The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-04-07

It's pure green is broken into foam and spray
from the very summit From the foot the
currents of Air drove the clouds of vapor up
the steep sides of ,he canon, which were
clothed in vegetation of the freshest and most
brilliant hue, while double rainbow IlIum-
ined the surface OF the stream below.
Half an hours rough climbing over bow l.
ders and loose trachylic blocks brought the
party 10 a small plateau at the very margin Of
the nam or Lower Fall, whence the eye could
plunpc into the vast chasm some three hun
dred yards in depth, which is known as the
Grand Canon There is probably no rhapso-
DIV in the assertion of the visitors That the
view from this point is the finest piece of
scenery in the world, for 1t would be haro to
imagine combination of pictorial splendors
which should unite more po,ently the requi.
sites OF majesty and beauty Here the river.
narrowing in its bed 20 width OF some sew
cnty feet. and depth OF four or llve feet,
springs to the crest with an intensity OF mo-
ZION that makes its clear depths seem to qm
yer. Just before making the plunge the
stream is once more contracted, ana the wa
tiers girt in from both sides toward the centre,
so that two rounded prominences or buttresses
are formed, where green and white commin-
Gle Lying PROSTATE and looking down in
10 the depth, the travellers could see that
these RIBS continued downward, the whole
mass of the fall gradually breaking into
spray against the air, until lost In the
cloud of vapor that hides the base, out of
which comes up mighty roar that shakes
the hills, and communicates a strange vibra-
ton to the nerves. From far below the cloud
energies thin green ilbbon, IN which the
river is hardly recognizable, so dwaried is il,
and creeping with so sluggish q current, as
if stunned by the fall. The actual height of
this cateract, as ascerained by attaching a
heavy weight to a measured cord is 80 feet,
but we may note that, tremendous as II is, 1t
seems to the spectator but minor incident
in the picture constructed on the huge scale
OF the canon.
In the basin of Fire Hole river, an affluent OF
the Madison, but flowing throgh Yellowstone
Park, the party came on the Grand Geysers.
One CT these, sold Faithful" seems to have
earned Its name from the regularity ofits dis.
charges, which were observed to take place
at intervals OF about an hour. After some
preliminary spurts and splashes the Geyserr.
with deep boom which Jared the ground,
shot up clear, straight shaft of water, that
with few rapid impulses gained an altitude
gilmore than a hundred feet, clouds of steam
towering far above and drifting with the
wind. For full Ave minutes The column main
its height, and then with unavailing jerks
and efforts to check its fall sank down AID
was swallowed up in the crater. Here, as
with the other geysers, the lips of the crater
were moulded into artistic vase.lke forms,
beaded AMI pcarled with opal, while close at
hand were little terraced Cisterns of pellucId
water, with scallaped ard laced rims The
wetted margins and floors Of these dainty res
ervors were tinted with the most delicate
shades of white, cream brown and gray, and
although the material was in reality silica,
they locked so soft and velvety that ii seemed
q touch would soil them.
The only blemishes in this exquisite work
manshp are chargeabe to man. Col. Lud
low tells us that the mouldlngs and carvings
aboutthe craiers and pools have heen Clipped
and defaced by visitors, or scrawled over with
the vacuous names of selt.important sight
seers. We heartily concur in his opinion
that such practices should be stopped at once,
together with the whole system Of plumber
and vandalism which is wasting the reserva
ton. The Yellowstone Park was appropri-
ated BY the nation in the interests of enlight-
ened civilization; and it is the duty Of the
Interior Department to preserve those MIRA
cles of natures cunning, built up in the slow
process of centuries, of an enduring but brit
tie material, and towards which we occupy
the position of trustees for the whole world.