The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-21
THE SCRANTON rRBUNE-sATuRDAY MORNING. a.

directions first to one geyser and then
10 another. Usually shouts and ex-
clamations are heard. arms are waved
and excitement runs high. The fat and
the lean 90 at full speed. little realiz-
Ing their elevation lone and half miles
vertically above sea level until Obliged
element scream and stamp with shouts
Of rapture, running about pell nell and
are beside themselves generally. Those
who attended the Worlds Fair and wit
messed the electric fountains in action
can have q faint conception OF what
we have seen on this days drive along
the beautiful Firehold river with these
giant natural fountains playing. as for
the amusement and entertainment of
US visitors to this Wonderland of
America"
VOLCANIC PANORAMA.
From the rustic veranda Of our lunch
cabin we count nearly a score of these
active geysers and hot springs. They
are Old Faithful. Castle. Beehive,
Giant, Giantess. Grotto. Grand. OBJ
long, New Crater Splendid. Comet.
Sawmiil, Lion. Lioness. etc. These, as
before stated. are scattered over the
surface Of the basin, but chiefly along
the river bank While all these are of
extreme interest to all visitors, Old
Faithful is the favorite, with Castle u
good second and the others in the Or
der above named.
Old Faithful Is rightly named. for he
can be depended upon to play every
sixty-five minutes, regular as clock
work. Even two minutes before an
explosion you pm climb up to his cra-
ter and look dbwn his gaping, boiling
throat with the assurance that he will
not spout until the warning signal IS
given, which Is simply the water boil
ing up in the cone to the brim. when
for a minute he gives some prelini-
nary splashes or spurts and then
shoots into the air In one single col
umn two feet In diameter for 150 feet,
where 1t remains stationary for about
three minutes and with repeated eX-
plosions for five minutes longer. Here
let me say, no one can look upon Old
Faithful In action for the first time
without emotion.
Old Faithful Is located about a thou
sand feet south from the hotel on a
mound of geyserite built up by depos-
its OF lime from its overflow. His base
Is $50 by 2l5 feet. the top 20 by SO feet,
the whole rising about twelve feet
above the level surroundings. His
crater has an oblong opening two by
six feet inside and four by eight feet
outside. His throat Is of a dark yellow
or rusty color. The formation Is COM
posed of several layers Of deposits,
like terraces. which are full of shallow
pools. The water In some of these
pools is clear as crystal. In others It IL
covered with crude petroleum.. The
a1U hnn ~ fV,l1 nd frat
ted as II strung with amber k2ads and
pearls, and their bottoms show deli
cate tints of rose white. saffron and
orange. This wonderful freak OF ma
ture gives it's exhibitions day and night
through rain or shine, in winter or
summer. and has for ages, without
money and without price.
Between the four eruptions that we
witnessed this day we inspected the
formation and secured fragments Of
the same and some Of it's boiling, scald-
Ing water. which was 200 degrees r..
besides photographs. as mementOes of
our visits. Old Faithful Is sometimes
degraded by being made q laundry Of
Garments placed in the crater when
quiet are elected thoroughly washed
when the eruption takes place. Gem
eral Sheridans men in 1889 found that
linen anu cOtton IaDrlcS We're urlnJur-
ed by the action of the water but
woolen clothes We're torn to shreds.
CASTLE GEYSER.
The Castle Gcyser" is at once recog-
nized as the most prominent object here
with respect to the size of Its cone; ev-
erything about 1t while giving it an air
Of consDicuousness. Indicates that 1t is
one of the Oldest active geysers in the
park. 1t well deserves it's name. for 1t
strongly resembles the ruin of an an
cient stronghold Its imposing bulk Is
composed of layer after layer of gey-
serite 100 feet In length by Is feet i'm
width. The broken condition of it's
cone renders possible an easy ascent to
its summit by u series of rough steps,
which we scaled, and found to be twen-
ty feet across. The opening at the top
Of the crater IL three feet in diameter
quite round, and Is lined with forma
tion of bright orange color. steam Is
always escaping from it and before
eruptions, which occur once in twenty
four or thirty hours, deafening sounds
are heard far down the throat of the
crater, fearful roaring like the ocean
which can be heard miles distant
Meanwhile. the ground trembles as
from an earthquake; then with great