The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1906-08-09
SOME ODD POOLS
AT FlREHOLE RIVER
Geysers Of the Gin.Fizz and Hit.
the.CeiIins Kind
Strange Phenomena in the Greatest Of Natural
Parks-Somethins of Old Faithful
Inn, the Great Primitive Hotel

Inn, the Great Primitive Hotel
The drive to the Lower Geyser Basin
in the afternoon-a ride of twenty
miles-is through the Gibbon Canyon
where cliffs tower above US as high in
some places as 1900 feet. At the end
of the Canyon are the Gibbon Falls,
where the water takes tumble of
over eighty feet. We soon pass along
the Firehole river which carries us in
to the Lower Geyser Basin, an area of
hot springs and geysers embracing from
thirty to forty square miles. Here is
the Fountain Hotel, large and fine
hostelry, steam-heated, electric-lighted
hot sulphur baths, the water coming
directly from the depths of Mother
Earth and piped to all parts of the
hotel. A drive down through the val
ley of the Firehole river in the evening
is interesting in the extreme. We pass
the Fountain Geyser, the Mammoth
Paint Potts." an extremely dangerous
looking caldron about fifty feet across
the top and containing boiling mix
ture resembling paint. At the head Of
the river we see what appears to be
fire in the river, the flaming gases COM
ing in continual stream to the top of
the water. Farther down the river is
what has been properly termed "Hell's
Half Acre" The guide who accom-
panied US around these dangerous look
ing holes was one of the most COM
petent in the park service. Wherever
he went we followed d-sometimes with
feelings that the ground underneath us
was not of the terra firma kind-but
we were there to see these things and
we were going to see them. We picked
our way on stepping stones to the very
orifce of the "Great Fountain" mo it
wasn't playing-and looked into its
reeking depths. Farther on is the "Sur-
prise,' where a handful of crumbled
limestone or sand thrown into it will
make it splitter and boil like steaming
kettle. This is said to be 500 feet deep
and long. heavy stick thrust into it
will appear at the surface soon after in
an apparently animated temper. In
"Firehole Spring" blue flames are con-
stantly coming to the top and if one
listens distinct knocks can be heard
coming from underneath just as if
someone was pounding the earth. The
Devils Broiler," which is hotter by
forty degrees than water at boiling
point at that altitude, is the next in
succession. This will boil an egg hard
in two minutes. Then comes the "Owl'
the "Lariat,'' the Diamond" the
"Three Sisters" the Devils Finger
BOWL" and the Buffalo Spring" AT
the bottom of the latter can be seer
the we'll preserved bones of a buffalo,
which is supposed to have broker
through in crossing the formation. Or
our way home we pass the "White
Dome," which has not been active Of
late years until recently and reach oul
hotel Just in time to see the Fountain
at its prettiest. This geyser goes of
at intervals from three to five hours
and as it was the first big one we haG
seen spout, to our eyes it was wonder
full. It took about twenty minutes fo,
it to get over it's 'mad spell" and while
that was jerking up steaming water tt
height of fifty feet or more, here be-
hind us was ''The DEVILS Tea Pot, .
boiling over every few minutes, just as
if old Mrs. Nick was having deuce o1
time in getting supper.
We were not satisfied with one tril
through this wonderful place, and before
the SUMS rays had appeared over tn
mountains in the morning, in compan!
with Charley Boise, and a noted divin,
from Pennsylvania, we again explore'
the regions travelled over the night be
fore. Bears had been on the roads during
the night, for their footprints in the we
sand could plainly be seen. Our patl
most of the way was timbered on bot
sides. and not being well enough &C
quainted at this time with the wa.
park bears acted, it was sort of ner
vous trip. We came to "White Dome
again and had our picture taken stand
ing on it's steaming top. A few minute
later great streams of water passe
high into the air and we were thankfu
we had changed our position. We spen
three hours of the morning in thi
mystifying, enhancing valley-th
most vivid description can not paint il
It was the first time we ever beheld
river of boiling, steaming water, an
as it joins the cooler stream a perso
wishes he might take a dip in it
clear, sparkling depths. We get to tn
hotel just in time to get breakfast an
hurry tn the coach. which ia ready