Litchfield enquirer., 1873-08-07
Tho Yellowstone National Park.

Just before the close of the last session
 of Congress the report of the superinten- | dent of the Yellowstone National Park was laid before that body, ,and, after read \ ing, was ordered to be printed. A copy l of this document is before me and as the first official statement concerning the mat ter, possesses more than ordinary interest
 Congress, by an act approved, March l, 1872, set apart tract of land near the head waters of the Yellowstone river in the Territories of Wyoming and Montana, as public park or pleasure ground "for the benefit and enjoyment of the peoples" This the intention of Congress that, with the exception of roads and hotels, | no attempt shall be made to beautify the reservation set aside, but that every mems l shall be taken to preserve as far as possible in their natural condition the timber, the mineral deposits and the many curiosities of the region. It was necessary that some competent person should act as superintendent for that purpose. Hon. N. P. Sanford was elected, and, judging from the report Le made to Congress, the choice was good one.
 The park contains nearly 2,5O0 square miles, mostly in Montana, from which territory it is alone accessible, the bound ary on the Wyoming side being noun tain range so rugged and precipitous as l to defy any human attempts at crossing. The lower geyser basin is mentioned as the firt of the interesting localities in the park, but the wonders it contains are merely foreshadowing of those of the upper geyser basin. In this locality, ac- cording to the superintendent, there are at least two thousand hot springs. The whole basin is enveloped in steam, and, seen at distance, is like the approach to a cluster of manufactories The geysers project water with terrific force to heights varying from twenty to two hundred and | fifty feet These, seen in the rays of midday sun, or in the beams of a full moon, are inexpressibly grand.
 Fifteen miles from this locality is the Yellowstone Lake, which lies nearly eight l thousand feet above the level of the ocean. It is twenty-five miles long, embosomed amid mountains, gemmed with green is- lands, unique in form and surrounded on all sides by hot springs. Twenty miles from the foot of the lake, down the Yel- lowstone river, are two great cataracts and tho brand oonyon Cf fbo Vo1IOxu,kono
 The upper fall is 115 feet in height, the lower, which plunges directly into the canyon, is $50 feet, and the canyon itself from one to three thousand feet in depth, is forty miles in length, and for the whole distance presents to the eye the most l wonderful chasm in the world. From it's great depth stars are seen in the day time. Further down is the grotesque cataract of Tower Creek and still further down are the wonderful hot springs of Gardiner's river, considered the most remarkable of the curiosities of the park. It is more than probable that there is not in the world, within the same limit, so many won- derful freaks of physical geography, or so much to amaze and delight the beholder
 In closing the report, the superintend- ent says: ''nothing has been, nothing can can be said, to magnify the wonders of this national pleasure ground. It is all and more than all that it has been repre- sented. In the catalogue of earthly won- ders it is the greatest, and must ever re- main so. It confers distinctive charac- ter upon our country, greater than that of Niagara, Yosemite or Mammoth Cave, though each of these is, in itself, without parallel. But here the grandest, most wonderful, and most uniqe elements of nature arc combined, seemingly to produce upon the most stupendous scale on exhibition unlike any other upon the globe. It should be sustained Our government, having adopted it, should foster it and render it accessible to the people of all lands, who in future times will come in crowds to visit it." Aside from granting the land and locating the park, the government has done noth- ing, and even the services of MT. Sanford thus far has been gratuitous. Having done thus much, it is hoped that Con gress will grant appropriations SO that roads may be laid out, bridges built, and guides procured for the accommodation of visitors, who, though now numbering hardly more than four hundred year, will before the close of the next decade, grow into unnumbered thousands. asi