The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-12-20
TUESDAY, DEC. 90, 1881.
YELLOWSTONE Ma TIoNAL
PARK.

Sih pau VI NgOulllS, anu 10 u
source of pride and pleasure to
our people. Its wonderful gty sers,
grand canons, beautiful lake,, hot
springs and great c~ataracts are at
tracing the attention of the whole
country. In proof of this we refer
to the report of the Park super
intendent which shows that over
1000 tourists visited the park last
year. Following is a description
given by a tourist witnessing an
eruption ofone ofthe these geysers
for the first time.
"Halting for lunch in a pretty
little grove, which commanded a
view of nearly the entire basin,
and within a stones throw of the
"Castle," we had scarcely COM
menced eating when that magni-
ticent fountain gave vent to its
mighty force in a series ofunder-
ground thunder, and its pent-up
flood appeared dancing just above
the great castle cone which sur
rounds it. Lunch was forgotten,
and with a cry of delight we start
ed at full speed for a nearer ac-
quaintance. A few modest spurts
ensued, when all at once, with a
rattle and gurgle that chilled the
marrow, with a quivering of terra
firma and the force ola hurricane,
upward shot a river of boiling
water, which submerged acres of
surroundings. To our great plea
sure a nice little breeze had arisen
during the forenoon and, carrying
the spray all in one direction, it
enabled us to climb to the top of
the castle, while the eruption was
at its fullest strength. The roar
was almost ~deafening, and the
violent expulsion of steam and
water, a column 8 by 5 feet and
about 100 feet high, caused a con-
tinual culver of the marble-like
structure the waters have been SO
many ages building. We could
place our hands within an inch of
the ascending column and stood
enchanted by its power. The for
nation does resemble the ruins of
some ancient castle and looms mp
some 20 feet above its mound, in
a cunningly carved and queerly
fashioned chimney, with terraces
and steps on one side leading in
quite regular succession down
ward. The silicious deposits,
hard as flint, have taken a great
many varieties of shapes, and all
around the dome CRYSTALS have
formed in beauteous profusion.
The orifice through which the tor
rent poured was gorgeously lined
with the whitest and daintiest
bead-work imaginable. Overhead
were the most brilliant rainbows,
and far beyond the colossal water
column assembled still more beauti-
full columns of snow-white steam.
The eruption continued for an
hour, and it is needless to say we
were chained to the spot until it
was over"
Before leaving the subject of
geysers we will note the fact that
there are eight geysers of the Up
per Geyser Basin, any one of
whose belchings exceeds in volume
n height any other in the world
outside of Yellowstone Park,
while for the frequency and regu-
larity of the magnificent perform
ance INDUCED in by them, they
stand unrivalled in the known uni
verse.
The famous Yellowstone lake is
120 miles below the head of the
Yellowstone rivera and is one the fin
est sights of the park. tits 80 miles
long and from 10 to Is miles wide.
1t is situated in q vast depression
so that it can be seen for miles
away. Around its edges are num-
erous hot springs.
The great falls of the Yellow
stone form an object Of interest
which is considered one of the
grandest scenes in nature, with a
wild roar the full body of the
water of the Yellowstone river
dash over a fall of 397 feet. These
together with the numerous other
attractions such as the Mud VOL
cano, Devils Den, Natural Bridge
and Grand Canon make this place
well worth the trouble of getting
there to see. The fishing and
hunting cannot be beaten in all
this great game country.
We desire to say that the thou
sands of Americans who annually
dissipate money and time in sight
seeing in other lands may journey
round the globe, but they will not
view nature in such magnificent.
sublime, or striking forms as here
in this National Park of SIS by so
miles in extent, within a weeks
travel of their homes.
Hon. r. w. Raymond has said,
"To bid farewell to such a scene