Wonders of the Yellowstone region in the Rocky Mountains : being a description of its geysers, hot-springs, Grand Canon, waterfalls, lake, and surrounding scenery, explored in 1870-71

Front matter

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RAMS GATE.

Chapter II

Early Explorations — Lewis and Clarke's Expeditions — Trappers' Yarns — Colonel Raynold's Expedition— The Washburn Expedition — Colonel Barlow's Expedition — Dr. Hayden's Geological Survey 5

CHAPTER in.

Route from Fort Ellis to Bottlers' Ranch— Fort Ellis — Prospect from the Divide — Snowy Mountain — Trail Creek — Pyramid Mountain — The Bottler Brothers — Yellowstone VaUey 15

Chapter IV

Bottlers' Ranch to Gardiner's River — River VaUey — Second Canon — Cinnabar Mountain — The Devil's SHde — Westem Nomenclature — Precious Stones 21

Chapter V

Hot Spriags of Gardiner's River— Third Canon— Rapids- Valley of Gardiner's River — Thermal Springs— While Moimtain- Hot Springs-r-Natural Bathing-pools— Diana's Bath— Liberty Cap — Bee-hive — Extinct Geysers — Beautiful Water — Vegetation in Hot Springs— Antiquity of Springs — Classification of Thermal Springs 27 xii CONTENTS.

PAGE

CHAPTEK VI.

Gardiner's River to Grand Cauon of the Yellowstone — Forks of Gardiner's River — Gallatin Mountains — Basaltic Columns — Falls of Gardiner's River — Mountain Prospect— Over the Divide— Agatized Wood— Delightful Climate — Mountain Verdure — Volcanic Ridges — Ravines — Third Canon of the Yellowstone — Hell-roaring River — Hell-roaring Mountain — ^East Fork of the Yellowstone —Ancient Springs and Calcareous Deposits — First Bridge over the Yellowstone — Rock Cutting — Tower-creek Canon —Column Rock— The Devil's Den— Tower Falls— The Devil's Hoof — Mineral Springs — Mouth of Grand Canon 43

CHAPTER Vn.

Over Mount Washburn to. Falls of the Yellowstone— Ascent of Mount Washburn — Extensive View — Steam Puffs — Elephant's Back — Grand Canon — Yellowstone Basin — The Three Tetons — First View of Yellowstone Ijake — Madison Mountains — Gallatin Range — Emigrant Peak — Geological History of the Yellowstone Basin — Ancient Volcanic Action — Descent of Mount Washburn — Hell-broth. Springs — The Devil's Caldron — Cascade Creek — The Devil's Den— Crystal Cascade 61

CHAPTER Vni.

The Grand Canon and the Falls of the Yellowstone— Description of Grand Canon — Descent into the Canon — History of Grand Canon— Lower Falls — Upper Falls ... 78

CHAPTER IX.

From the Falls to the Lake — River above the FaUs — Alum Creek — Boiling Springs— Crater Hill — A Narrow Escape —The Locomotive Jet — Sulphur Springs — Mud Puffs — No Vegetation — Temperature of Springs — Muddy Geyser— Mud Volcano — Mud-sulphur Springs — The Grotto — The Giant's Caldron — Movements of Muddy Geyser. . 90

CONTENTS. xiii

PAGE

CHAPTEE X.

yellowstone Lake — Setting of the Lake — Shape of the Lake — Shores of the Lake — Yellowstone Trout — Worms in Trout — Waterfowl — The Guide-bird— Fauna of Yellowstone Basin— Islands in the Lake — The First Explorers 105

CHAPTER XI.

Around the Yellowstone Lake — Hot Springs of Pelican Creek — Hot Springs of Steam Point — Fire Slashes — Difficult Travelling — Little Innilnerable — Poetry in the Wilderness — Volcanic Peaks — Mounts Langford, Boane, and Stephenson — Brimstone Basin — Alum Creek — Upper Yellowstone — Wind Eiver Mountains — Valley of Upper Yellowstone — The Five Forks — Bridger's Lake — Yellowstone Mountains — Heart Lake — Madison Lake — Mount Sheridan — Flat Mountain — Bridger's "Two Ocean Eiver" — A Companion lost — Lakes and Springs — Hot Springs on the West Shore— Bridge Creek — Dead Springs — The Elephant's Back 114

CHAPTEE Xn.

