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GEYSERS OF YELLOWSTONE HARK.
Of the many wonders of the National Park of the Yellowstone, the
numerous geysers are the most marvelous and interesting. These queer man
ifestations of nature's forces resident in the bowels of the earth are to be found
in low valleys, or basins, between the mountain ridges that traverse the park.
The greater number, in fact, all of the large and 6ne ones, are found in the
valley of Kirehole river, a tributary of the Madison, which, in turn, becomes a
portion of the mighty Missouri. There are three basins along the Kirehole,
the lower, the middle often called " Hell's Half Acre "-and the upper, sep
arated by a distance of five miles. A geyser is a column of water projected
into the air from a pool which is connected by a crevice, or geyser tube, in the
rock with the internal heat of the earth. Grad
ually the water in the tube becomes heated
to such an extent that its expansive force
overcomes the weight of the water
above, which is forced out and thrown
in i column high into the air, the release
permitting steam to generate rapidly,
thui adding to the force and sustaining
the column of, water often many min
utes in the air, A geyser differs from
a fountain in appearance, both in the
great volume of water it contains and
in the irregularity of its apcarance.
Every instant the column is changing
in height and shaie, and is always sur
rounded with clouds of steam, blown
almut by the wind and forming innum
erable rainbows, while the constantly
falling mass of water strikes the mound
at the base of the column like the roar of a
cataract. Standing on the brink of a geyser
crater, and gaiing down into the clear depths of
the water, beholding a fair)' palace sparkling
with colors, one sees not the faintest indication of
the mighty force slumbering beneath. Suddenly
he hears and feels heavy thuds beneath his feet,
like a succession of explosions, ami the ground
trembles as though a mighty giant were strug
gling for lilierty. He hastens away to a safe
distance, and turns to liehnkl his once quiet kki
the base of a column of water and steam shoot
ing with mighty and pulsating force far into the
air.
Geysers are very irregular in their actions,
some playing often and at regular intervals, others
at long but regular intervals, and still others so
irregularly thai their activity can not be antici
pated. This is due to the variation in the con
formation of geyser tubes and internal chambers.
The Fountain, in lower geyser Iwsin, plays
steadily for an hour, and then is quiet for five
himrs, its column being sixty feet high. In
Hell's Half Acre is the Sheridan, which holds a
column of water seventy feet in diameter at a
height of joo feet for several seconds, but it
is very seldom in action. In this basin are the
largest hot springs in the world, fully jjo feet
in diameter, in which I he water is always boiling like a cauldron, with a cloud
of sleunt lunging ulxiul it.
There are 10,000 geysers ami hot springs in the park, l.ooo of which are
along the Kirehole, the up-er basin containing the greatest numWrof Urge
and active ones, thus being the center of attraction for all visitors. Here are
10 be found the Castle, which sends up little jets twenty feet ever)- few min
utes, but once a day shoots a column loo feet high and holds it there for half
an hour. The mound that has accumulated around this geyser is lorty feet
high. The lire Hive daily projects t column no, feet for eight minutes.
Notice of approaching eruption is given a (ew minutes in advance by a little
jet of steam tlui issues from a small venl near by. The Giantess acts alxwt
once in fourteen days, aixl without the least warning shoots a body of boiling
water J 50 feet high, which soon drops to eighty feel ami continues for more
llun half a day. The Lion, Lioness ami Two Cubs lorm a group, the first
THE WEST SHORE.
one acting independently and the others in unison, but irregularly. The Grand
acts generally twice a day. Its action is so peculiar and varied that it well
deserves its name. The Splendid acts every three hours, and for ten minutes
sustains a column 200 feet high. The Giant plays for two hours every four
days. There are numerous others, but the most noted of all is Old Faithful,
which spouts from an orifice seventy feet long by two feet wide, every sixty
live minutes, its eruptions lasting from four to six minutes. It is the only
large geyser known in the world which spouts so frequently and with such
unfailing regularity.
Somewhat similar are the mud geysers, located six miles below the lake.
These geysers arc very irregular in their action, the large one at this point
remaining inactive for several years at a time. It is surrounded by numerous
hot springs, and when in action throws up large
masses of mud to a great height. At times the
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force must I terrilic, for the tree, for a distance of seven.y-hve yards in all
directions are covered with mud. The greatest object of curiosity i, a mud
volcano on the hill side. Looking down into its crater, ghmpses can be had
.he boding mud as Mches, ,iKll with steam, from the mountain,
. "king ga,s, the s,de of the crater and rolling back again out of sight.
Another smaller one near by emits only jets of steam. In the lower geyser
basin are mud springs, or pain. pots, covering an area of forty by seventy
feet, one end having a pink hue while the other is snowy white. These are
constant agitat. and throw up ihtlr jets of mud t.ta. fall in beautiful rings,
only to le broken in another instant by a second eruption
1 hr b, " attraction, of that Wonderful region, . free
Urges, lw of wr,ls made from the phrase - Yellowstone Park." Rule, gov
enung the contest will be found on page t48.