Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1892 — VIEWS OF A TENDERFOOT [ARTICLE]

VIEWS OF A TENDERFOOT

-Otar Wo*trra tetter—Among tl«* G«j»rr». XJmy, Oktccr lUaw. yKiowsioKS l — r ., P£t£3E,~ Seyt V. 1C&&L 1 SECOND LETTER. I left Livings tone for Cinnabar on the morning of the 6th, reaching there after a ride of two hours through a beautiful canon. Nothing is said of the high mountain cliffs that fringe the Yellowstone river and branch of the Northern Pacific railroad on its banks,yet in my opinion matt? will travel further and see less of grandeur. Some of these cliffs and moiißtdina are hundreds of feet high, and the variegated colors which are so common in this part of the country, and so rare elsewhere, make the scene an awe inspiring one. There is not a mile of this distance that does not excite the interest and admiration of the tourist. The Ycllowstohe, clear as crystal, rushes along fifty feet below the track. On ‘ the other*side the cliffs stand pci--pendicular—imposing--magnificent. The town of Cinnabar is composed oi a dozen low, one-storied log cabins. One wonders if the few people who live here ever hear of the great world beyond, yet if you will enter into conversation with them you will find them well informed in their particular line and fairly intelligent. They are far from being moss grown. In my experience witn them, which was always of a pleasant nature, I learned that they were ever courteous and accommodating. Hero, on a dead wall, we found a mammoth bill posted advertising “ Robinson’s Spectacles.” Whether “Mr. Robin-

son ” bad the temerity to give an exhibition of any magnitude in this “ basin in the Rockies, ” without a habitation observable anywhere ex - cept those noted, f did not learn. Here we took stages and after a three mile drive reached Gardiner, on the Gardiner river, composed of two stores and less than a half dozen log cabins. At 12 o'clock we reached Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park. In a series of papers I shall publish soon I propose to enter iuto dotails in the description of this wonderful Park, and as in these letters lam but giving the “Impressions of a Tenderfoot, " I will not undertake mot's than a mere outline of what is to be seen. As one reaches Mammoth Hot Springs, and views the magnificent terraces, mountain high, of many hues, he comes to the conclusion that he has seen the most wonderful sight in the world. He spends a half day inspecting the beautiful formations, and the next morning goes to Norris Basin, and after seeing Hurriean Geyser, the Howler or Steam Gey ser, and Opal Hot Springs, with acre 3 upon acres of various other and smaller geysers and springs, he concludes that Mammoth Hot Springs have no sights of interest at ail to show, lu the afternoon he goes to Fountain Geyser Basin and witnesses the convulsions of the wonderful Fountain Geyser, and then declares that neither th* Mammoth nor Norris can compare with the Fountain. He leaves fountain the next morning for Upper Geyser Basin and hare the climax is reached. Hero is the most wonderful geyser field in the wor.d. Probably four miles from the Basin proper is Excelsior geyser. This geyser erupts only ouee in four years, the last eruption being in 1888, and is due again this year. The geyser is boiling and smoking in a cavity thirty feet deep and probably covering a spaco of 200 feet square. It is interesting only for the greatness of its eruption, when it does occur, and the wonder excited in its four years delay. We leave this and several large and interesting pools or hot springs, us they are Balled, for the basin. The Upper Geyser Basin covers Hundreds of acres of ground. Look which way you wifi your eyes fall upon steam floating up from geysers, boiling springs, large and small pools, etc. As we approach this field we discover the ‘ spiteful” goysey, which constantly ejects a sma 1 quantity of extremely hot water into tne air. Near it, probably less than fifty feet distant, is tho “Fau” geysey, which plays three times daily, throwing a vast quantity of water forty feet in the air. It has two distinct crates and throws its streams in diverging directions, tho result being a display suggestive of a fan; hence the name. Some fifty feet higher we find the most beautiful pool in all the park—not the largest nor grandest—but the richest and most delicate blending of co’ors. Its colors embrace the most delicate shales of pink, orange, Sellow, light and dark green, and ght and dark blue, and so artistically worked together that no one can tell where the one begins or the ether ends. The, to me, crowning glory of this “Morning Glory." as it jis called, was a delicate border on the inner edge of the cavity away down below the surface being a perfect yellow, an«J on the opposite or lower border a puro dear ultramajfne blim. We walked from this gloriout piece of arlistic architecture to the hotel- j -a mile distant, passing ob the wr.v the grotto, the giant, the “flftcca minute," the Bee Hive, tho Giaaters and many Other smaller but interesting geysers and pools. We were hardly reached tho hotel when we were informed that “Old Faithful" was about to give an exhibition. We witnessed it. and ore now candid enough to admit that all other displays we had seen were pigmies beside this. Its eruption was from a crate probably three feet in diameter, and it throw a volume of water and steam to its fullest capacity 150 feet in the air. I can not describe the wonder and admiration of all who witnessed it felt. It left an impression of the force of inanimate ob jects and the greatno.su of the Creator that can never bo effaced. l.ater in the afternoon wo were of the few that were privileged to witness an eruption of tho Bee Hive. This geyser piays once every two hours Tor the two,days following tho eruption of the gianters, -whith had beeu in activity during the night previous. It has a crate extending

