St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-13

lined with active and extinct geysers. also
hot bubbling springs and others, which
remember Ia have seen before, but was sure
had been dead for many years. observed
that many Of these former quiet geysers
and dead springs had sprung into action
again. Could il be that these craters.
like the volcanoes of the world, remain idle
for a long period and then come TO life
again? Ii must DO so, for while many OF
the geysers in the park are evidently on
the decline, on the other hand, many old
fellows that have possibly been silent for
ages are renewing operations and going to
work again. This will be new feature OF
the park this coming season. Former
tourists will mark that many OF their old
friends have ceased 10 spout with their ac-
customed regularity. while Others which
they will remember gave no signs of life
have broken out into active eruption.
THE UPPER BASIN.
The upper basin Is at all times the most
attractive spot in the park. Here are
gathered the most remarkable collection of
geysers on the face of the earth. Winter
and summer. day and night, the world
famous Splendid. Castle Giant and Giant
ess, Beehive. Fan, Old Faithful. GrOttO,
Saw MIL Fountain, Comet, Spray. Pyra-
mid and hundreds of Others do their duty
without fail. Now, il must be remembered
that nearly ali of these geysers have
regular stated periods at which to come
into action. Some go of every hour or
less. Others i'm from two. three. four TO
five hours or more and then again nj inter-
walls of day or two. With one or two eX-
eeptions all the geysers in this basin spout
water that varies from moderately warm to
scalding hot Some guide books say that
the Fan geyser sends forth only hot water;
but the Times correspondent has stood neal
the Fan when in eruption and been deluged
with a shower of rs cold water as ever
gushed from mountain spring or rivulet.
The geySer must have been spOuting cold
water lately. for from the apex or cone was
built up most beautiful chimney of pure
ice. which had been created 10y the water
freezing as it gushed over the sides of the
crater.
On the opposite bank of the FirehOle
river is the Castle geySer, which, as | saw
it on this frosty morning, was spOuting
from its yellow-cOated throat a column of
water five feet thick and 100 feet high. ac-
companied by the most awful rumblings
and grOanings imaginable. The effect was
gorgeous. Millions of brilliants spangles
rejecting the suns rays fell back over the
chimney To the crater enciTcling that mag
d
OF great beauty. | have seen the Castle in
/ eruption in midsummer, but il certainly
never had i'm summer the grand. beautiful
| appearance that il possessed on this wintry
morning. caused by the stream OF hot water
and steam coming in contact with the cold
atmosphere OF the outer world.
YELLOWSTONE LAKE.
The road from the upper basin to Vel
] In la W. N a "A
] IL was simply a beaten trail over the snow,
made by hunters, Indians and the employees
/ of the park. l found Yellowstone lake
also frozen over. at least this was true of
the central parts of that body of water.
! The shores of this lake are lined with hot
springs. but the great body Of the lake it
self. even i'm midsummer, is deligtfully
| cool and contains great numbers OF large
sized trout. l have caught as fine speckleC
trout from this lake "a the North Ameri-
can continent can boast or but it may
not be generally known that they are
wOrmy and not fit 10 eat. The Indians
however, eat them, and appear to relisl
the fish. but as an Indian will eat anything
no matter what from a sick dog TO the pu
trid carcass of a decayed beef, their judg
ment in regard to the wOrmy Yellowstone
lake trout as an article of food should b,
taken with good many grains of allow
ance. The ice of the lake appeared To b.
solid enough, even a short distance from
the land but the hot springs seemed L
form, as il were. a complete circle of waite
around il, like the tire around n wheel
which kept the icy center detached from
the land.
THE FROZEN FALLS.
The grandest sight in the park is beyOn'
question the lower falls of the Yellowstone
/ have never seen but have frequently reaC
of the beautiful sight presented by the Fall
of Niagara in winter and of the wonderful
ice bridge formed at their base by the freez
ing the waters. but l cannot imagine how
Niagara can compare, even considering IL
tremendous volume of water. with tn
sublime Lower falls of the Yellowstone
river in midwinter. Here was the ic
bridge, too. or rather an ice mountain, whicl
rose to heighth almost equal to the de
scent of the falls. A feeling of aw
cTeeps over one upon beholding i'm thi
wilderness such deSOlate grandeur as can
not be seen elsewhere on earth. L stood Of
Lookout terrace a short distance belowfth
falls and saw a great sheet of water shoe
out from the land and with a mighty roa
plunge fully S95 feet into the abyss beneath
Nothing could freeze in the basin that re
ceiVed this deluge. for the force of the de
scending river must have broken anythn
that came in its way; but the spray tina
! shot far out beyond the solid stream frOz
, as it fell and formed the beautiful ie
bridge or ice mountain | have mentioned
! The walls of the great canyon of tn
Yellowstone certainly are the most awe
inspiring. majestic, sublimeSt spectacle o
, Gods earth.
Nowhere in the wonderful park nor elsC
where on the globe can there be found sue
! an extensive view OF a combination Of ST.
pendous natural scenery and gorgeOu
I cOlOTing. On this wintry day, far in ii
depths of the park, away from humanit
and alone with nature, cannot deScrit
the feeling that came over me. hurrie
! out of the canyon and after long. col
journey made my way back to MammOt
; Hot Springs and from thence to Cinnaba
! where ! am penning these lines. The
are few mountain buffalOes still left in Il
= park and great numbers of deer and ell
{ which are now being protected by savir
{ statutes rigidly enforced.
Z Black bear and grizzlies are also said
i be among the canyons and on the PAL
e mountains. but caught sight of no wi
animals on my trip, save the band of elk
u encountered soon after leaving the GibbC
u geyser basin.