The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-20
fSneoial Corresnnndenoa,

II
Henry NJ. Chittenden. superintendent of
the Yellowstone park, furnishes an in
Leresung account of the Yellowstone gey-
ers to eastern papers. He says:
There was recently published in a.
FFehch scientific paper. Ciel ct Terre of
Paris, an article on the Yellowstone Ma
tlonaI park, in which the writer. who
had lately visited the park holds that
the SeySerS are rapidly approaching ex-
CiHCtiOn me article has been widely
copied COZ, throughout the United States and
uds gone q long way toward increasing
the impression that the Yellowstone won
ueIldnd, so TAR as regards the hot Snrings
ana geySers, is practically a thing of the
p;stst. both Ia his premises and conelu-
SlonS the author of this article is wholly
dsTay, ana 1t is d good example of how
even q scientific observer NAV draw
wrong conclusions If he fails to examine
Will illustrate.
koarlnS mountain, which the author
OF the Gel ct Terre article did not hear
todI' never mas roared TO any notable ex-
tent. Some enthusiastic explorer in mast
years happened by this hill when there
was an excessive escape of steam. heard
the lOud, ShFlll sound which it caused and
9ISnlned the hill with the name of Roar
ing mountain But it is doubtful if any
one mas ever heard it roar any more
Jnan Il does now; certainly it is as active
as II mas been for fifteen or twenty years
The Grower is another examine in
Wmch the authors conclusions are ex-
actly the opposite of the facts. This
steam vent has quadrupled in power in
would have seen this, if he had taken
note OF the great destruction which is
gong on IN the surrounding trees There
are several acres Of ground around this
spring on which the trees have been
killed during the past six wears. oh
VlOuSly Its force and volume have great
~ increased, or its destructive influence
would not be SO much extended.
Basin Grows In Activity.
"A little inquiry would further have
SHOWN this investigator that close by
the GROWER the government has in re-
cent years been compelled to change its
road because Of the outbreak of springs
and geysers of great energy and bower.
In TACT this entire basin, called the Nor
us GeySer basin, IS steadily increasing
In activity. The Old Fountain geyser i'm
the lower FiTehole basin has indeed he
come extinct but its energy. has been
transferred to another near by, which
appeared simultaneously with the dis
appearance of the old. The Great Foun-
tain geyser displays the same activity
that 1t did when first described by Fol-
Excelsior geyser has been in erup-
ton hut two or three times since the
discovery of this region. 1t is the most
powerful geyser in the park and during
rim which separates if from the Fire
mole river. This let the water in the
pool escape and lowered its level several
feet The relief of pressure thus brought
about very likely accounts for its fail
ure- 10 be IN eruption in recent years,
but its volume of discharge is as great
as it ever was. ..-
Old Faithful Still Regular.
."Old Faithful shows no perceptible
change either in regularity or height of
eruption: The Bee Hive is less frequent
in eruption than it used to be- but others
in the neighbOrhOOd are more active.
Geyser action on the shore of the Yellow
stone lake is more vigorous than it was
ten years ago. Mud geyser In the past
few years has shown more violence and
power than ever before since it was dis
covered The springs on Sulphur noun
tam appear exactly as they did ten years
ago. The various features throughout
the park known as paint pots show no
perceptible change.
The mammoth hot springs show more
change than any other feature. But this
IS due TO migration rather than extinction
While the springs on one side are dying
out, those on the other are increasing,
and 1t is difficult to say on which side
the balance lies.
Energy Is Undiminished.
ITO those long acquainted with the
park the changes do not appear extensive.
The total sum of thermal energy dis
played seems to be about the same that
it was twenty-five years ago. Springs
die out and others take their places, and
there is a constant change of this sort
going on. If an observer wanted to
make out a case on ex parte testimony
that the geyserS are becoming extinct
he could easily do so. With equal ease
could he make out exactly the opposite
case.
1T is entirely probable that the broad
operation of general causes is on the gen
eral side Of ultimate extinction of all Their
NAL activity in this region. The evolu-
ton Of the earth is in that direction. But
the process is a very slow one and the
tourist in the year 1000 will find things in
today.
Apart from the geysers and hot springs
the other scenic attractions remain the
same, but are more accessible than ever
before, while the function of the park
as a game preserve is yearly increasing