The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-20

that the outflow continues more OF less
steadily, until suddenly, in less than one
minute, the tremendous forces ceased
their work and the pool, which was IN
sueh-a prodigiUus turmoil, was as calm
as before; not even ripple hiding the
depth from the eye. Close by are sever
al small, steadily playing jets, throwing
to a height of three to five feet, and
number of good sized pools; one OF
which is utilized by the hotel as It's hot
water boiler, the hot mineral water run
ming through = pipe direct to the hotel
bathrooms. About two hundred feet
away is the Giant Paint Pot, bowl
shapcd depression about twenty feet in
diameter with mud walls three or four
feet in height. The whole surface of
this pool was lead cOlored boiling mud,
little chunks of the plastic material being
thrown up constantly all over the pool to
a height of from one to six feet, Some
of these sputs were constantly assuming
the appearance of Gala lily cups which
disappeared almost as soon as formed,
others n little nest with an egg i'll it; 1t
was hard to drag oneself away from this
spot with its constantly changing APP
pearance. In every direction about the
hotel are hot pools and springs, and jets
of steam are constantly arising at many
points in the surrounding forest. | took
a tramp of six or seven miles through the
woods back of the hotel and along the
hills, during which l saw more than 100
pools and geysers that are seen by few
tourists, for it is long hard walk, and
they are far from roads or even paths,
and il is not safe to ride or drive among
them. One of them had built up great
irregular white cone dozen feet high,
nothing but steam was issuing from the
vent 50 climbed to the top and looked
down one of natures escape pipes, but
after listening moment to the loud roar
ing in the depths, | scrambled down, 1 "
| could not tell what instant the out
break would come. l started straight
across the plain toward tins geyser, 1t
was only few hund led feet away, but l
soon found that stream Of water Gu
pied that whole plain; it spread out like
a fan from where it started, a perfect
tangle of little water courses, and
found afterward that was its name, Tan
gled Creek" To reach that geyser l
must have travelled more than a mile be-
fore | got around that miserable creek,
no one could cross that plain, it was a
regular quicksaud, l never before saw a
creek like it. The source Of this stream
l found later in pool the size of a
small pond, in the centre of which was a
geyser playing steadily to heighth uf
ten feet or so; it would richly adorn
some eastern park, if only the Govern
meut would allow it to be moved. One
little valley running back into the hills
was filed with hot pools of all sorts and
kinds. and beautiful sight it was to see
how they varied in color and the many
oueer shapes assumed. Two little spout
ers close together were very amusing;
about foot apart, each had basin fully
as large as a fve-cent piece, and they
spouted every few seconds, with little
gasp whole drop of water One deep,
dark pool had far down in its depths
what looked exactly like a jet of flame a
foot long constantly burning; this gives
the name to Fire Hole Creek, a name fa-
nous in the annals of Indian wars.
number of the visitors went out at sun
set to see the bears il they came, as they
do frequently, for slight lunch on the
scraps from the hotel table. Bruln and
family were so very unmannerly as to fail
to keep the appointment; but we found a
large number of mosquitoes also look
ing or the bears, who at once proceeded
to solace themselves for their disappoint
ment at not seeing them, with oul
hearts blood. The next day ride was to
the Upper Geyser Basin and back, this
is made necessary from the fact that the
old hotel there is so very inhammable
the Government will not allow any tour
lists t) remain in it over night, so 1T is
used only as lunch station. AS the
building has but very light frame OF
wood. not plastered within, but simply
lined with tarred paper, the prohibition
was right, for if fire should occur a
night while the house was filed witt
sleeping guests, some OF them would al
most surely be burned to death. AS tits
the best site in the park for a MOTEL
nearly all the large geysers being in this
basin. it is great deprivation to tour
lists not to be able to stay there owe
night reducing as it does very largely
their chances for seeing the geyser.
which play at comparatively long inter
walls. During his visit to the park thu
latter part of July, Secretary Hok'
Smith was urged to allow the building a
that place of large hotel; this permits
sion was refused by Noble the formel
secretary 1t also necessitates goinl
twice unnecessarily over the twelve
miles between the Fountain hotel anC
the upper basin and lengthens thu
next DAYS drive, already the longest anC
hardest of the whole trip, making it l:
miles longer than it should be. Thu
road lay across the old lake bed to Fir
Hole Creek, clear, rapid and wild
stream which had to be forded as TIN
rather long bridge required to pass thi
stream has not yet been begun. In
short time we halted at 'HelPs Hal
Acre" rightly named for the large space
many acres in extent, is the picture o
the Internal regions, Dante is my au
thority), and the clouds of steam arising
from the numerous pools almost hide
the place from view. Formerly TIL
stages drove across the volcanic plail
and turned into the road some distanc
from where they left 1t; the road follow
the base of the hills where the ground i
solid. Not long before our visit hors
attached to stage broke through tn
crust which covers the place, the Who'll
plain as one walks over it gives back
hollow, uncanny sound. The anima
was rescued, but that put an end t
driving over the plain, for the militar
at once stretched barbed wire across tn
places of ingress and egress, and put u
the danger sign. The main pool wa
very large and so hot that clouds O
steam were constantly arising; this wa
the abode of the greatest geyser in tn
park, the Excelsior" which is said t
have period of three years; this i'm
agine is exaggerated, but it lisa long tim
between spurts. 1t is said that the poe
fills up very gradually, and when full
look out for an outburst, 300 feet in tb