Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-07-19

imagine ones self passing between Ne,
England hills about Thanksgiving tim,
the ground sprinkled with snow and tb
streams ice-coated and bordered, for tb
air IS eager. But our horses find tb
streams uncomfortable to their feet, tb
now IS transparent fraud, steam
waited across our faces, and we cate
sight OF geyser eruptions in the distance
Oar trail still follows the river of sulphu
water' and out of holes in the thin cru:
that saves us from the Internal region
rise offensive sulphurous fumes.
In the Upper Geyser Basin are groupe
the principal geysers convenient for spec
tacular effect and comparison. Before u
rs we picked our way up the broad vale
whitened by the overflow of hundreds {
1eysers rose the sepulchral and weir
cratcrs, earthquakes rumbled and roare
beneath, and flashing in the distant sun
nght was "Old Faithful" dashing skyward
ms geyscr lustifies Its name by spoutinl
every % minutes from an orifice seyel
iect long by two wide, its eruptions lastint
from to 80 minutes, and it IS without
fellow in tho wide world, because of tn,
frequency and unfailng regularity of il
spont'ng' Spreat out within an area O
some 81 miles are at least 1000 hot spring.
ana Gcysers, the latter belching column
OF sctlding water OF sizes varying witt
the dimensions of their orifice from a few
'hches to 20 feet in diameter, and to hight
ranging from 10 up to 800 feet, the out
orcak being accompanied by explosion,
liRe Tho cracking OF artillery and tn,
deep boom of thunder. OF course tn,
%eysers are due to the volcanic force
which hold sway beneath this part of tn,
earth. Heat warns to life the steam giap
whose savage play awes mankind. Bun
sen proved the true theory of the causes
which combine to make these eruptions In
Iceland in 1916, and his conclusions have
become matters of classroom demonstra,
tlon, lie found by series of careful
experiments that the temperature of the
water In the geyser tube varies different
depths, as also at different periods between
the two eruptions, the changes always
taking place in the same manner and with
considerable regularity. Immediately
before the eruptions there Is maximum
temperature at the bottom of the well
estimated at 260.6o F.. and a minimum
Immediately after of 253.40. The temper
ature OF boiling water at the depth reached
ny the thermometer should be about 276o
r. The water therefore in no part of the
tube Is hot enough to germinate steam
under the conditions. But the higher YOU
ascend in the tube the lower is the temper
ature at which water will boil. If then the
column be thrown up by the generation of
steam in the underground channels, the
water at the bottom, which is near the
polling point, is brought to hight where
1T Is sufficiently relieved from pressure to
be converted into steam. The water in
the tube is lifted still higher, until the
steam condenses by contact with the cooler
water, to which it imparts its latent heat.
Etch condensation makes detonation.
the subterranean explosion which precedes
an eruption. BY successive efforts enough
OF the superintendent column is thrown
oil to raise nearly all the water in the tube
to the boiling point, until at last the relief
from the pressure is sufficient to permit
the election of the contents of the tube.
lhls election continues until all the reser-
Volrs around the geyser are empted, when
1t subsidies until the proper conditions are
established again.
Before geyser in play the most pre-
.entlous artificial fountain sinks to insig-
llhcance. One is impressed and oppressed
with the uncanny performance of this
contract upside down. Ths clear water
'ushes out of the earth propelled bv
'esistless force and leaps upward in def.
tnco of gravitation precisely as the cat
'ract tails,-a great white foaming mass
Which quvers, shivers and skaters in the
'ir, ono shock following another and
'nIsating along the column, the whole
lpped and sheeted with clouds of steam
sng above and clingng around it.
NhGn tho steam king has spent his
trenSih the hot pillar becomes obedient
gain to the law of gravitation and returns
to earth. Amid this vast plain |
# jerseys tho most picturesque effects are
.lways presented. The column of water.
team or spray shifts and changes from
n >meht to moment with each throb from
clow and buffet of the wind above, and
he sunlight crowns it with rainbow tints,
on have seen the Ludlow high pressure
'alcr pour ont of Chief Leshure's biggest
nozzle. Increase that steam
nj propcl it with many times the force
tho top OF tho cathedral tower, and YOU
ave conception of what n great geyser
Il ko No gcy2er spouts constantly, and
Ich IS 4 law unto itself They are about
on IN all stages of operation. gushing.
nit'ng steam, splashng spray about the
nwel1, boiling with fierceness, or almost
iac'd save an unensyspot which indicates
10 %eyser tube, whence an outbreak will
tCur in time.
The ice fountain which forms each win
II IN Springfield cemetery illustrates how
nysors are built by the Incl ustations of 81
ca as the hot water boils out ofa hole in
le earth, slowly rearing a white structure.
boiling spring becomes in time a gey.
#, II in building up a mound of precipi.
ted mineral it forms a vertical tube of
Iiheicnt hight and regularity to give a
'rtaln pressure of compressed water.
hese mounds or craters vary infinitely in
rm and and hight and resemble in grace
i delicacy and beauty frost fretwork or {
'ral formations. Unlike the white mo. {
'tony of frost pencilings. the crater
imncys or basins are often dyed with
,quiste colors, The white grounding.
hlch gllstens like purest porcelain, re.
1' Win uelioate plnkS, ,Vermllll0n,W which
MS into crimson, browns of all shades. c
ange and yellow, the softest ecrus and
daintiest buff5. The clear water that s
vors all this beauty deepens into the !
avenllest blue in the center of the era /
:, and hanging over it are often gaunt a
ectral trees stripped of their bark and r
cached white. On the edge OF the plain 2
Hen pines keep sombre guard, and the Il
irpIe hills rest the eye beyond. C
The tourist will do we'll to spend much v
le in the Upper Geyser Basin. 1t boasts g
eight largest known geysers, any one v
which is unparalleled in the volume of {
ter elected and the hight TO which it 81
os. rhey are the giant, diameter seven v
t, waer thrown 40 feet, lasts two Ii
us; giantess, diameter Is feet, hight of n
RENE jet 250 feet, lasts 20 minutes: Il
hive, diameter . feet, hight 22O feet, s
Is 20 minutes; grand, diameter, 20 by
feet, hight, 800 feet lasts 20 minutes;
tito. diameter 4 feet hight 90 feet.
10 to so minutes; castle 3 by p
IT, HIGHT 100 feet Iarts IN to on tC