, 1884-12-03
THE BIG GEYSERS.
a Lady's Tour Through the Park of
the Yellowstone,
where Nature Ia Hoekiessly EK-
In boiling Springs -
''Old Faithfully the "Beo
Hive, and ssGiantesa.o



No guide-book can give an idea of the
tour Of the park. Neither pen nor pencil
can describe tho grandeur. beauty and
curious there. Nature was recklessly ex-
travAgant in geysers and boiling springs,
and there are acres OF rather miles OF them
on the route before the basins, having the
famous ones, are reached. At the Norris
basin, less than thirty miles from the Nam
moth Hot Springs, are hundreds Of small
boiling pools and small geysers. This basin
Is n sort Of beginning Of the marvellous, but
hardly prepares one Tor the big geysers in
the upper basin, reached the second day out.
Tho two basins give the tourist "geyseringT
enough 70 last a lifetime. Norris basin Is
over 1900 feet in altitude. Part of it is a
lovely meadow, through which flows the
Gibbon river, with "A bridge, and part Is the
curious formation OF crust, with clouds
Of steam rising in every direction
from the boiling spring. Walking about, 80
near the mysterious heat, suggests the
vicinity of tho internal regions, and a dread
OF some sudden explosion or opening In the
Garth. But horo, in tho midst OF the tre-
mendous heat OF invisible unknown fires, 1t
is 80 cold at night that wnter froezes every
night In the year, though the days are warm
and bright
The big goysers are capriciOus as a rule.
ON4 LhilAAA4A tnu ~ htILA414 ulol "
spout every sixty minutes day and night
This Is really one Of the most beautiful and
interesting OF tho great geySerA 1t is quite
alone, and when in action Is a fountain
thrown from tho center Of "A cone like hill or
formation Of deposit, in one great jet 200
feet high Til water is Us clear as crystal
md sparkle through tho clouds OF snowy
steam like diamonds. The Bee Hive has been
uncertain this season, and had been quiet for
tv enty-six days. and ths Giantcss, which
had boon playing about pvery fourteen days,
surprised ogcry one by symptoms about
an hour before we arrived, and there were
three eruptlons OF both between 9 o'clock in
tho evening and midnight
The most curious thing about tho great
geyscrs arc the indicators" For instance, a
foot or two from tho Bee Hive IS n small hole
not over six inches in diameter, l sat on the
opposite bank Of the river watching a tiny
cloud Of steam pun up from this hole, and
wishing the Bee Hive would "go of" There
vas no sign OF action in tho Hive But the
steam continued to puff out OF the little hole,
and after ten minutes there was a spirit of hot
water, bubble, puff, spirit and fputter. Ten
minutci more Of putting aud bubbling, and
then the morest suggestion of steam rose
from the Hive. Without knowing anything
about gaysors, / know at once that the Bee
lllNt nA1uht ~ Ab NoiAttilAuk4 Olutfn NtHt VI
the same opinion, and very soon there were
shouts Of Look at the Bee Hivei She's going
of, surel7 And sure enough she did. A lit
tie more steam and a few moro bubbles, and
up went the smooth, unbroken shaft of boil
ing water, straight up in the air. The shaft
was seemingly four feet in dinmeter and 200
feet high, and from this height 1t broke into
clouds Of silvery spray. There was great ex-
element, and any number OF ladies' hnndker-
chiefs and gentlemen's hats were tossed in
and carried by the force Of the eruption up
with the shaft OF water.
When they came down, the hnndkerchiefs
were washed white and clean, and the hats
were free from dust. Tho Bee hive Is unique.
but not as beautiful as Old Faithful. The big
geysors could not ave done better by special
request Not only did the Bee Hive, which
had been perfectly inactive for twenty-six
days, "go or three times, but the Giantess,
whose last eruption had been eight days be-
fore, gave n magnificent display, in three
oruptions on tho Same day and evening. Tho
crater Of the Giantcss is oblong, and soma
thirty feet across. Tho depth is unknown,
but one looks down, down into the seething
pool with tho feeling that 1t Is n bottomless
pit Before the eruption the water rises 10
the surface Of tho crater. We were told, on
arrival, that tho Giantess had exhibited
Signs Oh kolnB OH though uot Que lor SIX
days yet Tourists who had waited for some
timo with the hope Of seeing these two gey-
sers in eruption loft at noon that day, so quiet
and unlikely did action seem TO be. AT 4
o'clock the indicator" OF the Giantess began
TO steam, and soon after the Giantess got up
steam too.
The first eruption WINS comparatively light,
and was Just over when we arrived. The
second took place about half-past q, and was
a tremendous action. Tho sound was like the
roar OF the sea in a storm, with heavy throb-
bings that made tho whole elevation tremble
and culver. The fountain OF water burst UP,
the entire size OF the crater, rose nearly 800
feet, separated from the column of steam,
and fell in a magnificent waterfall, as per-
feet as il cut by n precipice. 1t is a nre
sight to zee the steam and water separate in
this way, as very frequently the clouds Of
steam seem to hold the column Of water In
visible. But In this eruption the two parted
at the height OF 800 feet Tho steam was in
the form Of a cloud like shaft, and the water
bent like a graceful willow to the side,
and for fully fifteen minutes there was
this unique display. Everybody
looked on In silent admiration, touched with
awe, for the Giantess in eruption Is overpow-
oring, and inspires one with awe, but does
not excite as tho Bee Hive. To see the
Giaatess $50 or once Is worth n trip 10 the
park But to sec tho Beo Hive in the same
hOur was more than good fortune. Then
there was the splendid Old Faithful every
hour, and the Saw-mill buzEing away every
few minutes, and in tho morning the Grand,
the Castle and the Grotto, to shy nothing Of
hundreds Of small ones, dotting the banks Of
the river with piles OF clouds. The Upper
Basin Is the most picturesque Of tho several
stations. The tents are in "A semi-circle on a
plateau sloping to the Fire Hole river. A
little foot-bridgs CROSSES the river. where the
most OF the Little geySers are. There is no
driving over the formation, which is a mere
crust under which are invisible boiling
springs.