File:Wonders of the Yellowstone region in the Rocky Mountains - being a description of its geysers, hot-springs, Grand Canon, waterfalls, lake, and surrounding scenery, explored in 1870-71 (1874) (14578455647).jpg

Identifier: wondersofyellows1874rich (find matches)
Title: Wonders of the Yellowstone region in the Rocky Mountains : being a description of its geysers, hot-springs, Grand Canon, waterfalls, lake, and surrounding scenery, explored in 1870-71
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Richardson, James
Subjects:
Publisher: London Glascow Edinburgh : Blackie & Son
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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are scattered over its surface; the craters ofboiling springs from 15 to 25 feet in diameter; someof these throw water to the height of three and fourfeet. On the summit of this bank of rock is thegrand geyser of the world, a well in the strata, 20by 25 feet in diametric measurements, (the percep-tible elevation of the rim being but a few inches,)and when quiet having a visible depth of 100 feet.The edge of the basin is bounded by a heavy fringeof rock, and stalagmite in solid layers is depositedby the overflowing waters. When an eruption isabout to occur the basin gradually fills with boilingwater to within a few feet of the surface, then sud-denly, with heavy concussions, immense clouds ofsteam rise to the height of 500 feet, and the wholegreat body of water, 20 by 25 feet, ascends in onegigantic column to the height of 90 feet; from theapex of this column ^Ye great jets shoot up, radi-ating slightly from each other, to the unparalleledaltitude of 250 feet from the ground. The earth
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THE GRAND GEYSER OF THE FIREHOLE BASIN. VPPER GEYSER BASIN. 145 trembles under the descending deluge from this vastfountain ; a thousand hissing sounds are heard inthe air; rainbows encircle the summits of the jetswith a halo of celestial glory. The falling waterplows up and bears away the shelly strata, and aseething flood pours down the slope and into theriver. It is the grandest, the most majestic, andmost terrible fountain in the world. After playingthus for twenty minutes it gradually subsides,the water lowers into the crater out of sight, thesteam ceases to escape, and all is quiet. This grandgeyser played three times in the afternoon, but ap-pears to be irregular in its periods, as we did notsee it in eruption again while in the valley. Itswaters are of a deep ultramarine color, clear andbeautiful. The waving to and fro of the giganticfountain, in a bright sunlight, when its jets are attheir highest, affords a spectacle of wonder of whichany description can give but a feeble id

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