Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-08-10
Orapille Dailg Bntte RtrorA.
The GeIsers Of Iceland.

| People who have seen or heard. and Won
pleased to know something of the more ia
mUus Geisers Of Iceland A late number Of
the British Quarterly Review contains an
article on Boiling water from which we
take the following extracts as to this great
natural phenomenon
A subject which ranges itself under the
title Of this article is that of the boiling
springs Of Iceland. The Great Gelser' is
the largest of these springs 1t consists Of
tube seventy feet deep and ten in diameter
which expands at its summit into basin
measuring titty-two feet across from north
to south, and sixty feet from east to west.
Both the tube aud the basin are lined with
smooth coating of silica; so hard as TO bear
the blows of II hammer without breaking.
If we take quantity of Geiser water and
permit it to evaporate in "A porcelain basin,
the liquid creeps, by capillary attraction, u
way up the sides Of the basin, il is here
speedily evaporated, and deposits upon the
basin ring OF silica. In the centre Of the
basin the water retains its transparency,
and not till the evaporation has been contn-
ued for a considerable time does the slightest
turpidity appear. Let us imagine the case
Of simple thermal spring charged with
silica, whose waters flow down gentle in
cline. The water thus exposed evaporates
vuickly, deposits its silica, aud gradually
raises the side over which il flows The out
let is shifted to another position, this be-
comes elevated in its turn, and thus the
stream, by erecting obstacles III its own way,
has to travel round and round, deposting
its burden as it moves along This process
continues until, in the course of ages, n shaft
is formed and we have the wonderful appa-
ratus whose dimensions are given above. A
brief inspection of the vicinity is, indeed,
sufficient to show that the spring is capable
of buididg its own tube. The mouth Of the
Great Geiser is on the summit of high
mound, formed by deposits from the spring.
But in raising this mound the spring must
also have formed the tube which perfcrates
it, and thus we may satisfy ourselves that
the spring is the architect of the shaft in
which it lodges.
Having construed our tube, let us now
examine the observed facts. Imagine a tra-
veler arriving at the Geiser, and fn1ng the
tube and basin filled with hot water. lie
hears at intervals explosions which shake
the earth beneath him Immediately after
each explosion he observes the water in the
basin of the Geiser to be agitated, the liquid
column is lifted to the height of FIVE or six
feet, thus producing an eminence in the cen
ire of tho basin, and causing the liquid to
overflow its rim. These elevations OF the CO.
lumn are like 50 many unsuccessful attempts
at an eruption The traveller waits, the ex-
plosions and consequent agitation OF the wa
ter in the basin becomes more frequent, at
length an apparently convulsive struggle
takes place, jets are cast up in succession,
the Gciser seems to gather strength, and
! finally the display is concluded by the pro-
! lection into the air of a mixed column OF
steam and water, which sometimes reaches
eight of one hundrd and fifty feet.
! The tube of the Great Geiser is slowly but
surely augmenting in height, the pressure
OF the liquid column it contains is Therefore
becoming greater and greater, and this
| points to the conclusion that at some future
though distant day. the pressure will be-
come so great rs to prevent the subterrane-
an waters from ever bursting into vapOr.
When this period arrives the eruptions must
necessarily cease. The aspect Of things at
present in Iceland suggests that this has al
ready been the fate OF many springs.
Mound are seen. perforated with shafts IN
| when tnerma! waters once reSiueu, Out
which are now filled with rubbish, the wa
Ter having broken away through suterrane-
channels. Sometimes after the spring has
la.ed its eruptions, it continues to deposit
8 silica and thus to form a laug or cistern.
Some of these are from thirty to forty feet
deep, and of ndescribable beauty. Over the
surface light vapor curls; in the depths
Of the water is of the purest azure, and ting
es with its own hue the fantastic incrusta-
tions on the cistern walls; while at the bot
tom is observed the mouth of the once nigh
ty Geser. Thus, in Iceland we have the
Geiser in its youth, manhood, old age and
death, presented to us; in its youth, as o
simple thermal spring; in its manhood, as
the ernptive fountain; in its old age, as the
| tranquil idug; while its death is recorded
| by the mound and ruined shaft, which testi-
| fly the fact of its once active existence.
THE CoMEr.-The Buffalo Commercial Ad-
vertiser insists that the comet did strike tha