The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-06-04
The Yellowstone Geysers.

All Geysers have not the same action, and
most Of them, In style of action In The duration of
thor eruptionS, and in the intervals that elapso he.
tween them, are apt individually TO vary Some play
WIN liDored pumping, others throw u continuous
stream, some wear themselves ont In single effort
others stibside only TO Tccommence again repeatedly
Thus an eruption may extend from two to twenty
neutrality-suspicious. time occupied by the rand;
or even to one hour and twenty mInutes-a period that
the uianthas been timed TO play.
rho col0rs that tngo the edges Of some cIaters and
STAN tho course OF the streams that they send forth
are indcscrbably beautiful. Tho snowy whIteneSs OF
lhc grounding IL relieved by dainty bluffs, pale pnks
ana softest ccrus, deep yelows shot with brown
orange stIeaked With yermillion or strayng into
crimson, chocolate merging into black aud nterlIned
with lemon-by coOrs In fact, run riot and ali
Gllslening wet beneath the ccarest crystal water
that In tile centre of the crater dcepens Into ina
heaycneSt blue. From such brililancy 1t is relief
to turn toward the snen hills Of purple pines.
Extinct domes and craters, ovcrgrown with -four
iShng trees or mounds sti bare. and even steamng
with otherwise only their Immense size 10 Indicate
the mighty power that formed them, arc found here
and there, among those well known 10 be sti active
MANY craters are surrounded by tho skeleton trunks
OF trees that thoy have killed, and which, under the
action OF their mineral waters, are rapidly becoming
petrliied; while In tho conflict between desolatIon
aud verdurc, which, owing to the frequent variation
OF tho centres Of action Is constantly III progress tho
lowly bnnch-grass steals ground wherever II dare
draw u blade
or all thegeysers whose cruplIons We witnessed tile
bfand was, think, the most interesting. II played
aDcd TO get comfortably Into front seats focus our
glasses aud discuss the programme. II wcro before
inc performance commenced. This Il did very alb
rupy although the activity displayed by small vent
hole and the furious bubbng In another oriGcc con-
hecleu with II, might be accepted rs premOnltory
symptoms. Suddenly, with single PREDATORY squirt.
te Grand shot vast stream OF water over two hun.
dfed feet Into the air. For few minutes this press
uro was maintained with undated yigor then II sud-
denly ceased and the waters slrank back out of sight
In the cavernous hollow Of tho crater Meanwhile The
vent and caudron were still furlOusly laborng and
suDerlnnean thunder shook the ground on which we
slood After minutes cessation, the geyser again
burst forth without warning, aud with even greater
violence. This continued until nlno successive pulsa-
satons had occurred, The latter efforts, however
peTceptibly diminished in grandeur.
IL Is Impossible to cOnJure up In words any Idea OF
the majestic fury Of the scene. The naddsned rush
OF scalding water bursting for moment freedom
from It's mysterious captivity, tho gigantic columns
OF dense vapOr tho clouds and cOu rs Of lace like fall
ling spray or diamond showers, tho lance tipped
water Jets, pennoned with puts of steam, the sub
terraneOus reports tho wondrOuS effects OF tile evening
sun on the silver sheaf Of wateT-speaIs that with
lightning rapldlty flashed forth and vanished broke
and reformed aud tho rainbow that shOne through
drifting masses Of gauzy MIST bane entirely my
powers Of description l could only gaze aud marvel
The NfHcteeHth Century.