Telegram-herald., 1889-09-30
oEYsERs SPOUT TO ORDER.
The Mishap TO Chinese LAund ~ man
Turned to- Account by the "GuArds.'

The Mishap to q Chinese LAundryman
Turned to- Account by the Guards"
Early one morning. a few years ago, a
Chinese laundryman pitched his tent close be-
side one OF the geysers in the Yellowstone
National park. and supplied himself with hot
water from the spring. thus saving himself
the trouble of setting up boiler and build
ing fire. During the day no accidentally
dropped bar OF soap into the steasning gey-
ser, and in few minutes there was a rum
bling, a roar, an outburs. OF steam and
water, and the tent and the Chinaman were
literally blown up" The scaded Celestial
did not stop running until he reached the ho-
tel, and he was then too thoroughly fright
ened for utterance. Since then it mas been
almost impossible 10 induce a Chinaman 10
remain in the vicinity OF the geyserS
But the accidental discovery that a geyser
could be provoked into spouting out of its
time has been turned 10 account by some Of
the guides and soldiers in the park, and the
result is that some Of the wonderful springs
have become very irregular in their action,
and there is a possibility that they VIII cease
TO spout altogether.
There are seventeen large geysers in the
upper basin, and some Of them at regular in
tervals send up streams Of water from ten 20
thirty feet III circumference 10 a height Of
$50 and 200 feet. AS tourists rarely remain
at this spot more than twenty-four hours,
they, OF course, want 10 see one Of the large
geysers play Unless they arrive on the op-
perfume days, the only geyser they are likely
10 see is 'Old Faithful" which spouts every
sixty-five minutes But TO see the other gey-
sers spout is the event of the trip, and in this
matter the assistance Of the soldier who is
placed on guard TO prevent tourists from de-
spelling public property is requested.
AT every point of interest the tourist finds
a soldier watching his footsteps. Th. espion-
age is 10 prevent vandals and ''craskS" from
scrawling their names on the rocks, and 10
stop the relic fends from defacing the beauti
ful rock foundations that surround the gey-
sers But these fellows have learned about
the accident which befell the Chinaman and
his field laundry, and many Of them will un-
dertake 70 make a geyser spout, even If IL be
not its exhibition day
The initiated tourist hands 10 one OF these
guardians a Eve dollar note. The soldier
slices bar Of soap into thin pieces, wraps the
mass in sheet OF paper, and, while walking
around the geyser 70 see that no one defaces
the rocks, throws the paper Of Clipped soap
into the steaning spring. Then be retires,
and he and the tourist await developments
In from half an hour TO an hour the spring
begins 10 spout, its action being forced by the
chemicals in the soap.
Soaping the geysers makes them irregular,
and finally they become extinct Tbs Bee
Hive ceased playing ON account Of the soap
ing process. 1t was a very fine geyser and
the irruptions were grand. The virtue Of
soap was again tried, and with success. Just
as the sporting began | saw two tourists and
q soldier emerge from behind some trees a
short distance away and run TO a point as
near the geyser as they dared 60 This spont-
ing was a surprise TO all save the initiated,
especially as there is little indicator" gey-
ser near by that spouts rs q warning that :he
larger one is about 70 play. AS the visitors
did not also treat the little geyser 10 soap it
did not play.
The forcing Of the water 70 the surface by
chemical means before the periods fixed by
nature destroys the regular fov The vol
une Of water thrown out becomes smaller,
and the grandeur Of the spectacle is dimin-
ishing. Finally the natural forces which
create the spectacle become disorganized.
and the geyseT ceases 70 be a geyser. Thus
one Of the greatest attractions Of the Yellow
stone park IS In danger OF extinction ~.
". 81 Ii New York Star