Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-11-09
THE NEW WONDERLAND.
The Upper Veuovvstonc Country

Fort Ellis is about twenty-five miles
Northwest by North from the Yellow
stone River. and one OF the branches OF
the East fork of the Galiatin River;
the country beyond this place would
not admit of wagons, so that we fitted
up pack train of horses and mules
the only efficient mode OF transporta-
ton that can be employed in this wild
and unexplored countlk Soon after
we had passed over the divide and as
cended grassy hill slope, which fell
away gently to the river head, we
came in view of one of the greatest
chains of lava peaks that can be found
| on ibis continent. -
From right to left, as tar as the eye
could reach, 1T rested upon serried
frontof ragged, pinnacled SUBMITS, SO
sharp and keen rs TO shed the snow
away down upoh their torn and rugged
TANKS, leaving the bare rocks pointing
upward like needles, minarets, ANA
gothic roofs. The snow beneath seemed
to depend upon the struggling and
stunted pines for support, while these
timber lines in turn fall away down the
mountain sides TO grassy benches and
plateaus, the whole forming one of the
most perfect pictures of lazy upheaval
and overflow that the world affords. La
this chain there are hundred peaks
that are over II 900 feet above the level
of the sea, and 5000 feet above the riy-
| er, and eight or ten that will easily
reach the altitude of $4,000 or IL, 900
feet.
Near the mouth of the lower canon,
where the river comes ont from abrupt
mountain gorges, a small stream flows
in from the west, and bears the name,
err" We assembled it some three miles,
and came into camp at the base of
MOST WONDERFUL HOT SPRING.
Up here on the rolling. semi-wooded
slopes of high mountain, one sees at
first what appears to be huge bank OF
| snow covering u very large area, with
the strange phenomenon OF steamy
clouds of vapor rising from it; APP
preaching bearer, it Is found to be, in
reality, little mountain made up by
the precipitation and deposition of soda
| and carbonate of lime, which are held
in solution by the hot water of the
springs, which come up through basal
| tic assures from some great depth, as
, the water is always at the boiling point.
| The deposition of the material held IN
| solution is made in delicate layers over
! tapping, and IN beaded rows, the whole
| being In appearance not unlike the
coral reef The spring in this way il
constantly shutting itself up and break
ing out atresh in some other place not
far distant. BY this closing up and
breaking out again Of the springs u
large area OF country is covered with
! Their deposit, and the spot | am de-
describing cannot be less than liSe hun
dred acres IN extent, over which, here
and there, are
THIRTY OR FORTY BOILING SPRINGS,
she depth of the PRECIPITATION in many
places being over two hundred feet
The water itself is beautiful blue,
and transparent TO a great depth--,lt
least to depths that seem fathomless--
and in many places, in flowing over It's
deposits OF soda and lime, it shows
tints of the most exquisite deiicacy,
snoh as rose, creamy yellow, and faint
purple. We gave two DAYS 10 the sur
vey of this system of springs and the
adjacent country thence proceeded TO
the
MOUTH OF THE GREAT CANON,
three miles above the head Of the Low
er, and camped at the beautiful falls Of
Lower Greek. At the junction of this
stream with the Yellowstone above and
below, for mile or so, are a number of
sulphur and sulphuretted hydrogen
springs; while high up on the basaltic
walls of the canon opposite the ye.-
low stain Of e dead" or "cold" sulphur
spyings is very marked. The structure
of the basaltic column just above the
staining is very perfect, and beauti'
fully regular Rows of pillars from
twenty to thirty feet stand without flaw
or crack in regular tiers, one above the
other
THE GREAT CANON
may be SAID to end at Tower Creek,
and ri5e at the foot Of tho Lower Falls,
giving i length OF twenty five or thir-
" miles. 1t Is u great basaltic issure
OF rather rent, IL the earth, varying IA
depth from one TO two thousand feet,
along down which the river seems de
Lighted TO fairly whirl, foam, and fly,
now blue and then snowy ribbon
The work Of erosion has left towers,
points and pinnac!es barely standing
out from It's almost vertical walls atI
and for several miles below the falls
These perpendicular walls are gaily
painted by the water Of the number
less warm end hot springs which flow,
seep and ooze out from The assures IN
to a variety Of tints and tones, dazzling
white, intense red, purple, saffron, vel
low, &c, and fairly bewiidering the eye