The Van Buren press., 1903-08-15

nm. dinner over and we start ont to see
the Gevsers gush. Right in front OF
the hotel about half mile distant Is
the Fountain Geyser, which we are
informed is going to erupt soon. As we /
reach it the water is in quiescent state
of light blue tinge, and we can look
down into the depth of its crater fully
thirty feet. 1t is beautiful sight,
Pretty soon it begins to boil, the force !
continuing to increase until finally the
eruption comes and the mass of boiling |
water is forced to height of 20 to %
feet This lasts for few minutes then
the water settles back and remains quiet
for from three to five hours.
Then we walk over to the Mammoth
Paint Pots few hundred feet east Of
the Fountain. This remarkable mud
caldron has basin which measures
40x6O feet with mud rim on three
sides which is from four to FIVE feet In
height. In this basin is a mass of fine,
whitish substance, which is in a state
of constant agitation. 1t resembles
some vast boiling pot Of paint or bed of
mortar, and the constant boiling has re-
duced the contents to thoroughly
mixed mass of silicious clay. There is
continuous bubbliug up Of mud,
producing sounds like hoarsely
whispered 'plop-plop. % This produces
many beautiful figures, which again
melt away the next moment,
Ithad been threatening rain sometime,
and it finally came and drove us to
shelter for several hours. After
superior rather with the fashionable
! world dinner-was over word came that
the Great Fountain Geyser would erupt
within an hour. This geyser is located
two miles from the hotel, which just
furnished rs with sufficient walk. An
eruption of this Great Fountain as
described by David E. Folsom in 1869
faithfully portraits the exhibition we
witnessed; THE hole through which
the water was discharged was ten feet
| in diameter and was situated in the
center of a large circular shallow basin
into which the water fell. There was a
stil breeze blowing at the time and by
going TO the windward side and careful
ly picking our way over convenient
stones we were enabled to reach the
edge of the hole. At that moment the
escaping steam was causing the water
tC boil up in fountain Eve or six feet
high 1t stoped in an instant, aud
commenced settling down. twenty,
| thirty forty feet--unul we concluded
the bottom had fallen out, but the next
instant, without any warning, it came
rushing up and not into the air at ieds
eighty feet, causing Us to stampede. lit
continued to spout at intervals Of a few
moments for sometime, but finally
! subsided. Eruptions of the Great
Fountain occur every ten to twelve
hours. The indication Of an eruption
are quite reliable thirty minutes from
the time the crater and basins are filed
with water and the same begins to
overflow, the eruption takes place,
There are many interesting and curious
sights in the vicinity of the Great
Fountain, all of which we found time
to visit, The white Dome -
Surprise. - 'Firehole Spring, -
Mushroome' and Buffalo Springs
are the most prominent
The valley which is known as the
Lower Geyser Basin contains according
to DR., Haydens official survey Il
geysers and 603 hot springs The central
portion of the basin is a nearly level
plateau, six or seven miles in width,
only partially timbercd, and covered
with either spring deposit or marsh,
The general elevation is about :, $50
feet, while the surrounding slopes are
400 to 500 feet higher.
That evening 1t set in to rain again.
II was cold rain and the large fire.
place in the lobby of the hotel, with It's
cheerful fire Of fir logs proved quite an
attractive place for some, while the
dining room, which had been clearedfor
the occasion, with its orchestra proved
equally attractive to the dancers, 1t
continued to rain the greater portion Of
the night, something quite unusual for
this country, and by morning the
thermometer showed ~.
Breakfast over, our coaches are ready
and We are of for another morning
drive, The rain has laid the dust and
made driving much more pleasant, We
first visit the Midway Geyser basin,
which, strictly speaking, is the upper
portion Of the Lower Geyser Basin and
IL situated about three miles from the
Fountain group, We leave our coaches
and cross narrow foot bridge over the
firehole River which tumbles beneath,
receiving but short distance away the
smoking hot water discharged from the
crater Of the Excelsior Geyser This
water has colored the deposit that forms
the banks Of the river beautifully, all
the tints Of theraUbow being represent.
ed Then we come 10 the crater Of the
Excelsior Geyser, This Gcyser was The
largest Of all IN the Park, bat we were