94 



GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TEREITORIES. 



per mile, to the main Eocky Mountain divide, at an elevation of 8,717 

 ieet, from whence a descent of 105 feet per mile for five miles would 

 bring the line into the valley of the Fire-Hole .Eiver ; followiug this 

 river for an additional five miles, with a grade of 37 feet per mile, 

 the railroad would be amidst the grand geysers of the Upper Basin. 

 Proceeding eight miles further, with a descent of 17 feet i^er mile, it 

 would arrive at the Lower Basin, which would form the terminus to this 

 branch of the line. The other, diverging northeasterly from Lewis 

 Lake, would cross the main Eocky Mountain water-shed within five 

 miles, at a grade of 43 feet per mile, and descend to the Hot Springs at 

 Yellowstone Lake within three miles, at a grade of 94 feet per mile, 'No 

 difficulty in grade would now be met with either along the shores of the 

 lake or down the valley of the Yellowstone Eiver to the falls and Grand 

 Caiion. 



The following is a review of distances and elevations on this route, 

 commencing at the point where it would leave the main railroad in 

 Henry's Fork Valley. 



Distance from 

 Henry's Fork 

 in miles. 



Distance from 

 Coriuue in miles, 



Elevation 

 in feet. 



Henry's Fork Valley 



Falls River 



Entrance to pass 



Beulah Lakes 



Union Fork .- 



Lewis Lake 



Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake 



Yellowstone Falls 



Slioshone Geyser Basin 



Divide 



Upper Geyser Basin 



Lower Geyser Basin 







13 

 3.3 



39 

 45 

 56 

 64 

 94 

 66 

 70 

 80 

 88 



145 



158 

 178 

 184 

 190 

 201 

 209 

 239 

 211 

 215 

 225 

 233 



5,130 



5,670 

 6,950 

 7, 525 

 7,800 

 7,828 

 7, 788 

 7,700 

 7,880 

 8,717 

 7,390 

 7, 260 



Having thus followed the entire line of the route through Falls Eiver 

 Pass to the principal points of interest, we now will examine a second 

 route running through the Tyghee Pass, which presents equal facilities 

 for a railroad. 



Leaving the proposed Corinne and Montana Eailroad at Henry's Lake, 

 a distance of six miles with a slight upward grade would bring it to 

 the Tyghee Pass, and the divide could be reached within four miles, at 

 a grade of 130 feet per mile. The Madison or Fire-Hole Eiver Valley 

 now lies open before us, and, gradually descending, the line would fol- 

 low the northern slope of the mountains down to the level of the river. 

 With a gradual ascent of 10 feet per mile it would follow up the valley, 

 entering the park at the entrance to the canon to Gibbon's Fork, a dis- 

 tance of twenty-three miles from Tyghee Pass. From this point the 

 Lower Geyser Basin is reached within eight miles, at a grade of 70 feet 

 per mile, where the line would connect with the first route described as 

 approaching the park through the Falls Eiver Pass. 



The following statement of distances and elevations along the second 

 route, starting at Henry's Lake, will review the line : 



