The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-29

and fifty feet above the general level OF
the locality. 1t was the summit of this
that we were to reach after very pleas
ant drive by cirouitous road around to
the rear Of the cliff The whole region
which We were about to explore is col.
lection of springs of hot water or of the
stone enclosures which formerly held the
hot springs whose vitality is extinct.
Each spring is pool of water, boiling
hot. ana bubbling more or less furiously.
AS soon as the waters of spring flow
out the deposit of vegetable matter, i'm
pregnared with mineral, begins to form
a curb around the diameter of the open
ing of the spring over (which the water
flows and gradually forms curb around
the spring, which is constantly boiling
and flowing over the sides, creating
finally fluted and corrugated enclosures
of peculiar beauties of form, which en-
close also subsidiary pools. The
chemical constituents of the water give
these white terraces great variety of
lovely color, from highest cream to deep
est orange. AS soon as the internal com
motion which has created the spring oeas-
es, the construction which it has formed
turns to whitish gray-a deadly pallor
as it were, which shows that life has
ceased. The many springs about here
have built up terraces of different shapes
and extent. Minerva terrace covers an
area of three-fourths of an acre. Jupiter
terrace is collection of architectural
grace and bauty five acres in extent.
Near by is the narrow gauge terrace, a
assure ridge three hundred feet long
which has half dozen merrily boiling
springs, some Of which splutter to height
that almost gives them the rank of minia-
ture geysers. 1t
IS "A TYPICAL
instance of the strange commotion con-
stantly az work underground here that
this ridge was not in existence two years
ago, while meantime other springs that
were once lively are now cold and still.
This constant transition from life to
death, followed sometimes by renewed
life, accompanied always by breakings
out of activity before unknown, was we'll
characterized by a visitor there who
wrote. "That which has teen and is not !;
that which is, and a year shence may not
be, and that which now is not, but soon
may be, are ourlously related here. Birth
life, and death are strongly emphasized in
the newly formed, the living and the
dead springs seen on every hand" While
M5nerva Jupttar p,,lrit oDd othor ton
races are radient with the boiling waters
trickling over their sides, gray mounds
all around them tell of energy long since
ceased ). and at the entrance to all these
wonders, as if it we're sentinel snow
whit, and turned to stone at the post of
duty, is Liberty Cap, pyramid over
fifty feet high through whose form once
welted the boiling waters. Indeed, so
full of pent up energy is the ground for
acres about hero that one never knows
where it is safa to walk, for fear of
breaking through tho crust and being
scalded by the hot waters underneath.
Some years ago resident was surprised
one morning to find pair of antlers pro-
jecting as If growing out of the ground.
Investigation showed that an elk had
broken through the snow of the previous
winter and had become suspended by his
antlers over cave which had formerly
been hot spring, the conoealing crust
of which he had penetrated. This GAYS
was explored and sounded to depth of
more than hundred feet.
hTAA6MnruI nom CnD
is gate way to all the other glories of
the Park. Its notable popularity is it's
collection of hot springs, not equalled
elsewhere in the journeys of the other
days spent herenbouts. 1t is the head
quarters of the administrative manage
ment of the Park. A series Of remarka-
bly, we'll kept hotels, which have been es-
tablished at places convenient for the
tourists are under general management
at this point, where are also the stables
and horses for the immense transporta-
tion business which Is probably m
equallad elsewhere In the country. and
which preserves in splendid fashion the
old traditions Of the stage-ooach.s The
stages from the railroad at Cinnabar are
carried by fine six horse teams, while
those from this point into the Park con-
sist of variety of substantial comfort
able vehicles drawn by two and four
horse teams. So fine looking are these
horses that one is surprised to learn that
the whole collection of three hundred
horses is turned loose every fall to shift
for itself through the SHOWS of the suc-
ceding winter. So nutritious is the bunch
grass found here that when the horses
are rounded up in the spring they are
found to have kept themselves In perfect
condition, though the snow may have
covered the ground to depth of two feet
or more. AS cattle cannot successfully
paw through more than six inches of
snow they would inevitably perish had
they not learned to follow the horses and
feed In their track.
To those who are fond Of wild flowers
a stroll around the Hot Springs gives
foretaste of hours filed with delight at
the luxuriance of nature. The tables at
the hotels are adorned with magnificent