PEALE.] UPPER GEYSER BASIN — GIANTESS GEYSER. 233 



feet. These lesser jets, so mucli higher than the main column and shooting through 

 it, doubtless XDroceed from auxiliary j)ipes leading into the principal orihce near the 

 bottom, where the explosive force is greater. * * * This grand eruption con- 

 tinued for twenty minutes, and was the most magnificent sight we ever witnessed. 

 We were standing on the side of the geyser nearest the sun, the gleams of which filled 

 the sparlding columns of water and spray with myriads of rainbows, whose arches 

 were constantly changing — dipping and fluttering hither and thither and disappear- 

 ing only to be succeeded by others, again and again, amid the aqueous column, while 

 the minute globules into which the spent jets were diif used when falling sparkled like 

 a shower of diamonds, and around every shadow which the denser clouds of vapor, in- 

 terrupting the sun's rays, cast upon the column, could be seen a luminous circle radiant 

 with all the colors of the prism, and resembling the halo of glory represented in paint- 

 ings as encircling the head of Divinity. All that we had previously witnessed seemed 

 tame in comparison with the perfect grandeur and beauty of this display. Two of 

 these wonderful eruptions occurred during the twenty-two hours we remained in the 

 valley. This geyser we named The Giantess. * 



1871. — We were in the Upper Basin in 1871 from the evening of Au- 

 gust 4 until the morning of August 6, and during this time it was not 

 seen in action. Colonel Barlow's party this same year spent three days 

 there, but during this time no member of his party saw it in action, 

 although he himself thought that during the last night of his stay it 

 played, as he heard heavy concussions from some point in that direction. 



1872. — The only eruption witnessed by us in 1872 was on the evening 

 of August 18, when it was too dark to see the full grandeur of its action. 

 This eruption consisted of three distinct periods of spouting as follows : 



No. 1. — Eruption began at 6.56.30 p. m., lasted 17 minutes. 



IsTo. 2. — Eruption began at 7.43.30 p. m., lasted 17 minutes. 



Ko. 3. — Eruption began at 8.48.30 p. m., end not taken. 



There was an immense mass of water thrown up which surged and 

 splashed in all directions, with jets jjassing through it at intervals. 

 There were about 73 pulsations under ground per minute. This de- 

 creased toward the end. Professor Bradley noted the occurrence of 

 five or six pulsations before the eruption began. During the first period 

 angles for the height were taken from the end of a base line of 200 feet, 

 and the highest jets were found to reach a height of 39 feet, the steam 

 going to about 69 feet. The average height of the mass of water was 

 30 feet. It is probable that during the succeeding periods the height 

 was greater, but it was too dark to take any angles. The end of the 

 last period was not taken. The day after it was ended the water was 

 20 feet below the surface. On the second day (August 20, 1872) I took 

 the temperature at 11.50 a. m., and found it to be 192° F. at the edge, 

 the air being 56° F. The water was level with the rim and i^erfectly 

 quiet. Before the eruption it was in constant agitation, and one seeing 

 it only then would have supposed it to be a constantly boiling spring. It 

 is not known how long after the eruption this boiling begins. 



1873. — There is no record of this geyser having been seen in action 

 during 1873 by Professor Comstock, but E. J. Stanley saw it in action, 

 although lie says "it positively refused to give us one of its grandest 

 displays."! 



1874. — The Earl of Dunraven, who visited the Basin in 1874, describes 

 the geyser, but does not mention having seen it in operation. 



1875. — The members of Captain Ludlow's expedition to the Park wit- 

 nessed an eruption, and I insert the very full description from the re- 

 port of Dana and Grinnell : 



When wo arrived, August 21, the crater was quite full and bubbling, seeming to 

 promise a speedy eruption. The following day, at 6.30 a. m., it boiled up vigorously, 



• Scrlbncr's Monthly, Vol. II, 1871, p. 125. 



t Rambles in Wonderland. IJy Edwin J. Stanley. New York, D. Appleton & Co., 

 1873. p. 103. 



