The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-08-07

III uolie pOOlS III Une WnlJe rocks II Is
perfectly transparent, and often yor
thrust your hand into hot water wheI
about to pick up a pebble from what
you fancied an empty receptacle.
Most of the geysers have walled
up crater of solid rock. receiving then
names III these instances from fancied
and III some cases real. resemblance
to architectural or natural Objects
Others are quiet pools of most unim-
aglnable purity until dashed into action
by the subterTanean heat The crater
walls of some rise to a hight of Is feet.
the long diameters ranging from 20 to
feet, the transverse from 2 to 10
feet. Those with elevated crater walls
are rarely quiet, although the grand
eruptlons of most are infrequent The
large geysers are surrounded by small
er ones, called indicators their ac-
uvlty being premonition that those
to which they are subsidiary are about
to work. Caution is necessary in
walking around. and should You be
enveloped in a cloud of steam because
of sudden shifting Of the wind. all
movement should cease or YOU are
likely to step into pool of water and
be instantly cooked ito turn" 1t is
the custom to get Old Faithful to do
some laundry work by throwing into
the crater soiled garments a short time
preceding an eruption, They usually
are cast out well cleansed. In my
case he construed the act as an indig
nifty and my wardrobe was lessened IL
the extent of my confidence ii MS in
tegrity,
l saw Faithful spout five times and
several smaller ones, each once. Just
when about to leave the basin one of
the largest, Splendid" began to work
The horses were galloped toward it
and we got near as safety would coun-
sci when it was at its best. 1t sends
up volume about ten times that of
Faithful, equally high and lasting ten
minutes. The roar Is deafening. the
vibration reaches the ground OF which
you stand, but spell bound with ad
mlratlon, you have no thought of fear
When the eruption ceases the crater
Is empty, and where once was pool
of blue water, is a hollow receptacle
lined with ornamented rock Neigh
boring pools have also been despoiled
of their water, and one can't help fan
cying that this is a period of utter
exhaustion, following the terrible con
vulslon which resulted III the magniti-
cent column of water just beheid.
Perhaps some Manitowoc people re
member a lecture on the Yellowstone.
delivered IN the NJ E. church of your
city, by a Massachusetts professor,
and illustrated by means of a magic
lantern. The views of springs pro
Jected on the screen invariably called
forth mTmms of admiration, but it
was generally felt that art had so much
improved nature that the representa-
ton far exceeded the reality The
facts are otherwise. These springs
are of marvellous purity of a sapphire
blue and many deeper than ever
plummet sounded" The sides of the
basin are seen clearly through the
transparent water while the refraction
gives the whole the appearance of be
ing gorgeously tesselated with SHIN
mering squares. They are of most
Undesirable beauty and somehow
their lmpid depths give you the i'm
preston that the water is ice cool. 1t
is not SO warm as to be in a state Of
agitation, and there lie these pools of
such complete transparency that they
have not the power of reflection while
the murmruing rills from them. over
the tufaceous deposit reminds one of
Mllton's ''Sllya's brook that flows fast
by the oracle of God" One peculiar
lty OF this country is when you come
to stream you must touch its waters
to determine whether it is hot or cold
had one foot blistered by the heat
While crossing stream, for neglect
ing to take this precaution.
The tufa in the vicinity of the gev-
sers forms a dust which is quite pen
etrating, the suns rays are reflected
from the white rocks and exposed
portions of the body suffer, and to this
the fact that you are apt to get your
feet wet without being aware Of it be
cause of the tepid character of the
water Take these things and lodg
ing in tents and though the mountain
air has healing on its wings" the hu-
man constitution is tried seriously
One leaves these basins with singular
feelings. Here in close proximity are
the eternal SHOWS and the fires that
quench not. The streams come down
the hills cool with the icy breath of
the mountains and mingle with the
heated waters which seem to be the
fevered sweat of a demon in agony.
The sun beats down pitilessly on the
sojourner IN the valley, but the wan
derer on the hill feels the breath of the
Ice King. 1t is a land of contradic
lions, of wonders and hardships. No
wonder the Indian who has his faith
qmckened by seeing the Hastings OF
the Northern Lights should view this
place as the threshold of Hell. Science
takes no cognizance Of the s!pnrnatur-
al but the child of '';yl,ntntorad mind
readily refers tne inexplieable to one
OF the Manitous, and here is mani
hesitation Of power which fills him with
NuOtlti- dlltt ut uetS 1IOul Tie WfdJll
which seems to threaten him. Poor
savage; the hills no longer afford You
refuge, and soon your race must seek
asylum in the bosom of that God
whom you worshiped here in visible
signs. For you are doomed. The
log cabin of the white man is planted
in the shadows of the frowning noun
tains of Montana and his herds Craze
in the valleys where the buffalo crop
ped the sere grass. There is no place
too bleak, too forbidding, too far re
moved from everything which gives
life value, for the man who is willing
to make Montana his home. He might
make his abode on the sterile lava beds
and find Improvement in the change.
In settling in Montana he has reached
the ultimate of dreainess, cherries
ness and hardship. Death can have
no terrors for him as it brings release
and the future can nave nothing in
store from when his soul can shrink.
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