'*■ 3 • 4 •»_ AwnnfiAn ?e ftfmi* la?LjfSat a similar araoubt of steam f"ewer from a stand-pipe would have, ts height, when in action, is 203 feet, but, as it forces up mere steam than water, 1 was forced to the conclusion that “Old FaithfulY * exhibition was thefinest. The “giantess” j which 1 just mentioned, has a monster caverh fully thirty feet across it 3 mouth, and one can look down in to this erater ftgly fifty feet. It erupts every fourteen days, and gives, it it said, a wonderful exhibition. But as I said. I cannot enter into enter into detail in the discrtptlon of this, steam land. There are hundreds upon hundreds of geysers, hot pools, boiling springs,' aniT steam boles. One will wonder at the regularity and yet the peculiarity of these geysers. Some of’ them, for instance, erupt every minute, some every five minutes. The fifteen minute geyser throws a jet of water and steam four or five inches in diameter 20 feet in the air. It recedes in five minutes, recovers in fives minutes and is in activity five minutes. The Excelsior geyser erupts once in four years. Tho Giantess every fourteen days, the Beo Hive every nine hours for two days succeeding the action of tho Giantess, the “Old Faithful” from every fifty-five to every seventy minutes. This geyser was discovered in

183b* and every hour since, night and day, summer and winter, it sends its gieat volume of water in the air. Other geysers there are which erupt three times daily, twice daily; some which erupt every other day, some three times every other day, and so on, ad libitum. Who can explain all this? What will excite greater wonder? Some of these geysers, with entirely different actions and peculiarities, are located within a few feet of each other, Here one will find a seething, gurgling, boiling spring; within a few feet will be found a beautifully colored pool of hot water, steaming, but placid except for the bubbles that percolate to the top. The 3 iver runs through this field, its waters cool and refreshing, yet probably seething atitS-Vfiry margin is a spring with a temperature of more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You see a mound fifty fiethigher than tho surrounding fonnations, with steam ascending from its cone. You toil up and look down into vast depths, unknown depths of hot or boiling, greenish water. What force brings Ibis water up to this height, and why should it not seek outlet through the many other similar formations many feet below. In one instance I toiled up a coiileßl shaped hill, reaching tho top after extreme care and exertion, and much blowing, to find a hot spring gurgling at its summit. In one case we found- tr steam geyser which was forcing enough steam from its crater to furnish sufficient power f if utilized, to light the entire Yellowstone Park, 15,575 square miles, by electricity. Nearly or quite all these geysers and springs havo enclosed themselves in a monster casing. The field, when one looks over it, reminds one of a vast lime-kiin field, aud, iudeed, thp newly-formed incrustations are not unlike slacked limo or limestone. Yet away bebw the surface, tho novice cannot help but notice, these deposits of the water have become solid stone, and wl.cn he looks down into the great craters of pool, spring or geyser, he is reminded of a vast hole in a sundered lock. Every one of these craters looks abysmal*. Jt is no infrequent pool or geyser that will permit yon to gam fifty or more feet into its depths. But I could not. if I would, tell all the wonders of this wonderland in one letter. More anon.

W. H. LEEDY.