Part 6 (1/2)
Hon. Nathaniel P. Langford, who published a series of articles in _Scribner's Magazine_,[AB] which gave general publicity to the news of discovery. He became first Superintendent of the Park.
[AB] See Appendix E.
Hon. Cornelius Hedges, who first proposed setting apart this region as a National Park.
Hon. Truman C. Everts, ex-U. S. a.s.sessor for Montana, whose experience upon the expedition forms the most painful and thrilling chapter in the annals of the Yellowstone.
Hon. Samuel T. Hauser, President of the First National Bank of Helena, and later Governor of Montana.
Walter Trumbull, son of the late Senator Trumbull. He published an account of the expedition in the _Overland Monthly_ for June, 1871.[AC]
[AC] See Appendix E.
Other civilian members of the expedition were Benjamin Stickney, Jr., Warren C. Gillette, and Jacob Smith.
The personnel of this party is sufficient evidence of the wide-spread interest which was being taken at the time in the region of the Upper Yellowstone.
The party proceeded from Helena to Fort Ellis, one hundred and twenty-five miles, where they were to receive a military escort promised by General Hanc.o.c.k, at that time commanding the department in which Fort Ellis was located. The post order detailing this escort is dated August 21, 1870, and directs Lieutenant Gustavus C. Doane, Second Cavalry, with one sergeant and four privates, ”to escort the Surveyor-General of Montana to the falls and lakes of the Yellowstone and return.” There is a significant absence in this order of any reference to geysers or hot springs; and the discreet post commander evidently did not intend to commit himself to a recognition of their existence on the strength of such knowledge as was then available. His incredulity was indeed largely shared by the members of the party themselves. Mr. Hedges subsequently said:
”I think a more confirmed set of skeptics never went out into the wilderness than those who composed our party, and never was a party more completely surprised and captivated with the wonders of nature.”
Lieutenant Doane, than whom no member of the expedition holds a more honorable place in its history, has left on record a similar confession.
The party as finally organized, including two packers and two colored cooks, numbered nineteen individuals. Thirty-five horses and mules, thoroughly equipped for a month's absence, completed the ”outfit,” and made altogether quite an imposing cavalcade.
August 22, 1870, the expedition left Fort Ellis, crossed to the Yellowstone, and ascended that stream through the First and Second Canons, past the ”Devil's Slide” and Cinnabar Mountain, to the present north boundary line of the Park at the mouth of the Gardiner River. At this point they were within five miles of the celebrated Mammoth Hot Springs which are now the first attraction to meet the tourist's eye on entering the Park. But the party kept close to the Yellowstone, instead of taking the modern route up the Gardiner, and missed this wonder altogether.
It was August 26th when the expedition entered the present territory of the Park. Lieutenant Doane and Mr. Everts, with one soldier and two hunters picked up on the way, rode in advance along the brink of the Third Canon and across the high plateau between the Gardiner and Tower Creek, camping at nightfall upon the latter stream. In the broad open valley near the junction of the Yellowstone and East Fork, a small tepid sulphur spring gave them the first evidence of their approach to the regions of volcanic activity.
Next day, the remainder of the party arrived. Two days were spent in examining the beautiful Tower Falls, and--to our tyros in geyser exploration--the wonderful hot spring formations to be seen at that point. Here they also had for the first time glimpses of the Grand Canon of the Yellowstone.
The party left Tower Creek on the 29th of August, and followed up the river over the east flank of Mount Washburn. As their progress lifted them rapidly above the surrounding country, a marvelously beautiful landscape unfolded itself to their view. Presently an interesting incident occurred, which shall stand here in Lieutenant Doane's own language:
”Through the mountain gap formed by the canon, and on the interior slopes some twenty [evidently a misprint] miles distant, an object now appeared which drew a simultaneous expression of wonder from every one of the party. A column of steam, rising from the dense woods to the height of several hundred feet, became distinctly visible. We had all heard fabulous stories of this region, and were somewhat skeptical of appearances. At first it was p.r.o.nounced a fire in the woods, but presently some one noticed that the vapor rose in regular puffs, as if expelled with great force. Then conviction was forced upon us. It was indeed a great column of steam, puffing away on the lofty mountain side, escaping with a roaring sound audible at a long distance, even through the heavy forest. A hearty cheer rang out at this discovery, and we pressed onward with renewed enthusiasm.”
