunnel to the Carson Valley by a flume. The water in the streams of the Eastern Summit is cold and clear. The creeks running down the eastern slope flow through the Carson Plain and empty into the Carson River, while those on tbe western side of the summit empty into Lake Tahoe. There are no irrigating- ditches in the Eastern Summit, but the waters of several streams are diverted from their natural course and conducted through flume* for the transportation of lumber. The principal flumes in this range are the Clear Creek Cation, the Franktown, and the Wa « hoe City. The streams in the Eastern Summit are rapid, narrow, and easily fordable. The soil of the range is largely composed of disintegrated granite. Numerous spurs diverge from the eastern slope of this range, and extern! in some cases* far out into the plain, appearing like buttresses. There are no spurs on the western slope, unless the head- |
