Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-02-20
The Geysers in Yellowstone Park.

Inc lscrs III IciiOW-stont ThIhs
In single valley saw fifty geysers,
the meancst of which surpasses the
very noblest which has been elsewhere
discovered.
The whole number in the park has
been stated at $500. II might as well
have been set down as $4,000, for new
ones are all the while discovered, and,
what is more, developed, or may say
created
AS time runs on, the Glass Mountain
In the park will be visited as n new and
vaster Giants Causeway, the grand
canyon will be sought as analogous to
the gorges of Egyptian Thebes, and tho
lake praised as the best American fac
smile of the bay of Naples. In size,
contour mountains-especially the Jag
ged or notched horizon lines as they
cut against the sky-these two water
sheets are full of resemblances. Franks
Island in Yellowstone Lake again and
again recalled TO me Capri towering in
the mouth of the Vesuvian Bay. Nor
are these similarities so surprising when
we consider that in both localities the
geological formations are volcanic.
On the whole, however, nothing in
the park Is worth notice compared with
the unique marvel Of geysers. Lakes,
forests, mountains, cliffs, rivers and
waterfalls, in comparison with the jewel
they wrap up are as paper and Irvine
which are thrown in for nothing when
we purchase anything precious.
Geysers, then, first, last, midst and
without end, are the glory of the park.
The word geyser is Icelandic, meaning
gusher, and was taken from that tongue
because the phenomena il denotes were
first observed in Iceland.
But American geysers have many man
ifestations, though chiefly as springs, as
spouts and as pools. ''Pools, spouts,
springs! How poor these words seem
as / contrast them with the things i
must use them to denote. What waters!
so clear you cannot see them and step
unawares into their streams. Waters
like Millions "pure hyaline and CLASSY
sea"-or st. Johns sea of glass mingled
with fire-or the Spanish poets foot OF
silver tripping along on street OF gold
il has formed for its passage.
Years ago | first met an intelligent
pilgrim from the park and begged to
know what had most impressed him
there. His answer was color The sig.
nificance of his language | could not un.
derstand till my own eyes saw what he
had seen. But my own impression was
his as soon as | reached the Mammoth
Springs. ] climbed terrace after ter.
race, looking down on pools which
each seemed gem sometimes small
as a bosom-pin, sometimes acres large,
Turquoise, opal, amber, gold-stone, EN-.
erald-all melted, flowing, running or
steaming. The shapes of the settings,
the depth of the water unfathomable tc
the eye, the hues varying with every
breath of air, every change in cloud OF
sunlight-all lent new magic to the
view. The iewelry which in Floren.
tine, Ncapolitan or Russian regalia ]
had admired as world-famous, was here
reproduced and magnilied Il million
times. The impression which was thus
first stamped was cumulative for ten
days afterward Each last view seemed
still loveliest, the actual vision of each
beauty surprising the memory of all
that had gone before it. Thus, as our
guide day after day ushered me into
new entertainments, was inclined to
say Thou hast kept the good wine un
til now"
In the great geyscr basin, on first get
ting up ut dawn, | could think myself
in New England village far up the
Connccticut--the same hills, pine
woods and eDgirdling mountains-tht
gcyscrite floor was not unlike Vermont
snow. The steam of the seventy gey-
sers looked Just like the smoke of morn
ing chimncys.
But this illusion could not last more
than an hour, for Old Faithful is gey
ser more sure to spout hour by hour
than your clock is to strike.
For three days I watched and ex-
ulted in his faithfulness, and that all
the more rs gazcd on many monsters
around him which refused to show any.
thing of their might. His performances
i'm heights of jet, volume of water, anc
grace of outline at least equal anything
in the Grandes Faux Mt Versailles, or
which Louis XIV. lavished SO many mil
lions. Yet his utmost efforts are feeble
compared with the eight-fold pulsations
of the so-called Grand Geyser, which we
were also sofortunate as to witness, just
as we were turning our backs on the
valley of spouting fountains, scores o,
which we had seen more or less active
with leaping waters.
Contrasting Old Faithful with the
throng of fitful and unreliable spouters,
/ was reminded of Millions Abdiel,
faithful found among the faithless,
faithful only he-among innumerable
false unmoved" Indeed, / was con
stantly coming mint of phrases toveni
my admiration. II suits me best to say
Zone God in Heaven, and one Old Faith.
full on earth. Cor. Wisconsin Stat,
Journal.