Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-04-30
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.
ABSTRACT OF LECTURE DELIVERED BEFoRE
THE STUDENTS OF LELAND AND GRAY sEMIN
AIRY, TowNsHEND, BY HON. LEVI STOCK
BRIDGE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

THE STUDENTS OF LELAND AND GRAY sEMIN
AIRY rowNsHEND BY HON. LEVI STOCK
BRIDGE OF MASSACHUSETTS
Contributed bya young lady pupil
The national park is about 2, 900 miles west
Of the Atlantic ocean II is OF about the
same extent as Rhode Island, and the climate
similar to that OF Rhode Island. The days
are very warm in summer and cold at night.
Juniper, cedar and balsam trees are found on
the mountains. The plateaus are covered
with sagebush. Game il abundant, especial
ly small game. The lakes aud rivers are full
Of fish The land cannot be cultivated and
the soil products are Of little value. The
best thing that the government could do was
to make 1t park. It is under the control Of
the Department Of the Interior. No game
can be killed except bears on q penalty of
500 fiue. No specimens can be taken. The
park is taken from the most inaccessible parts
of Idaho Montana and Wyoming. branch
railroad of the Northern Pacific has been
completed to Oinnebar, eight miles from the
park But TO go there is no kid.glove expe.
diton. Ladies and gentlemen who are fas-
tidous az to lodging had better go to New
port or Saratoga A party OF 20 started up
on a Raymond excursion the 9th Of August,
1885, aud reached the Hot Springs at the en-
trance to the park Sept. l0th, in the midst Of
furious storm of rain and sleet. The next
morning the mountains were covered with
snow aud the day was cold and gusty. But
severe a. the weather wa', the party started in
mountain wagons aud made 40 miles before
night. Twelve miles from the Hot Springs
the famous Obsidian cliff was passed. II is
about 200 feet high and four or five miles
long A road has been made at the foot of
the clif. Tue rock il 80 hard that IL cannot
be blasted. The only way to break IL Is TO
pile timber against it and burn it, and while
bu ia bpt tbVou Tar m II Wban ii
will break like glass Dinner was taken at
| a tent which served al a hotel. There are no
valleys in the park, but basins, and the riv
ers ruu in canyons Along its rivers are
found cottonwood trees and juniper, but
| back on the mountains evergreen trees, most
| ly OF pine, standing very closely together.
| The trees are about ten inches in diameter at
the base. Roads made by cutting away
the trees for not even a mule can pass be-
tween the pines. The streams had to be
forded aud some Of them were quite deep.
But the government is busy making roads
aud other improvements Get a copy of
Hayden's survey If you can and read it.
II is said the Yellowstone region is volcanic; ;
il so, the action ceased ages ago. There is
| no sign of crater, ecori@ or lava. All
has been obliterated by the great ice sheet
which swept down from the north ages ago
The atmosphere is like that of the Rockies
everywhere, so clear that mountains long
| distance off seem very near Looking
down from the top of the Madison range in
to the ba sin it looks as il a thriving manufsc-
turing village was there. This is caused by
the Jets of steam from the hot springs. The
chief wonders found here are the hot springs,
the geysers and the Yellowstone canyon and
falls. Iu % hot springs the water is hot it
actually bois. 1t is 30 clear that one can see
into it to great depth The water contains
lime, magnesia and soda, about 60 1000 OF
one per cent. This is enough to form copi-
GUS deposits, and rim is built up around the
springs sometimes 40 feet high. There are
about 2OOO Of all sizrs. As you look down
into the throat of a spring you behold won
derful sight. The water is of all colors, taken
from the surrounding objects. The SPRING
cease to flow because the throat gradually
fills up. There are two which are built up
like Jug. The throat is large enough for
person to 60 down into the spring TO depth
Of 40 feet. There are great many mud ba
sins and paint pots. These are springs go
ing, out and after while they dry up Paint
of every conceivable color can be found
there Hells Half Acre is an immense pain
pot 10 far gone out that it does not boil, bu
Jets OF steam are thrown up which are 81
| full Of sulphur fumes that a person canno
live near it. Prism Lake is another one o
the paint pots. From q distance 1t look
level, but really has a gentle slope. Wate
of different colors flows down this slope an'
forms bands of every color Of the rainbow
There are many geysers, about 10 large ones
, all have nance, as Grand, Old Faithful, Lion
Lioness, Giant, Giantess, Old Hopeful
| Young Hopeful, Fan, Turban and Indicator
, | None Of these are connected except the Ind
, Gator, Grand and one other The Minut
Man spouts once q minute. Old Faith
full spouts once an hour. The cone of Oh
4 Faithful is 20 feet high and is built up i
= | terraces The crater is 25 feet across and
circular. The eruptions are by pulsations
The water is thrown as high as $50 feet an
the steam rises POO feet above the watei
- The eruption lasts five minutes. O.d Gran
b. spouts every day at eleven o'clock. The WI
ter lifts about six feet and then falls back
again it lifts, and then stream OF water q
large as a barrel is thrown up as high as 20
: feet and tue steam rises 400 feet above tina
1t continues throwing five minutes and the
falls back and goes down out of sight. The
;, 1t spouts again for five minutes. 1t has ~
= such eruptions. There are three geyser b.
;, sins the Norris, Upper and Middle.
= The Yellowstone river flows through
= canyon. The banks are about 1900 feet higl
. They are caused by the river wearing dow
y the rocks. The banks are composed of san'
:, stone and limestone. The limestone h
!, been worn away and left the sandstone stan
y ing out from the other. On one Of the
- lodges an eagle had built her n st. 1t vi
600 feet below the rocks above and 600 fe
above the rock below Nothing could touC
her.
, Mr. S:ockbridge spoke for about two hour
al d the crowd that gathered about him aft
es the lecture to see the specimens brought fro
;" the park proved their appreciation OF the
q. int.llartnal treat Lou