PEALE.] 



HAYDEN'S valley VIOLET CEEEK SPRINGS. 



107 



abont a qiiarter of a mile -sve came to quite a large group of hot springs, linmg both 

 sides of the creek. The first spring I will describe is on the right bank of the creek, 

 in the center of a white mound 20 feet in diameter and rising 10 feet above the bed of 

 the creek. This mound is formed of deposits from the water, which consist mainly of 

 various carbonates and silica. The orifice of the spring is circular and about three 

 inches in diameter, and looks as though it had been artificially punched in the deposit, 

 so matheuiatically exact is it. The water gives oft' carbonic-acid gas. leaving a de- 

 posit of iron. Its temperature was 190° F., the air being 70<^ F. Spring No. 2 is on 

 the opposite side of the creek, and has a basin measuring 4 feet by 2 feet; the temper- 

 ature of the water was 160° F., the air remaining at 70° F. No. 'S has a circular 

 basin 2 feet in diameter, which is lined with an abundant deposit of iron. Car- 

 bonic-acid gas bubbles through the water. It temperature was 158° F. No. 4 is 6 feet 

 deep and 1 foot by "J feet in diameter, and has a temperature of 188° F. The next 

 three springs had' temperatures as follows: No. 5, 192° F.; No. 6, 194° F.; and No. 7, 

 186° F.; the air still remaining at 70° F. All these springs have circular orifices of 

 about 6 inches diameter, and the water proceeding from them flows over a series of 

 small terraces, resembling those of the Gardiner's River springs on a miniature scale. 

 These basins are lined with a gelatinous form of silica, which has a leathery appear- 

 ance and is coated with an iron deposit. The springs are about 10 feet above the 

 level of the creek, and all give off carbonic-acid gas. No. 8 is very ii'regular in shape 

 and almost hid in the grass, about 40 feet from the creek. There is a slight bubbling 

 in it, and its temperature Avas 178° F. No. 9 is a small spring, 2 feet in diameter and. 

 1 foot deep, lined with confers'oidea, and having a temperature of 140° F. No. 10 is a 

 very pretty spring, about 4 feet above the creek, and has a beautiful scalloped edge, 

 moss-lined on one side. Its temperature was 175° F. The boiling point at this local- 

 ity is 198°. 3 F. None of the springs reached this temperature, 194° F. being the 

 nearest approach. The rocks exposed near these springs are sedimentary and con- 

 tain a great deal of obsidian. 



About three-fourths of a mile farther up stream we came to the head of the creek, 

 and found that it originated in a most important group of springs. [This group may 

 be on the main Alum Creek, but I am not now certain.] They are situated in a semi- 

 circular basin, bounded by a low hill, wooded on the summit. The sides of the hill are 

 perfectly bare and covered with a glaring white deposit, through which steam jets force 

 their way. Looking down into the basin from the top of the hill is like looking into 

 a volcanic crater. The fumaroles, solfataras, and mud springs scattered through it 

 give it a most peculiar appearance. The general color throughout the basin is a glar- 

 ing white, relieved here and there by patches of brick-red iron deposits and the yellow 

 of sulphur masses that are scattered throughout the basin. The crust extending over 

 the basin is lined with beautiful crystals of sulphur. On the left of this basin there 

 is a ravine, covered with deposits of the same character, but containing no springs. 

 There are a few fumaroles remaining, the evidence that once the ravine was the site of 

 active springs. A few yards on the opposite side of the basin there is a second ravine, 

 similar to the first, and in which also the springs are all dead, nothing remaining but 

 the rust-colored deposits. I will give the different springs in this basin below in tabu- 

 lar form : 



Sjprings at the head of Violet Creelc. 



August 10, 1872; time of observation, 12.30 a.m.; general elevation above sea-level, 8,059 feet; boil- 

 ing point, 198°. 1 F. 



No. 



Cbaracter of spring. 



Size. 



Gas evolved. 



Temperature 

 of spring. 



Temperature 

 of air. 



1 





8 bv 10 feet 





185° P. 

 172 

 194 

 194 

 K"ot taken. 



1C5 

 170 

 140 

 102 



108 



las 



180 

 190 



72° E. 



<?. 



... do 





. . do 



72 



3 



do 





. . do 



72 



4 



.. do 





do 



72 



"> 





20 feet diameter 



Steam and sulpliu- 

 reted bydiogen. 



72 



r> 



... do 



72 



7 





2 by 4 feet 



do 



72 



8 







do 



72 



9 



Bluf'-mtid spring 



White-mud spring 



Blue-TOud spring 



Yellow-mud spring . . . 

 Blue-mud spring 



6 by 10 feet 



....do 



72 



10 



1 by 3 feet 



. . do 



72 



11 



3 fcjotlong 



....do 



72 



12 

 1?. 



4 feet diameter 



...do 



... do 



72 



72 











Besides the springs enumerated in the table, there were many smaller ones, and a 

 few large pools, through which the gases bubbled at various ])oints. The ground near 

 the majority of them was too treacherous to allow of our approach. There are also a 

 great mauy steam vents lined with sulphur crystals. The hardened deposit about 



