The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-21
CASTLE GEYSER.

reach Grotto geyser, close by the road
side. which Is playing from various
cave-like openings an immense vol
ume of steam and water thirty feet
high. which continues a half-hour. Its
eruptlons occur four times daily. Here
surprise awaited us. As Grotto sub
sided our attention was called by our
guide. Scott, to Old Buster, as Giant
geyser was called, located about five
hundred feet to our right, who was
sending up a stream $50 feet skywards
straight as an arrow while in the fore
ground was Splendid. and across the
river Beehive and Old Faithful, half
mile distant. Were all in action. Their
rumblings. groans and eruptions could
be distinctly seen and heard. The i'm
agination can hardly picture scene
like this: five geysers in action at one
ana the same time. II ever there was q
place on earth where the powers of the
aubterranean worlds have chance to
give full play to the forces that are at
work there and show forth their tre-
mendOus power. 1t Is right here in
Upper Geyser Basin
CLUSTERED MARVELs.
A word about this basin. This is the
play ground or geysers. Large and small
orhanging above; the earth trembles
and Is filled with strange rumblings:
the air is heavy with sulphurus fumes,
and vegetable life Is extinct. 1t Is trian-
gular In form and embraces an area of
four square miles. Here are 44O hot
springs and twenty-six active geysers
Ten or these are the largest ever dis
covered, "beside of which those Of
Iceland are trifling."
Professor Charles II. Whitwell, of
Wales, once said: Nowhere else, I
believe, can be seen on so grand scale.
such clear evidence of dying volcanic
action Lord Dunraven says that a
View of Firehold valley gave him the
impression that some modern cities had
been overwhelmed and had so lately
sunk amid flames into the bowels OF
the earth, that the smoke Of their ruins
was still ascending through heaps of
smouldering ashes. Mr. o. d. Wheel
er says: 1.-THE trumpeting of these
subterranean monsters bring to mind a
herd of mammoth elephants, deep with
IN pool. spouting water and emitting
grunts OF JOY and satisfaction" Dr. II.
NJ. Field says: Here the Under World
Is all alive. The hammer of Vulcan Is
ever ringing in the cavern in which he
| forges his thunderbolts. and II it be
| not fire and smoke that issue from the
| earth, there is a constant letting off
of steam, with a throwing up of great
columns, like water spouts in the
ocean. the signs and proofs of the tre-
| mendous forces that are working far
down In this terrestrial sphere"
TROUT IN HOT WATER.
Our attention was called to the fact,
that most of these powerful geysers are
close to the river, and on both banks
save "Old Faithful" which has COM
manding position at the southern ey-
tremity OF the Park--with numerous
foot-bridges affording access from side
to side SO much hot water Is elected
from these subterranean ventholes that
the Firehold river is always Of a high
temperature. and yet delicious trout are
caught in these warm waters. We are
now In the midst of these eruptive won
! ders. and are prepared for most any
surprise that awaits the tourist. These
sights carry us back to our boyhood
days. when rival fire engines in their
trials of power were the delight of
the small boy A quarter of a mile
drive brings us to our hotel, or lunch
station, which Is SO located as to COM
mand view of the basin and the tour
ist can sit on the shaded porch and take
In the whole panoramic display
1t is amusing to watch the visitors as
the stages reach here, in particular If
several geysers are playing at the same
time or in quick succession, as they are
quite likely to be confused. They jump
out of their vehicles and rush in all