Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-12-24
The DEVILS Canon.
IN THE CALIFORNIA GEYsER REGION.

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There are no spouting fountains in tn
canon, but numerous bubbling springs
that sink and rise with spasmodic action
These number hundred or two, and ar,
of varying temperature and constituents
A few are quite cold, closely adjoinin.
hot springs; while others have a temper
ature of 100 to 207 degrees Some appear
to be composed of alum and iron, other.
of sulphur and magnesia, while a few
are strongly acidulous. Here the water
Is pale yellow, like that of ordinary white
sulphur springs; there it is black as ink
The mingling of these different cur
rents, with the aid of frequent steam
injections, intensifies the chemical ac.
tion, the sputter and fuming, that art
necessarily going on. These phenomena
are not confined to the narrow bed OF
the gorge, but extend for hundred OF
two feet in places up its sides, which
slope at pretty deep angle. These slopes
are soft masses of rock decomposed OF
Stacked by chemical action, and colored
brilliantly by crystalliZed sulphur, and
sulphateS of iron, alum. lime and mag
nesia, deposited from the springs and
jets of steam, which are highly charged
with them. As the rocks decompose and
leach under the chemical action to which
they are subjected, the soft silicious
mass remaining, of a putty-like consist
ence, mikes with these salts. Some of
the heaps thus formed assume conical
shapes. They have an apparently firm
crust, but are really treacherous stepp-
ing-places. One of the most remarkable
steam-vents in the canon is in the top
of such pile, fifty feet up the steep slop.
1t blows like the escape-pipe of a large
engine. The beautiful masses of crystal
lized sulphur which form about it, as
about the innumerable small fumeroles
that occur along both banks, tempt one
to dare to climb, and face the hot steam;
the mass shakes beneath the tread, and is
probably soft to a great depth. Where
ever in these soft heaps stick is trust
in, the escaping warm air soon deposits
various salts. Of course walk over such
material is ruinOuS to boot and shoe
leather, while the splash of acid waters
often injuries the clothing. Everybody
stops to gather specimens of the various
salts and rocks. The guide presents to
be tasted pure Epsom-saltS (sulphate of
magnesia), and salts of iron and alum,
of soda and ammonia. Few care to taste
the waters, however, which rival in
their chemical and sanitary qualities all
the springs of all the German spas to-
gether. Perhaps the most remarkable of
the Geyser springs is that called, happily
enough, the Witches Caldron. This is
4 black cavernous opening in the solid
rock, about seven feet across, and of
unknown depth, filled with thick inky
liquid, boiling hot, that tumbles and
roars under the pressure of escaping
steam, emitting smell like that of bilge-
water, and seems to proceed from some
Plutonic reservoir. One irresistibly
thinks of the hellbroth in Macbeth, so
''thick and slab, =" and repeats the words
of the weird sisters:
Double, double, toll and trouble,
Fire burn and caldron bubble"
Aclever photographer, Mr.. Muybridge,
conceived the idea of grouping three lady
visitors about this caldron, with hands
linked, and alpenstocks held like magic
wandS, in which position he photograph
ed them amid the vaporous scene with
telling effect. Another notable spot is
the DEVILS Grismill, where a large CO.
lumn of steam escapes from hole in the
rock with so much force that stones and
sticks laid at the aperture are blown
away like bits of paper. The internal
noises at this vent truly resemble the
working of a gristmill. Milton's hero
is sponsor for another spring c:lled the
Devils Inkstand, notable for its black
waters, specimens of which are taken off
in small vials, and used at the hotel to
the names of guests on the re-
gister. -Scribner'S Monthly.