The party then ascended the lofty mountain to their right, now known as Mt. Washburn, and from its summit looked around upon the vast panorama which is now included in the Yellowstone National Park. Had old James Bridger been present at that moment, he would have received ample vindication for long-standing injustice at the hands of his incredulous countrymen. _There_ were the Canon and Falls and Lake of the Yellowstone, with evidence enough of boiling springs and geysers!
The enthusiasm of the party was unbounded, and Lieutenant Doane exultingly declares that they were ”more than satisfied with the opening up of the campaign.”
The pack-train continued its course along the side of the mountain, and went into camp after a march of only twelve miles. That evening, Messrs. Washburn, Doane, and Hedges went on ahead of the main party, discovering the extensive mud springs at the southern base of the mountain, and finally reached the verge of a cliff beyond which yawned the stupendous canon of the Yellowstone. It was the first real view from near by, but darkness prevented further examination.
The next day saw the arrival of the party at the Falls of the Yellowstone, close by the mouth of Cascade Creek, which, with its Crystal Falls, received that day their present names. The remainder of this day, August 30th, and the next, were spent in exploring the canon and measuring the heights of the falls. Messrs. Hauser and Stickney descended the sides of the canon to the brink of the river about two miles below the falls; and Lieutenant Doane and Private McConnell accomplished the same difficult feat further down. It needs not to be said that the members of the party were profoundly impressed with the incomparable scenery of the Grand Canon, although their descriptions of it are, perhaps, least satisfactory of any they have left us.
From the Canon the party ascended the now placid river amid ever-changing wonders. They pa.s.sed Sulphur Mountain and the uncanny region around the Mud Volcano and Mud Geyser, then crossed to the east sh.o.r.e of the river, and finally went into camp, September 3d, on the sh.o.r.e of the Yellowstone Lake. Here our explorers were again in ecstacies, and not without cause; for, seen under favoring conditions, this ”watery solitude” is one of the most beautiful objects in nature.
After a day spent in this camp, the expedition continued by slow stages up the east sh.o.r.e of the lake. Messrs. Doane and Langford scaled the lofty Absaroka Range just east of the lake, being the first white men known to have accomplished this feat, and their names now designate two of its n.o.blest summits.
September 7th, the party forded the Upper Yellowstone and traversed the almost impa.s.sable labyrinths of fallen timber between the several projecting arms. on the south of the lake. It was on this portion of the route, September 9th, that Mr. Everts became separated from his party, lost his horse with all his accoutrements, and commenced those ”thirty-seven days of peril,” which so nearly cost him his life. This unfortunate affair cast a deep gloom over the little party and seriously interfered with the progress of the expedition. A week was spent in searching for the lost companion, without other result than the discovery of the hot springs basins at Hart Lake and on the west sh.o.r.e of the Yellowstone Lake.
At length it was concluded that Mr. Everts had either been killed or had wandered back home; and it was resolved to wait no longer. The party were surfeited with sight-seeing, and believed that they had now covered the whole ground. They therefore determined to strike across the mountains to the Madison and follow that stream to the settlements. They set out on the morning of September 17th, over rugged hills and through fallen timber, crossing the Continental Divide twice, and camping that night in an open glade on a small branch of the Firehole. While pa.s.sing the second time over the Divide, they caught a glimpse of Shoshone Lake and erroneously thought it to be the head of the Firehole River.
At 9 A. M., September 18th, the march was resumed. The party soon reached the Firehole just above Kepler Cascade and thence followed down the course of the stream. Tourists who have visited the Park since 1891, when the new road from the Upper Basin to the Lake was opened, will remember that immediately after leaving ”Old Faithful”