FEALE.] HEART LAKE GEYSEE BASIN — WITCH CREEK SPRINGS. 293 



FISSURE GROUP. 



This group of springs (Plate XL) is located partly on a high, sloping 

 mound and partly scattered along the sides of the creek which here de- 

 scends rapidly in falls and cascades. Springs Nos. 1 to 5 are situated 

 on a mound of hard deposit on the right bank. The first of these springs 

 is shown in Plate XL a. The summit of this mound is about 40 feet 

 above the level of the creek, opposite the junction of the small branch 

 carrying the water from the springs on top of the mound. An accom- 

 panying plate presents a photographic view of this mound with its steam- 

 ing springs, and shows spring Xo. 20 on the left in the foreground. The 

 group extends to the point where the creek emerges from the gorge in 

 the hills and enters the valley that reaches to the lake. The upper 

 part of the group is about 200 feet above the lake level, and the lower 

 springs are about 90 feet lower. It is probably in this group that the 

 springs described by Professor Comstock* are located. I have tried to 

 identify the springs and have concluded that his puffing spring is Xo. 

 20 of my catalogue. As to the sand spring, I am not so certain, although 

 his description of the area in which it is situated corresponds to that 

 around the group containing 23, 24, 25, &c. I had a similar experi- 

 ence to that which he relates,t as follows : Unsuspicious of the treacher- 

 us nature of the subsoil, of which no indications are visible, I incau- 

 tiously sprang across the creek upon the flat, when I immediately sank 

 nearly to the middle in a hot quagmire, from which it was difficult to 

 extricate myself. The only result of this involuntary bath was a thorough 

 soaking of apparel, including heavy undergarments, no mud adhering 

 to the clothing. I came upon this area from the opposite side, and sank to 

 my knees in the mire before I could get out of it. The turf api)ears'1;o 

 have merely covered a hot marshy area which collects the water from a 

 number of the springs. I have given Xo. 23 the name Sand Spring, as 

 its location appears to agree better with Professor Oomstock's descrip- 

 tion than any of the others. He describes it as follows: 



The spring referred to lies at the npper end of the depression, which is here so nar- 

 rowed that its walls almost inclose the spring on three sides. There are several centers 

 of ebullition near the edges, the very hot water boiling up witb force, greatly con- 

 taminated with wliit« sand, with minute black grains interspersed. 



"My notes do not mention the fact of the sand boiling up with the 

 water in Xo. 23, but as I was obliged to work here very hastily this may 

 have been overlooked. I have, therefore, used Professor Comstock's 

 name, especially as his is the first published description of any of the 

 springs of the grou]). The Hissing Spring I was unable to locate. 

 Professor Comstock describes it as follows : 



Just after reaching the basin in which these springs are located, a large spring, at 

 some distance down the creek, suddenly ejected a dense mass of white vapor to a 

 height of perhaps 25 feet, with a rushing noise which startled us all. This may have 

 been a veritable geyser, but we were unable to detect any signs of a column of water 

 from our point of view, below the Puffiug Spring, 100 rods distant. The eruption 

 lasted for about five minutes, ceasing rather gradually. 



If I am right in locating the Puffing Spring at Xo. 20, and the Hiss- 

 ing Spring is a hundred rods below it, the latter must be one of the 

 lower springs of the group. There is here one spring (Xo. 33) which is 

 u, constant boiler and spouter, which may have i)eriods of steam spout- 

 ting such as Professor Comstock describes. 



* Report of Reconnaissance ofN. W. Wyoming, pp. 240, 241. 

 tibid, p. 240. 



