Deep Water

The Ohio Democrat
September 9, 1886

Washington, Aug 29,—A party sent out by the Geological Survey, under the command of Captain Clarence E. Dutton, U. S. A., has succeeded in reaching and making a complete survey of Crater Lake n Oregon, a body of water whose shores, with the possible exception of one point' on the south, have never before been touched by the foot of white men.

The party's boats were hauled a hundred miles by mule teams, dragged by a detail of soldiers up the snow-clad sides of the ridge which surrounds the lake, and lowered by ropes from the crest to the water, nine hundred feet below. One hundred and sixty soundings were made, the result of which gave the general character of the lake bottom. Two large submerged cinder cones were found, respectively 800 and 1,200 feet high, ;he rest of the bottom being flat. Captain Dutton believes this to be the deepest body of fresh water on ;he continent. The greatest depth attained by the sounding line was 2,005 feet.