The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-28
The Two WOnderlands.

Inc southern w OD0erlanu Is S1Uu-
ated in New Zealand, where the late
tremendous commissions have occurred.
The Northern Wonderland is our own
Yellowstone National Park. The like
ness between these far separated re-
gions consists chiefly in the survival, at
both places, of volcanic and geyserite
activities of variety and extent to be
found nowhere else on the globe. 1t
has been believed by most modern
biologists that the remarkable phe-
nomena referred to are only, so to
speak, the dying efforts of natural
forces which in geologically recent
times produced the most prodigious
physical changes. The recent cat
aclysmal outbreak in New Zealand seems
to indicate that the decline of power in
these natural forces may be prematurely
assumed; or that there still remains
enough deep-seated heat to create pro-
found disturbances if sudden chemical
processes are set up, as by the irrup-
ton of great body of cold water. The
resemblance in the phenomena of the
Southern and Northern Wonderlands
naturally suggests the inquiry whether
any such convulsion as New Zealand
recently experienced is liable to occur
in the Yellowstone Park. The pre-
sumption is against such contingency.
Although the National Park abounds
with palpable evidences of the activity
of volcanic forces, the general formation
of the region does not support the view
that they are very formidable or extern
sive. Time was when the highest
peaks of the Yellowstone Valley were
under water. Later enormous icebergs
floated in the deep basin, carrying their
deposits to trace them by subsequently.
Glaciers eroded the hills and scooped
out the gorges. During the high-water
period subaqueous volcanoes formed
assures in the bottom masses of igne-
GUS rocks. Upon them sedimentary
deposits were superposed. When the
waters drained off the volcanic and gey-
serite activity continued, and perhaps
for time increased In the Yellow
dreds of feet in height which have been
formed entirely by geyserite deposits.
These may indicate the age of the hot
springs, or they may show that their
activity was formerly much greater
than now. There is, however, abund-
ant evidence of the presence of numer-
Gus thicknesses of trachytic and gran
itic rocks in the immediate vicinity of
the greatest volcanic activity, and the
presumption must be that for the most
part the origin of the latter is deep
seated. No doubt if any considerable
body of water could make its way to
the central seat of the fires a great
disturbance of the surface would be
liable to result, but as there is no large
body of water in the neighborhood
yellowstone Lake not answering to
that description), the probability of
such an occurrence may be thought
small. The fact that the National Park
embraces the greatest water-divide on
the continent, including the sources of
the Missouri on the one hand and those
of the Columbia on the other, lends
additional interest to speculations of
this kind. We may amuse ourselves
by wondering what effect, if any, upon
these great rivers or their tributaries,
such shaking up of the Yellowstone
Basin as the North Island of New
Zealand has recently sustained would,
could or might produce. Of course
the probability was that nothing of the
kind would take place in New Zealand.
Though the same theory of declining
forces was applied to the evidence OF
volcanic activity, the proximity of the
sea on either hand furnished an ele-
ment of danger which does not exist
in the National Park. Still the obvi-
GUS connection between geyserite action
and surface water, whether streams or
lakes, is so direct that, considering how
much surface water there is in the Vel
lowstone Park, it may be thought thai
the materials for very pretty disturb
ance exist there. Judging from the
past, however, the prevailing geological
conclusion may be trusted and thu
traveller may visit the Northern Won
derland and see there ten Thousand
geysers and hot and mud springs, ant
the most eXquisitely beautiful calcareou
and silicious deposits, and the mos
inconceivable vagaries of nature il
the line of geological formations, with
out troubling himself about the bare
chance that the subterranean forces al
work may develop fresh energy on ;
sudden, and emulate New Zealand by
another emission of igneous rocks ant