The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-25
THE MORNING NEWS. SUNDAY, JULY 25, 1897
YELLOWSTONE WONDERS.
THE BEAUTIFUL AND MYSTERIOUS
HOT SPRINGS.


Nature.
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
Park, Wyo., July 2o.-The Mammoth Hot
Springs are one OF the most interesting
and wonderful sights to be seen in the
park. They are located near the Nam
moth Hot Springs hotel. near the Northern
Pacific railroad entrance to the park, in
small valley fully 1000 feet higher than
the Gardner river, into which their flow
is discharged These remarkable terrace
building springs are formed by the mate
rial deposited by them, which is mainly
cacareous, taken up by the hot water as
II finds its way to the surface through
deep lying cretaceous substance. The
springs are on a hillside, the water issu-
ing at various elevations on the terrace
from many vents. The basins or pools
are formed by the pulsating waves, which
overflow the upper basins into the lower
ones, depos!ting thin. corrugated layers of
substance held in solution. While the
deposit is moderately hard when wet, it
becomes soft as II dries BY this slow but
| ceaseless operation OF the springs ter
race after terrace of scolloped, limpid
pools and basins OF hot water of various
size, form and temperature have been
built.
The ascent from the lower spring to the
main terrace is not difficult, but the way is
threaded through maze of rills of hot
water, over the low, scolloped rims of lin
pid, steaming pools Proximity, not dis
lance, lends enchantment to the view
from this elevated position, which is be-
wldcrng in its mngnifcence. The bril-
liancy and variety of the coloring matter
about the pools, as well as the delicacV
and beauty of the formations, are indies
cribably wonderful Some of these ter
races are eight or ten feet high and sever
al yards in width, while others are mere
lodges. being but an inch or two deep. on
each OF these levels the water collects in
a long tier of nearly semi-circlng basins.
They are of different diameters, lying close
together. 1t Is an imposing front the
higher terraces present and the contour
of their scolloped margins suggest frozen
water falls. over the rims of the basins on
the topmost level the water gently pours
until il finds Its way into the reservoirs
next below. This process is repeated until
the bottom of the Hill is reached, where
by several channels TO the Gardner river.
The deposits which result from evapora-
ton a the margin of each basin are ex
quisite in both form and color A deli
cate frost work fretts the rims and the
outside of each bowl is beautifully adorn-
ed with honeycOmb pattern. The spaces
between the curves are often filled with
glistening stalactites The coatings of
the sides of the basins and pools takes on
every delicate and vivid tint For some
reason yet unexplained a rich cream and
salmon color predominant; but these
deepen near the edges into brilliant
shades Of red. brown. green and yellow.
When the sun shines upon this spectacle
it IS a most wonderful sight, and one
never to be forgotten. Its beauty is so
great as to make il necessary to be seen
to be appreciated.
Many of these springs have two centers
of ebullition, a which the water is about
at a boiling point Around the hottest
pools, in many cases. there are strung
along the rim, like beads on a necklace,
a row of nodules as large as hazel nuts
and as hard as steel. The seething of
the water up from the cavernous threats
of the pools and their play as they un.
dulate in miniature waves, is wonderful.
The rays of light are reflected by the agi-
taton upon the surface, and are resolved
into all the colors of the prism. Another
curious feature OF all the cooler rills
which flow from the boiling springs, are
the hot water vegetation. Yellow, green,
red, whi@ and brown confervae Is found
In abundance. and is covered with sui
phur. which stream In long threads Of
silken texture through the gullies Cleo
patra spring rs the most beautiful one in
the basin. IL is situated on a mound Of
deposit forty feet high, and covers three-
quaeters of an acre. IL is described by DR..
Peals as follows:
The spring has light blue tinted water
in white basin, with light yellowsh red
edges. \ large fiat basin surrounds the
spring At the east end are basins lined
with reddish tufted material. The great
est overflow escapes at the west end, and
the basins here are frnged with staiac-
title masses. The basin at the edge of
which these stalactites are most promi.
nent is eight feet high Below II the water
flows over an incline, at the base of which
are handsome white, red and yellow ba-
! sins. The whole front of the mass is lin
cd with these basins, and on the west
side, where the overflow was In 1871 they
are snowy white. The amount OF water
Is very small in comparison with the
amount OF deposit. II sinks out OF sight
at the base of the mass. This spring has
a temperature OF l54 degrees at the edge
As the water escapes, il flows over n lad
der that has been placed against the edge
for the purpose OF coating articles that
are hung upon II. The rate of deposition.
under favorable circumstances. is about
| one-sixteenth of an inch In four DAYS (g6
| hours. II is impossible to describe this
mass and the basins that compose II. In
words. The spring is twenty feet below
the terrace Immediately back Of Il "
These active springs are surrounded on
all sides, but at a great distance. all the
way from half a mile to a mile. by n,imer-
Gus deep pits. now overgrown with small
trees and In some places with ones that
arc az least 80 and 100 years old showing
the places which once were pools Below
these pits are 20 be seen the scolioped
rims or former basins. Here and there A.
Is possible 10 see the remains OF well
rounded geyscr CONES. These an 20 40
prove that this spot was. ages ago. the
chief center OF boiling springs In the Inn
mediate vicinity OF the hot springs tho
trees are very few, and n striking con.
trast IN size with the large ones growing
in the long since extinct springs This de-
post 81 sinter thrown up by the springs
has doomed TO destruction an the forest
growth that lies In LIS course Hundreds
OF trees on the slope OF the hin have been
banked around TO the depth OF several feet
by this sinter and its encroachmouts
steadily continue. This calcaroous deposit