Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-10
TnE EXCELSIOR GEYsEK.
Sudden Outbreak of the Greatest
" alter ' olcano in che World.

Sudden Outbreak of the Greatest
alter ' olcano in the World.
The recent outbreak Of toe Excelsior
Geyser, in Yellowstone PARK, after being
quiet for more than four years, Will rem
der the following description OF the won
deriul natural curiosity of interest:
Up to 1878 there had been discovered in
the Yellowstone Park >, 1875 springs and
geysers, including II active geysers, ana
this enormous number was the result OF
only partial survey OF the territory.
The greater number OF the active geysers
are found in what is known as the Upper
Geyser Basin, where they are found
| chiefly along the banks OF the Yellow stone
river. Six miles below the Upper Basin
is what is called the Midway Geyser
Basin. 1t is here that are found the great
| Exec siOr Geyser and the Grand Prismatic
| Spring. They lie on the west bank OF the
river, and may be approached by a foot
bridge. The Excelsior is the largest
geyser known In the world, but its erup-
tiOns heretofore have been so Irregular that
! few men have been witnesses OF 1t In late
years. The name of Cliff Cauldron was
! given it by the Hayden Survey in 1871,
and 1t was not. until some years
later that 1t was discovered TO be pow
| erful geyser. In 1881, series OF great
column of water was elected 10 the height
OF 80 and even 800 feet. AT times stones
were thrown out. The crater is an immense
pit $50 feet in length and 200 feet width AT
the widest part, the cllff-llke aud treach-
erOus walls being from 10 to 20 ieet blgn
lrom the boiling waters TO the surround
ing level. The water is always in violent
agitation, and dense clouds OF steam gen
orally obscure tue surface. "HelPs Hall
IL no s.
to this terrible pit. Two rlvulets pour
iorth Ia to the river from the spring, and toe
deposits are very brilliantly colored, yell
low, orange, req and rose tints being dis
played in proiusiou.
There is no time when the subterra-
mean forces are Inactive, and tue geyser
region at all times presents a strange
ana weird scene. STANCE sights and
sounds greet the stranger on every side.
Clouds Of steam arise from dozen differ
emit localities, some OF the springs being
hidden in the timber which covers The
neghborlnX mountain side. In the Vi
entity Of the geysers there are hissing,
gurgling and thunderous thuds as If the
imps OF the Internal regions had heavy
contracts of labor 10 perform. The erup-
tlon OF any OF the geysers is heraldsd by
the escape OF steam from an adjacent
steam vent, aud directly after, a tGuntain
learful 0elchings, TO fall again In giant
cataract. Almost constantly there is a
display VI some Kind gong ON, and the
strange din Is kept up night and
day. There are daily eruptiOns OF
some OF the ReyseTs whilst others
have longer intervals OF quiescence,
and some or them, as in the
case of the Excelsior, are apparently ex-
tinct for long periods.
Herschel, Bunsen, ComstOck, McKen-
zje, and other scientists have advanced
theories as TO geyser action, aud that OF
Bunsen is generally accepted in the
main. The presence Of lgneous rocks
which still retain their heat at consid-
cradle distance below the surface, aud
tae admission Of water to subterranean
apertureS, or tubes, seem TO be the re.
quisIte conditions to produce a geyser.
This word, by the way, Is derived from the
lcelandic word Geysa--to gush. Steam
is formed within caYcrns or chambers
partly nlied with water, and a column OF
water, as well as the stream itself, is
driven out through the tube, Intermittent
geyser action may result from curYatures
In the tube, deposits of water being LETT
in the depressions from previous up
heavals to await the next discharge, the
intervals between the eruptions being
governed by the size OF tue chambers
wherein the steam is generated, con-
ditions OF temperature, etc. II has been
noticed that geysers occur where the ill.,
tensl;y of volcanic action Is decreasing
In the neighborhood of active volcanoes.
such as Nesuvius, the temperature APP
pears to be too high, and the vapor escapes
as steam from what are called ''stufas."
When the rocks are more cooled the
water comes forth In liquid form. Says
DIR. Peale in Science, July u, 1881:
at is probable that all geysers are orig
lnally due to violent outbreak OF steam
and water, and that the first stage is that
Of huge steam-vent. Under such con-
diti0ns, irregular cavities and passages
are more likely TO be formed than regular
tubes. Toe lining of the passages and
tubes takes place afterwards, aud it is a
slow process. Whether the subterranean
passages in which the water is heated are
narrow channels, enlargement OF the
tubes, or caverns and tubes, is probably
OF little consequence, except as the pc
RODS or intervals or the geysers are inhu-
enced. IL water IN glass tuhe be heated
rapidly from the bottom, it will be violent
ly expelled from the tube, or, if boiled in
kettle that has a lid and a spout, either
the lid will be blown of or the water will
be forced out OF the spout. In the first
case we nave an explanation, in part at
least, of Bunsen's theory; and the second
eXempllH0s theories which pre-suppOSe
the existence OF subterranean cavities and
| connecting tubes. The simpler the form
of the geyser tube, the less il the impedi-
ment to the circulation o. tHe superhe ated
water; and In this fact lies the explana-
tion Of the difference between constantly
boiling springs and geysers. The varia-
| tons and notifications OF the subter-
ranean water passages, however, must
be important factors entering into any
complete explanation Of geyseric aC-
ton"
Near the pit of the Excelsior Geyser is
the Grand Prlsmatic Spring, tie hand
soonest Of all the Park Springs. 1t meas.
ures $50 by go feet. and its name was
given by DR.. Haydens party in 1871.
over the central pit or fowl, which is
| constantly boiling and sending up vast
columns OF steam, tho color is a deep blue,
which fades into green towards the edge.
Tue surrounding, shallower basin has
yellow tint, fading into orange and ont
side the rim is brilliant red deposit.
This fades into puppies, browns and
grays, the whole being on the gray-white
ground of the deposit. There are several
other remarkably beautiful springs in the
vicinity. including the turquoise, deep,
blue-tinted square spring at a lower level
than the Prismatic.