The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-30
TIE NATIONAL PARK.
THE cuRloslrlssoF YELLOWSTONE.
p.cuIariti.. of the dsys.rl- .old PaI.hur." Erup.
tIons-rhs "PAInt Pot" R.gIOn-saiphur
Mountain and SpriBs-MOndsrfui
PAlls-AR Awe.ISspIrIbg Scene.
Correspondence qf@e lateutge'eer.

Correspondence QJthe lateatgaeer.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, W. T.,
August l4.-in my last letter you will re-
member we had flushed up the "Noris
Geyser Basin" Next morning, after an early
breakfast, we set out afresh upon our jour
ney, and once more visited the "NOrris
Geyser. Basin" on our way, stopping awhile
to take in again the wonderful scene. The
air being very frosty the steam condensed,
and it seemed as II We were in the "misty
mid region OF Weir" that Poe describes in
"Ullalume," where the "dark tarn Of
Auber" emitted such mephitic smells. The
peculiarly and diversity Of these number
less pools and springs is not less remarka-
BILE than their number. The water 10 Of
almost every color as are the crystalliza=
tions from the water and steam. There
are mud fountains-as well as fountains OF
purest ray serene-where in large pools
you will see soapy foam oyerspreading
very muddy looking water, which is boiling
duu btcluluR WIN i6uGuGOuo eutIkSs
There are fountains where you will see all
the colors Of the rainbow reflected, making
you feel as II you were in an enchanted
region where the genii are mixing colors
for artists.
After leaving the Norris basin our route
lay along the Gibbon river and in the
course Of the forenoon we passed through
the canyon wherein are to be seen its fails
eighty feet Highland it's narrow rapids
At the head OF Gibbon canyon we came
into what is called the Paint Pot region
OF the park-one OF the most peculiar OF
its many attractions. There are said 10 be
500 mud and boiling springs in this local..
ty, which comprises several acres, These
mud pools seem to be in chronic condi-
ton OF agitation and busily engaged in
blowing all sorts OF mud curiosities into
the most grotesque shapes. Besides these
boiling mud fountains there are a great
number Of clear limpid springs and one OF
the most beautiful emerald fountains to be
met with in the park is seen here.
Space would fail me to attempt to de-
scribe TO your readers the various springs,
pools, fountains and geysers to be met
with on the road to what Ia called the
Upper basin" where we made our princi.
pal halt in the geyser regions. There is
the Monument" geyser basin, the "Lower"
geyser basin, the Middle" basin and at
last the "Upper" basin. All have their Pc
culiarities and attractions, but details would |
weary your readers While 1t Is true that
almost every geyser has its own individu-
ality yet Of course there is general same
nees in them all. To see one big geyser
throwing column Of water 100 to l75 feet
high, with diameter OF % to 80 feet, is to
see them all throwing ap at various heights
with various diameters,
OLD FAITHFUL
Our first sight Of Il great geyser was at
the upper Basin," which we reached be-
tween five and six o'clock in the evening,
and where soon afterwards "0ld Faithful"
as it is called, went of with considerable
preliminary noise, not unlike the noise Of
a great steamboat blowing of steam at her
water line, after which followed the grand
oatburst and the shooting up oian immense
column OF water 115 feet into tie air. This
"Old Fsithful" does once every slxty.ave
minutes on an average, and hence he 10
great fayorite among visitors who are eager
to to see an eruption soon after their arri.
val as reward for their wearisome ride. |
Then, too, there is the "Bdehive" geyser,
which goes of every eight hours, aud
throws up larger and higher column, last
ing fully FIVE minutes, and making proz
portionally greater roar. He, too, Is q faVo.
rite.
At the upper basin" we tarried over a
day, resting in our tents and walking
around over the whole basin, inspecting
all the noted seysers and great pools. We
could stand by the base Il "0ld Faithful"
and look down the basin for about four
miles along the valley Of the Firehole river
and We could see the steam going up here
snd there like the "smoke ot their torment"
iI;nm score or more II principal geysers,
some ot them having craters 10 feet high,
others having simply great orifce in the
lava bedg. Go which way YOU will down
the valley, TO the one side or the other Of
Firehole river, throughout this basin OF four
square miles, and you gone upon one oil
these yeysers or upon some great fountain
or pool OF boiling and bubbliDg water. The
whole basin is full OF them aud hot water |
runs down over the ledges at all points into
the river, so raieing the temperature OF Its
waters that no species oil animal lie can |
exist in that stream. At one place close
beside the banks where fountain ran in
we bathed in the waters OF the "Fitehole,"
and while close 10 the shore the water was
so hot that we could not bear 1t yet \ feet
further out it was cool enough-so cool that
we were glad to keep as near the hot water
line as possible.
SULPHUR MOUNTAIN.
After having done the geyser basins suf-
ficiently, We ret out for the great falls OF
the Yellowstone, forty miles distant, going
through over the mountains and streams
by sort oiiorced march In one day, rest.
ing at noon for an hour in the shade by
the side OF mountain brook 10 cat our
inneh and let our horses graz4 at the end
Of their repes on the rich Buffalo grass.
our route took In the famous Sulphur
mountain and spring, ohj4cts OF great curl
nsity To our party. The mountain, rs It is
called Ia pyramid along side OF thospriRg,
about seventy Eve feet high, and ls de.
post Of sulphur, soms pt 1t as apparently
pure birthstone rs ever yel taw II in q roll
Of sulphur. The spriog or pool isa very
large one and Is In 3 tremendous state OF
agitation, its waters boiling fIriopsy and
throwing themselves out conyusively oyer
the sulphurous lava beds all around. Az
one OF the party remarked, vi the devil 10
not at the bottom Of this pool don't know
where you would go to look for him"
Passing on We reachsd the falls Of the
Yellowstone Just before sundown, every;