Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-09
Our National Park.

THE reservation which Congress has
wisely made ON the Yellowstone River for
the purpose of National Park, is likely
to be ranked as one of the wonders of the
world. Between the Yellowstone and the
Gallatin the divide is formed Of volcan-
ic conglomerate, which has been worn by
the action of the weather into dense
mass of columns and pinnacles, beyond
number. Little streams wind their way
through these conglomerates, and here
and there deep gorges, cut down to the
metamorphic rocks, intervene. Every
where opalized or silicified wood abounds,
and one instance is recorded where the
stump of tree, thirteen or fourteen feet
in diameter, may be seen entirely inclosed
in the breccia. The question has been
suggested by the Government biologists,
from whence these breccia came, and un-
der what conditions they were deposited
since they are sometimes from four to five
thousand feet thick, and lying in perfect,
ly horizontal strata. 1t concludes that
they were thrown out by volcanoes into
water; thus assuming that at compare
lively recent date the mountain ranges of
the Northwest were submerged. This
latter supposition is shown by other evil
dence to be sound, and we may suggest to
Mr. Hayden, that the explanation he fur
nishes of the deposition of the breccia
may be seen illustrated from time to time
in Hawaii. During the great eruption
from Kilauea, in 1859, vast quantities of
breccia thrown into the sea fell
upon bottom of similar material
that had probably been many
years in accommodating; and in
one instance food of molten lava fol
lowed, completely filling up small bay,
and at the same time engulfing a native
village. Amy subsequent elevation of the
land round this great volcano of the
Sandwich group would probably present
at future day much the appearance
which we now see preserved to us in the
region of our National Park, and in a
more marked degree than could be had in
any other volcanic region, thus fully cor
roborating Mr.. Hayden's theory.
One Of the most curious features of
this region is to be found in the hot
springs. On the border of the Yellow.
stone Lake are often to be seen elevated
mounds, which jut out from the shore
into the water. These contain pools filed
with heated water, so that it is possible
for person standing on the mound to
catch trout in the lake with the help of a
fishing-ro and to cook them in the boil
ing spring without taking them off the
hook. The water in these springs varies
much in temperature, from lO4 degrees to
about 1862 degrees, their elevation above
the sea-level ranging from $3.50 to 6,779
feet, at least those which have been more
closely examined. The springs of the high
est elevation are usually those in which
the water is of the highest temperature
The gas given off from them is most fire.
quently sulphuretled hydrogen, though
from some half dozen Of them carbonic
acid only is detected. 1t would seem
that they are constantly undergoing
changes, old springs drying up and new
ones coming into existence.
There is evidence that these springs
were once much more numerous then they
now are, and probability that they will
one day become extinct There is an.
other variety found in the neighborhood