Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-15

tiful P1ismatic lake which, when we
looked into its depths, there seemed to
be tongues of fire shooting through. Tur-
quoise Pool was admired by all. The ex-
tinct crater of Excelsior Geyser, now
known as Hells Half Acre, filled us with
horror, wonder and awe. While the Ex-
celsior Is no longer in eruption it con-
stantly empties a large volume of water
into the river below. We reached the
Upper Geyser Basin at 6 o'clock and
after supper visited many Of the geysers
near OUT camp. This is the largest
gevser basin in the park. We were sur
rounded by boiling and steaming pools
and springs wherever we went. We saw
very much the same here as we had seen
in the other geyser basins only every
amp here was in sight of Old Faithful,
the Grotto, Splendid and Daisy geysers.
Aside from these we also saw the Giant,
Mortar, Fan, Riverside and Bee live
geysers play. The next day Saturday
was also spent in this basin. 1t would
be folly to try to name the number of
sights seen this day. So l will just tell
you we saw all there was to see. Many
times during the night we were awaken
ed by the earth trembling and the awful
rumblins CT some geyser in eruption.
The air is heavy with sulphurous fumes
and there Is no vegetable life whatever.
We spent two nights and a day at this
camp. At 1880 Sunday morning we left
for Yellowstone Lake That morning we
crossed the Continental Divide twice.
The road goes around a loop n at
times it was hard to tell in which direc-
ton we We're travelling. After crossing
the Madison or Firehole river we took
a side trip of about a mile to the Lon
star Geyser. We had but a few minutes
wait to see this geyser play. 1t is one
of the prettiest in the park. The rest
of our mornings ride was +uneventful. 1t
is on his drive that we went down
Cork Screw hill. One can judge from
the name wha kind OF road it was. TO
my notion this was the greatest forest
through which we passed. There were
all about us heavily clothed
in pine trees. Sometimes we looked up
at the mountains, sometimes we looked
dow at them, n sometimes we saw
them all about us. Just before we
REACHED the West Thumb lunch station
we caught the first glimpse of Yellow
stone lake. 1t looked SO quiet and peace
full nesting there in that awful wilder
ness among the pine clad mountains.
We had lunlch Immediately upon our
arrival at the station. At this place we
met two gentlemen who were making
a tour of the park with a camp outfit.
They proved to be friends of one of the
young ladies of our party and musicians
as we'll. They had their instruments.
guitar and mandolin, with them and we
enjoyed a real treat. Here WI saw more
~ ol1o AuAAAJ |'AA
Ing pools. After viewing these things
went aboard the steamer Elijah, ac-
tconmpanied by our musical friends. How
I did enjoy that trip across the lake:
1t was the largest body of water I had
ever seen within my recollection. Such a
beautiful sheet Of water, with the waves
dancing and sparkling in tn sunlight.
This is the highest lake in the world on
which there is a steamboat. 1t is 100 feet
above sea level and is from two to three
hundred feet deep in most places. al
though just east of Stevenson island tho
bottom could not be struck at fifteen
hundred feet. 1t is about 80 miles long
and 20 miles wide. The steamer Zillah
is a pretty little boa owned and oper.
, ated by Col. Waters, the portly, silver
Haired, jolly captain. He has been in
the. park for the past "A years. The day
we crossed there were 43 passengers on
board. The weather was fair and sunny
when we started and continued so until
just before we landed at Dot Island.
where we were DESTROYS Of taking some
pictures of the deer, elk and buffalo that
are kept there. However. when we
reached the island it was dark and
cloudy and %sprinkled some We took a
few pictures in sheer disgust. got aboard
the steamer and sailed for the lake out
let. Before we arrived at our destina-
ton we experienced a thunder storm
and were caught in a. heavy rain. All
this only seemed to d to the already
move trip. We We're two hours and 30
minutes making the trip OF Is miles. ar
irving at the outlet at 4 in the after
noon. At this place the Wylie camps
are most picturesquely situated on a
. little hill about 100 yards from the la
shore. The remainder of the day was
spent fishing, with h success do not
leave the fishermen to tell. After supper
Mountain Nine" a complimentary ex-
cursion on the lake, allowing us to in
wife whom we liked. We succeeded
without any trouble in getting a jolly
crowd together. Among our new friends
| were two musicians n with the two
that accompanied US from the, West
| Thumb we had some excellent music and
mot a song in the old catalogue was for
| gotten. We spent two very pleasant
| hours the guests Of Col. Waters. for
whom we gave three rousing cneers De,
| fore we landed. We were then invited
to the ~colonels house. where we had an
enjoyable hour. h next forenoon we
took a side trip to Natural Bridge.
After dinner we again o the coach
that had been driven around the lake,
route we crossed Hayden valley and
| visited the Mammoth Mud Geyser. This
geyser is positively the o terrible
thing in the park. 1t fills one with ter
ror while yet it ~rascinates. The crater
is funnel shaped and some 30 feet below
| the top OIL Cue OQCuI1A6 AS AoA O
mud and water boils furiously. We also
saw Sulphur Mountain. At the base OF
I this *mountain Is Sulphur Spring OF
geyser as 1t might be called for 1t boik
furiously and at intervals the water
spouts several feet in the air. The for
nation around this spring seems to. be
pure sulphur and the water Is OF tn
same yellowish color We arrived at TIT
CANYON camps aIbou 5 o'clock that even
ing and spent the rest Of the day wan
dering about the falls, the camp BEING
located between the upper and lowei
falls. The next morning accompanied
by a faithful guide, Tom Richardson, WI
crossed h Yellowstone In a row boa
above the upper falls and proceeded Owe
mountains and cliffs viewing the Crane
Canyon. We had k u lunch aiont
and before going down the cliff leadtnt
i to- Richardson point we made coffee ant
had lunch. We then, each one supplied
4 with Alpine sticks. started down tn,
4 canyon. We went down between six ane
1 seven hundred feet on ropes and ladders
! passing the point until we reached tn
4 river below. I will not try to tell YOU
u hou tho falls falling some 80 feet owe