Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-01-31

49ola = Montana. aa9a-ao9 I
Is Teiled'--Fire Springs Talley and
"a Pass of Hell-the Yelled Internal
Regions.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial, writing from the "Head-
quarters Of the Yellow Stone, Mont
ana" gives the following description
of the "Valley and Pass of He'll" in
that Territory: e9
And here, from the spot on which |
stand with my companions on this
exploring expedition, ira in g my
notes, drink in the views, so weird,
so passing strange, that even in my
widest dreams never aught like this
was seen. As daylight is dying on
the Yellowstone hills, the sun melt
ing down into the verge of the hori-
zon, shooting his slanting rays far
into the gloom of grotesque cliffs, and
lingering upon the loftier peaks, con-
verting their rugged surfaces into
purple and gold, the islands in the
river swell bold and beautiful in the
rosy light, while yonder distant cone
like hill stands against the sky con-
spicuous mass fringed with fire. The
gigantic mountains to the west cast
their shadows far down into the silent
valley at our feet, while, the silvery
Yellowstone flows on its whispering
way breaking the sombre aspect Of
the plain with the line of its gleam-
ing waters. In this valley mysteri,
Gus wonders have been visible from
time immemorial, of which the mobile
Saxon never heard. The Indians in
the vicinity tell US it has always been
thus. Out of this plain, or valley,
rather, which extends over an area
of fifty miles, issue a million sharp
jets of bluish-white fame, intersper-
sed with ftful puffs of pearly vapor,
which sail upward in endless turbina-
ted convolutions, until reaching a
high altitude, they dissolve and blend
with the luctuatiny cloud which hangs
over the valley, as if to shield it from
mortal eyes. The plain is dotted
with innumerable rumps, from whence
these vapory and fiery columns are
emitted. In their formation they
resemble miniature volcanoes. Fire
springs like these may be found in
China; and the geysers of Iceland
are but results of volcanic action of
the same nature, though of greater
force and power than the hot springs
in the valley of the Yellowstone
One cannot help thinking that fercest
fires rage somewhere below the ex
ternal envelope of the plain, to thus
fan and force flames above the sur
face. A gentleman and a sauant con
nected with our party ascribes these
igneous streams to gases escaping
from a aveiled hell" Another spe
cialty of volcanic action may be ob
6. served by closer investigation of the
conical hills which loom up from The
surface in every direction. Though
there are deep craters in their sum
mits, it is an easy matter to detect {
gentle hollow in each, more or les;
] deep, covered with crumbling parti
cles of lava-like rock. The base anC
sides are also thickly strewn with the
like porous, deposits-some of very
large size, like enormous cindery
cakes, the refuse of a foundry fur
mace. A sulphurous odor is in tn,
atmosphere, reminding one of oul
companions of his experience Of {
chokedamp. Surrounding the entire
plain are lofty calciferous rocks, erod
ed and skeletonized by the action OF
rains or shifting bodies of water
which now bear the appearance of in
. verted pyramids, prisms, and various
other confgurations. Besides prepar
ing detritus which lay piled in heap
at the foot of the cliffs, frequent tor
rents had so corroded and disman
i. tied the rocks that one would imagine
; destructive fire had ragged and burn
up a city, by the quantity of fallel
columns which lay scattered aroun(
: in the most indescribable confusion
In the interstices OF the debris ther,
bubbled numerous saline springs, ant
, continuing our examination further
. we discovered several hot-wate
i springs, from whence vapory column
J continually ascended. On testing tn
warmth with Fahrenheit's thermomet
J er, the mercury, which stood previous
, ly at eighty degrees, shot up to on
! hundred and eighty degrees. Th
) tread of our horses feet sounded hol
How, while the noise seemed to rever
berate along the earth like an echo
). Not a blade of grass was to be seer
: excepting along the margin of th
; tiny streams. The whole aspect Of
, the plain was arid in the extreme
: CHASTITY relics of animal life covele'
) the ground along the stream. Thi
, was evidently caused by the gatherin
of the buffaloes in the fall to eros
the Sweet Grass, where they luxuri
, ated for season, protected by til
rising hills from the bleak winds
i which the force of simoohs sweep owe
I the the northern prairies, until th
> severity of the season and the scar
city of grass compelled them to leave
when they found their egress prevent
, ed by the deep snow in the passes,an
J they must have perished from hunge
and cold, leaving their bones to b
: picked by hungry wolves. and to b