FEALE.] LOWER GEYSER BASIN WHITE DOME GROUP. 163 



in some respects, it is much inferior to its more popular rivals, in others it is cer- 

 tainly superior. In approaching the crater of this geyser the observer is not at first 

 impressed with its importance, as the outer rim of the basin, or ral-her table — in the 

 center of which the fissure is situated — is raised but two or three feet above the gen- 

 eral level. This elevated part I should estimate to be upwards of 120 feet in diame- 

 ter, and, with the exception of the crater, it is built up nearly to a level with the 

 border. The surface, formed entirely of siliceous deposit, is diversified by an infinite 

 number of forms and colors. The depressed parts in some places are so level and 

 white and hard that a name could be engraved as easily and as well as upon the bark 

 of a beech tree. In others there are most exquisitely modeled basins and pockets, 

 with ornamented rims, and filled with perfectly transparent water, through which 

 thousands of white iiebbles of geyserite could be seen lying in the white, velvety 

 bottoms. Rising above the general level are innumerable little masses and nodes of 

 caulifiower-like and beaded silica, standing out of the shallow water like so many 

 islands. Those near the crater swell into very large, rounded masses. The whole 

 surface is so solid that I walked, by stepping from one elevation to another, up to the 

 A'ery brink of the fissure, where I looked down with no little apprehension into the 

 seething caldron, where, 12 or 15 feet below, was a mass of dark-green water in a 

 state of constant agitation, threatening an eruption. The crater is about 10 feet in 

 diameter, lined with an irregular coating of beaded silica. The water soon began to 

 rise, plunging from side to side in great surges, sending up masses of steam and emit- 

 ting angry, rumbling sounds. This demonstration caused a precipitate retreat on 

 my part to the border of the basin, thinkiug that I could apjjreciate the beauties of 

 a scalding shower-bath better from that point of view. 



An irregular mass of water was thrown into the air in the utmost confusion, spread- 

 ing out at every angle and whirling in every direction, some jets rising vertically to the 

 height of GO or SO feet, then separating into large glistening drops and falling back into 

 the whirling mass of water aud steam ; others shooting at an angle of 45° and falling 

 upon the islands and pools 30 or 40 feet from the base. The eruptive force, for a mo- 

 ment, dies away and the water sinks back into the tube. Then, with another tremen- 

 dous effort, a second body of water is driven into the air, but with a motion so much 

 more simple than before that the whole mass assumes a more regtilar form and is like 

 a great fountain with a thousand jets, describing curves almost equal on all sides and 

 forming a symmetrical whole more varied and more grand than any similar wcik 

 by man. The intermittent action continues for nearly an hour, but is so constantly 

 changing that at no two moments during that time are the forms or movements 

 the same. The eruptions are repeated at irregular intervals of a few hours, and 

 arc not known to vary essentially from the manner of action here described ; yet I 

 have good reason to believe that at certain times there is a much greater exhibition 

 of power. It must be borne in mind that all the elevations, such as the tubes, 

 rims, and mounds about the crater of a geyser, are built by the evaporation of the 

 water, and the portion of surface covered by the beaded silica indicates precisely the 

 area over which the erupted water falls. In no case did I observe the water fall outside 

 of a circle of 60 feet in diameter, aud the additional force necessary to scatter it over 

 twice that amount of surface must produce a display truly magnificent. That this 

 display actually occurs is attested by one of our mountaineers, aud almost demon- 

 strated by the extent of the beaded surface. During the earlier i)art of the eruption 

 a considerable quantity of water fiows over the rim and down the sides, where it has 

 formed a series of basins somewhat similar in form aud color to those at the springs on 

 Gardiner's River. Falling from one to another of these, it passes off down the 8loi>e 

 and joins a large stream of hot water which issues from a steady spring not far away. 



Plate XI a shows some of the ornamental forms. The exact heiglit 

 of the column has never been measured, nor has the interval been accu- 

 rately determined, because the geyser is quite a long distance from the 

 camping i)lacc, and the various groups of the basin arc at such great 

 distances from each other that we did not have time to devote to this 

 geyser to the ex(;lusion of the other springs. Dana and Grinuell saw 

 this geyser in action twice in 1875. They say : 



The discharge took i)lace in the evening, and was repeated again in the morning, 

 lasting each time about 45 minutes. There was no single stream thrown to a great 

 height, but a continued, confused mass of jets was thrown in all directions, with occa- 

 sional si)urts to a height of :50 or 40 feet. From its very irregularity it seemed to us 

 one of the most attractive of the small geysers. * 



We saw one eruption in ]87] estimated to be about 100 feet in height. 

 No. 4. — This is an irregular bordered spring, 18 feet in length and 8 



Ludlow's Report. 



