﻿184 
  EEPOET 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  them 
  the 
  unqualified 
  admiration 
  of 
  the 
  natives, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  medicinal 
  

   properties 
  are 
  concerned. 
  

  

  A 
  wide 
  basin, 
  approximately 
  oval 
  in 
  shape, 
  about 
  30 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  40 
  

   feet 
  long, 
  contains 
  the 
  bubbling 
  water. 
  This 
  basin 
  is 
  10 
  to 
  12 
  feet 
  deep, 
  ■ 
  

   and 
  the 
  water 
  a 
  deep 
  greenish-blue 
  color. 
  A 
  very 
  extensive 
  deposit 
  

   has 
  been 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  spring, 
  which 
  is 
  evidently 
  growing 
  smaller, 
  and 
  

   shifting 
  its 
  location 
  from 
  east 
  to 
  west, 
  toward 
  the 
  river. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  

   other 
  springs, 
  in 
  connection, 
  probablj'^, 
  with 
  this 
  main 
  one, 
  were 
  at 
  one 
  

   time 
  scattered 
  around 
  it 
  ; 
  but 
  now 
  the 
  orifices 
  through 
  which 
  they 
  dis- 
  

   charged 
  their 
  waters 
  into 
  the 
  basins 
  have 
  become 
  choked 
  up, 
  the 
  basins 
  

   have 
  dwindled 
  down 
  to 
  mere 
  cracks, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  lotig-contiuued 
  depo- 
  

   sitions 
  of 
  tufe, 
  and 
  where 
  they 
  once 
  flowed 
  we 
  find 
  nothing 
  to-day 
  but 
  

   a 
  small 
  opening. 
  From 
  the 
  main 
  spring 
  the 
  water 
  flows 
  off 
  through 
  a 
  

   subterranean 
  passage 
  into 
  the 
  San 
  Juan. 
  The 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  are 
  

   there 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  tufaceons 
  deposit, 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  ob- 
  

   served 
  on 
  its 
  western 
  side 
  also. 
  This 
  leads 
  to 
  the 
  inference 
  that 
  the 
  

   San 
  Juan 
  has 
  changed 
  its 
  course 
  since 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  the 
  springs, 
  and 
  

   flowed 
  farther 
  west 
  formerly. 
  Taking 
  a 
  section 
  through 
  the 
  spring, 
  

   along 
  its 
  shorter 
  dimensions, 
  (Fig 
  1,) 
  we 
  perceive 
  at 
  a 
  glance 
  how 
  its 
  

   ultimate 
  destruction 
  will 
  be 
  accomplished. 
  In 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  spring 
  

   a 
  cone-shaped 
  deposit 
  is 
  gradually 
  growing, 
  reaching 
  at 
  present 
  about 
  9 
  

   inches 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  Through 
  orifices 
  in 
  this 
  cone, 
  both 
  

   below 
  and 
  above 
  the 
  water's 
  surface 
  the 
  hot 
  jets 
  issue, 
  dejjositing 
  more 
  

   and 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  tufa. 
  Along 
  the 
  entire 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  basin 
  subordi- 
  

   nate 
  springs 
  boil 
  up, 
  and 
  have 
  formed 
  their 
  own 
  little 
  basins, 
  connected 
  

   either 
  below, 
  or 
  at 
  the 
  upper 
  opening, 
  with 
  the 
  large 
  body 
  of 
  water. 
  The 
  

   accompanying 
  diagram 
  (Fig. 
  3) 
  will 
  give 
  an 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  outlines 
  of 
  the 
  

   main 
  basin, 
  ot 
  the 
  small 
  ones 
  surrounding 
  it, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  points 
  of 
  outflow 
  

   for 
  the 
  waters 
  through 
  fissures 
  or 
  tubes 
  in 
  the 
  tufa. 
  This 
  latter 
  is 
  com- 
  

   posed 
  chiefly 
  of 
  carbonates 
  of 
  lime, 
  soda, 
  and 
  potash, 
  sulphate 
  of 
  lime, 
  

   and 
  crystallized 
  sulphur, 
  (lases 
  escape 
  in 
  great 
  volume, 
  consisting 
  of 
  

   carbonic 
  acid 
  and 
  sulphureted 
  hydrogen. 
  

  

  Professor 
  Newberry 
  * 
  describes 
  this 
  spring 
  and 
  dilates 
  upon 
  the 
  beauty 
  

   of 
  its 
  surroundings, 
  prophesying 
  that 
  " 
  in 
  future 
  years 
  it 
  will 
  become 
  a 
  

   celebrated 
  place 
  of 
  resort." 
  Certainly 
  there 
  are 
  very 
  few 
  hot 
  springs 
  

   that 
  are 
  located 
  as 
  favorably, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  scenery 
  is 
  concerned, 
  but 
  it 
  may 
  

   be 
  many 
  years 
  before 
  the 
  Indians 
  and 
  facilities 
  for 
  transportation 
  will 
  

   j^ermit 
  invalids 
  or 
  pleasure- 
  seekers 
  to 
  derive 
  benefit 
  or 
  enjoyment 
  from 
  

   them. 
  

  

  The 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  basin 
  is 
  higher 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  

   ones 
  surrounding 
  it. 
  A 
  s 
  given 
  by 
  Newberry 
  and 
  Loew, 
  tit 
  compares 
  favor- 
  

   ably 
  with 
  my 
  own 
  observations 
  : 
  

  

  Wewherry, 
  July 
  28 
  140° 
  F. 
  

  

  Loetc 
  1410 
  F. 
  

  

  JEndlich, 
  August 
  11, 
  6 
  p, 
  m 
  138° 
  F. 
  

  

  Temperature 
  of 
  atmosphere 
  70^* 
  F. 
  

  

  Undlich, 
  August 
  12, 
  7 
  a, 
  m 
  = 
  138° 
  F. 
  

  

  Temperature 
  of 
  atmosphere 
  56° 
  F. 
  

  

  The 
  temperatures 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  basins 
  range 
  from 
  110° 
  to 
  115° 
  F. 
  Al- 
  

   though 
  no 
  doubt 
  a 
  very 
  warm 
  season 
  of 
  suflicient 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  would 
  

   have 
  some 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  spring, 
  tbe 
  difference 
  

   obse^rved 
  in 
  atmospheric 
  temperature 
  between 
  evening 
  and 
  morning 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  no 
  change. 
  This 
  is 
  due, 
  probably, 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  rapid 
  influx 
  and 
  

  

  * 
  Report 
  Exploring 
  Expedition, 
  1859, 
  Macomb. 
  1876, 
  p. 
  74. 
  

  

  t 
  Report 
  Explorations 
  and 
  Surveys 
  West 
  One 
  Hundredth 
  Meridian, 
  vol. 
  iii, 
  1875, 
  p. 
  626. 
  

  

  