Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-10-15
SOME ORLEANS co. PEOPLE IN TIE
YELLOWSTONE M TTONAL
PARK.
Mr.. Editor:

Passing on short distance the Mid
way Basin is reached. Here is located
Excelsior geyser. This is in reality {
water volcano; its crater $50 by 20(
feet and about thirty feet from the
brink to the vast seething caldron Of
boiling water, which when not in
eruption is all one sees. This geysel
has not been in eruption but -four
times in twenty two years; it's last
period of activity having been in 1888
Near this is located Prismatic lake,
resting in a self made cup $50 by 30O
feet in size, over the edges of which
the water dows in countless tiny
streams. Think of such lake of a
temperature of 145 degrees Fahren-
heit, its central portion deep blue,
shading to green, then to yellow, then
orange, each zone of color distinctly
marked, and each running through
the entire series of shades of that
particular color. Think of cloud of
steam hanging over this lake, reflect
ing the colors OF the surface beneath
and you have rainbow almost within
touch. Then think of the terrace
surrounding this spring shading from
red to purple, then brown, then gray
and finally clear white at the outer
edge of the formation where the water
does not flow. You have color, gone
mad, running riot, perfect debauch!!
Then turn few feet to the rim of
Turquoise spring and gaze into it's
tranquil depths, 100 feet in diameter,
the most exquisitely beautiful shade
of blue ever seen. Stand and let these
colors strike into your very soul and
you have a painting on the walls of
your memory the like of which Reu-
bens, and Raphael and Rembrant and
all the painters dead and living could
never produce; then think that this
is but the entrance to "Wonderland"
and pass on into our next camp at
Biscuit Basin two miles from the
Upper Basin. Go now with me to the
Upper Basin; as we pass the Mortar,
pause for five minutes and see this
dynamic wonder hurl column of
boiling water 80 feet high to be follow
ed by it's companion the Fan which
spreads it's two columns in an arc
having a maximum height of so feet.
Then pass on to the Riverside ant see
it throw an arch go feet across the
Firehole river; pass on to the Grotto,
with it's irregular and cave like crater
and see the Water dashed in all direc-
tions, fairly broken into fragments as
it is forced through the peculiar orr
fee; then the Oblong throws large
volume of water into the air and if we
inspect it's crater Immediately after
the eruption we may look down the
we'll many feet and see the globular
formation attached to it's walls.
Passing slight bend in the road we
shall find the cone of Castle geyser 80
feet high and nearly 100 feet in diam
eter, the largest cone, and for that
reason supposed to be the oldest gey-
ser in the Park. Near the cone, Castle
soon the water begins |
splashing over the top of Castle cone
and then with roar of steam straight |
into the air $50 feet, shoots stream |
of boiling water. The eruption from
this geyser lasts 80 minutes and the
volume of steam emitted was the |
largest of any that we saw. Across
the river from where we are standing |
we can see the Cascade, Spasmodic,
and other smaller geysers
throwing their sprays, columns,
streams and jets, but we must pass on,
Old Faithful is due to play and as we
drive up, with premonitory splash
ihe stream rises ten feet, subsidies,
another pulsation carries it twice that
height, another subsistence then with
l rush and roar a solid stream three
eet in diameter shoots vertically $50
eet high and stands rigid as marble
pillar, while the water carried to the
greatest height breaks into drops and
falls entirely surrounding the central
ct; from this as from a flagstaff
'treamers of steam unfurl and float in
he breeze. And thus for five minutes
his tremendous fountain pours forth
is 1900, 900 gallons of clear, boiling
water, then subsidies, and in sixty five
minutes the operation will be repeat
I'd. Never falling, Old Faithful never
Iisappoints the sight seer. You can
emain here as we did two days, and
witness during that time eruptions
rom most of the geysers, some of
hem you can see many times.
You can make the side trip to Black
land basin, quiescent spring of del