Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-07-03

formal words Of these official reports
we feel the glow and color of the
Arabian Nights, or the legends OF the
Oriental nations. Those of our en-.
thusiasts who care to found new re-
ligion upon defined principles of cter-
nal damnation will welcome tho Vel.
lowstone discoveries For here are
what VIC call sulphur Mountains"
with marvellous deposits of birthstone /;
the earth covered with boiling sulphur
springs, caverns Of puro crystalizcd
sulphur, the air dense with the fumes
of sulphurettcd hydrogen. "There
was one spring having regular pulsr-
tions like an engine, giving off large
quantities Of steam, which would issue
forth with the roar of hurricane a
steam volcano in reality With deep
vibrations in the subtcrrancan cav.
orns, far away bonoath the hills"
What an opportunity for powerful
preacher to inculcate the doctrines of
eternal punishment, the vengeance of
an angry God and the sure reward of
all sins! Now that the movement
towards secession and evangelical re
formation is seen in many of our
churches, here is an opportunity for
an exodus as marked as that of Joseph
Miller or Brigham Young.
Then we pass to scenes which have
no theological associations Why do
we 90 to the Rhine TO see the Dom of
Cologne or the castlcd crag of Drach-
cnfclsY Here arc turrets Of granite
and feldspar and castles of basaltic
rock, lifted high into the air for hun
drcds OF feet, carved with surcr hand
and clearer eye than ever fashioned
church or stronghold. One, for in
stance, which is thus described =
'Turret or tower, one hundred and
twenty feet in circumference; broken
and crumbling masses of rock, sug
gesting battlomented turret the
whole structure graceful in proper
tions and details, resembling an old
castle somewhat in ruins, even to the
portfolios, made by small apertures in
turrct and base" Then we have
pyramids of basatic columns, as mas
sivc and vast as those of Egypt, says
the writer, and Of many colors, main.
ly of deep red tint from the salts of
iron, but not unirequently of deli
cate gray, saffron, light gamboge,
pink and green, and the ashes of roses,
Then we have cascades and rocky
gorges and cayerns. The cascades
especially One fall one hundred and
fifteen feet, another three hundred and
fifty feet, ending in sheeted foam and
rainbow-tinted spray before it reaches
tho ground. There are valleys OF
chalk eolored rocks more marvellous
than the Dover cliffs, which Shaks.
peare paints in his immortal poetry,
and volcanoes ever throwing up mud
/ of the consistency of thick cream, so
that the surrounding forest trees are
covered with mud on their topmost
branches. In one place there are
streams and spouting springs of hot
water; five streams Of boiling water,
we are told, in porcelain channels of
many hues, from bright saffron to
deep vermillion, ripping over cascades
worn into the tcrraced sides of the
rocks Over this rises masses of vapor
shadowing other waters Of ultrama-
rine blue, with rings OF rainbow tints,
yellow, orange and red of astonishing
beauty" becoming bright vcrmilion
and then silvcring into a clearness
like that of the crystal and color
like the turquoise.
All of this so far above the level ol
the sea that every night in the year
brings frost But the air is so clear
and gentle and rarifcd that although
the morning shows the delicate tinted
flower to be fretted with frost, as
though traced with delicate lacework
the sun disolves the frost as though il
were a dow, without tinging the
bloom of the flower or whitening q
leaf or stem. And we come TO the
geysers, the most extraordinary pho
nomenon of all. Looking from one
puint-an extinct volcanic crater
called, queerly enough, "Old Faith
ful"-the eye takes in tho Who'll,
geyscr valley, with its thousand steam
jets and graceful fountains, nestled
between high hills covered with foil
age. IL is hard to write OF these
gcysers without our imagination carry
ing us away. There is the old "Comet
Geyser," for instance, who has made
his own reputation already. A roar
like that of q tornado and stream
leaping two hundred feet into the air
: throwing out masses Of stcam--only
think of it Not TO speak Of on,
mud spring, as yet unnamed, but Ger
tainly deserving great rcnown, foi
this spring throws up at least thou
sand Jets of steam within space o
one hundred and fifty feet, discharg
ing minute particles of fine clay, o
the purcst white and orange and pink
ready for tho moulder TO work int
the porcelain.
So we might continue this story, fo
, there really is no end to it. Natur
. in fantastic mood has had her wa,
in this strange country, and fntur'
ages will find the pilgrim looking 70
J the wonderful and awe.inspiring; tn
man Of science seeking to read tn
riddles of our mysterious planet; th
! weary worker craving Q sumner
Z rest; the stricken invalid yearniny
. for tho bealth.rcstorng waters an,
0 vapors and medicinal springs whicl
9 here abound. We as yet scarccl,
5 know anything of the Yellowstone
. The Indians occupy the approaches L
4 the region, and thus far It has bee
o only seen by armed men and partic
0 of road builders, forcing their wa
!. into the wilderness to fipd path 70
b the northern road to the Paci6,
Every day these pioneers of enter
;, prise and civilization make an az
o vance, and, as we have said, each ste
:. develops somo new woDder Of natur,
a In n few wears the locomotive wi