Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-11-07
The Wonderful, Regions Of the West.

expedition, now engaged in surveying
the National Park and portions of the
Yellowstone river, writes some yery in.
teresting particulars to the New York
Evening Post.
The branch of the survey under the
immediate command of Prof HAYDEN.
having gathered at Fort Ellis, organized
as follows: DR.. Hayden, geologist; Mr..
Savage, assistant; Mr.. Burch topogra.
pher; DR.. Peaie, mineralogist; Mr..
Holmes, artist; Mr.. Logan, executive
officer; Mr.. Gannett, astronomer: Mr..
Wakefield, meteorologist; Mr.. Brown.
assistant; MIR. Christman, photograph
Mr.. Bingham, assistant; Mr.. Platt, nat.
urallst; Mr.. Sloan, assistant.
Inc survey proceeded across the
country to the Yellowstone river. The
hrst natural wonder encountered was
the peculiar formation of uplifted strata
known as the Devils Slide. This con.
sists of two parallel walls of reddish
clay, running down the side of the
| mountain with smooth surface be-
tween them, supposed to be composed
OF cinnabar, the whole forming a curl
GUS freak of nature.
The calcareous deposit along the
route announced ar approach to the
famous hot springs on GARDENERS river.
] We encamped at the foot of the hill.
side whose surface they had incrusted
with such beautiful formations. The
snowy whiteness of the deposit, spark
ling under the sunlight, presented the
appearance OF a frozen cascade. The
next day closer inspection revealed
new beauties to our gaze. The upper
plateau, elevated about two hundred
feet above where we were encamped.
was covered with little pools from six
to eight feet in diameter, and VARYING in
depth from few inches to sevral feet.
The edges were rounded, by the out
flowing water, as beautifully as if carved
by hand; indeed, they resembled the
basins of artificial fountains. The in
teriors were stained with yellow, red
and green from the deposits of sulphur,
iron and copper with which the waters
are charged, the whole resembling an
artists palette colored with patches of
most brilliant colors. A white cloud of
steam rises from the mouth of the main
spring flowing from the crest of the
hill. 1t is about thirty feet in diameter,
while the water is so transparent that
one can gaze into the ultramarine depth,
but looks in vain for the bottom. The
temperature of the water is 1872 degrees
Fahrenheit. The water escapes into
the basins below, where one can battle,
regulating the temperature according
to the distance from the source. The
edges of these natural bath-t tubs are dec.
grated with beautiful bead work that
it would be almost impossible to imi-
tate by art.
Not less wonderful, though lot SO
beautiful, is a calcareous cone rising,
from out the plane skirting the noun.
tain, to height of fifty feet, with a
diameter at the base of about twenty
feet. 1t is evidently an extinct geyser,
and is formed, like High Rock spring at
Saratoga, by the deposit of the never
ceasing flow, forced upward by the pres.
sure beneath. This, from some natural
cause, is gradually closed at the sum
nit. 1t stands as monument of a
former age.
The country from this point became
more difficult to travel, as we were APP
preaching the land Of canons. Several
tributaries of the Yellowstone here
empty into the main river.
Two days march brought US to the
mouth of the great canon. Riding
along the high plateau crowning its
side, we first noticed the basaltic col
umns, Gaping the opposite bank with
regularity resembling art more than
nature and presenting an appearance
not unlike fertilization. 1t is similar
| to the formation of the Giants Cause.
| way, and reminded me of that curious
place. The scene below was almost
fearful to behold, the river fairly lash
ing the rocks in its rapid descent at the
| bottom Of the canon one thousand feet
deep. The roar of the great falls first
announced its presence; and rapid
ride, though scarcely apace with our
eagerness, brought them in view.
What shall | say in their praise? How
describe them? Montmorency excels
IN height; Niagara, in grandeur and
force; Trenton, in beauty; but the great
Yello~stone Falls combine the beauty
of all three. The river flows smoothly
as 1t approaches this, the natural food
gate OF the great lake, until, narrowed
by the rocks, it precipitates itself over
the ledge and falls three hundred and
fifty feet on the rocks beneath, sending
up cloud of spray and making a roar
that can be heard for miles around.
Grandeur and sublimity only can de-
scribe the scene.
About ten miles above the falls we
came to most interesting group of hot
springs, named the ''Seven Hills" One
of these had a powerful steam vent,
making noise resembling high-pres-
sure engine, which we named ''Locomo-
tive Jet" The temperature was 1877
degrees Fahrenheit, which, at this high
altitude, is boiling point. The crust
surrounding the mouth is ever hot. and
yet SO strong that we could walk over it;
and the entrance can only be APP
preached on the windward side, so
| burning is the cloud OF steam emitted
from the cavern.
Phenomena of the same nature, but
| more curious, are the mud volcanoes
existing at this place. These are formed
BY the boiling water forced through
beds of clay, softening the earth, and
agitated by the propelling gases, thor
oughly mixing the same. The gas con-
tinually escapes in pufs until, accumu-
lating in sufficient quantity, it finds
vent by exploding, throwing the mud
from twenty to fifty feet into the air.