Upper Geyser Basin — The Grand Geyser Eegion — Firehole Eiver — Madison Lake — Mountains about the Lake — Cascades—The Geysers— Old Faithful— The Bee-hive— The Giantess — Castle Geyser — Grand Geyser — The Saw-mill —The Comet— The Grotto— The Pyramid— The Punch Bowl — Black Sand Geyser — Eiverside Geyser — The Fan —The Sentinels — Iron Spring Creek — Soda Geyser 133

CHAPTEE Xin.

Lower Geyser Basin — Down the Firehole — Prismatic Hot Springs— The Cauldron — Old Spring Basins— The Conch Spring — Horn Geyser — Bath Spring — The Cavern — Mud Springs— Thud Geyser— Fountain Geyser— Mud Pot — Fissure Spring — White Dome Geyser — Bee-hive — Petrifaction— Hot Spring Vegetation — Cold Spring — Gene-

XIV CONTENTS.

PAGE

ral View of the Basin— The Twin Buttes— Fall of the Fairies — Rainbow Spring 162

CHAPTER XIV.

Natural History of Geysers and other Thermal Springs — Iceland Geysers — History of The Geyser — The Strokr — Eruption of the Geyser — Growth of the Geyser — Mechanism of Geysers — Artificial Geysers— Life and Death of Geysers — Laugs — New Zealand Hot Springs — Te Tarata — Hot Springs of the Waikato — Origin of Mineral Springs — Chemistry of Mineral Springs 180

CHAPTER XV.

Mr. Everts's Thirty-seven Days of Peril — Lost— Loss of Horse — Midnight Dangers — Starvation — Return to Lake — No Food in the Midst of Plenty — Bessie Lake — Thistle Roots — Hunted by a Lion — Storms — First Fire — Vain Efforts to find Food — Attempt to cross the Mountains—The Lost Shoe — Forest on Fire — Hallucination — Turned back — The Doctor — Physiological Transformations— Descending the River — Loss of Lens — Discovery and Rescue 199

CHAPTER XVI.

Our National Park— The Yellowstone Reservation — Dr. Hayden's Report— Text of Act of Congress— Appointment of Hon. N. P. Langford Superintendent of Park. . 250

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Great Getser Basin op the Upper Yellowstone . Front. Overflow op the Great Spring, Gardiner's River , 27 Bathing Pools (Diana's Bath), Gardiner's Eiver . . 31

Liberty Cap, Gardiner's River 35

Extinct Geyser, East Fork of the Yellowstone . . 50

The Devil's Hoof, Tower Creek 58

Getting a Specimen 72

The Devil's Den, Cascade Creek 76

Upper Falls of the Yellowstone 86

The Mud Volcano 100

Yellowstone Lake 106

The First Boat on Yellowstone Lake . . . .113

Breaking Through the Crust 122

Castle Geyser and Hot Springs Basin .... 142

The Grand Geyser, Firehole Basin 144

The Giant Geyser 153

Fan Geyser, Firehole Basin 158

The Beehive Geyser 161

Grand Canon and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone . 194 Mr. Everts and his Imaginary Companions . . . 236 The Giantess, Firehole Basin 252

MAPS.

Part of the United States, showing Position of the Yellowstone Region and its Prospective Railway Connection with THE Eastern States.

The American National Park near the Sources of the Yellowstone River, with the Geyser Region, after the Survey of F, V. Hayden, U.S. Geologist, 1871.

SHOWJNC THEPOS/T/ON OF THB ■^>^'

1^" />V-. AND THE NATIONAL PARK. ^°'""* m inl'

Chapter 1. The Crown Of The Continent

IN the northwest corner of the Territory of Wyoming, about half way between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean, and in the same latitude as the State of New York, the grand Rocky Mountain system culminates in a knot of peaks and ranges enclosing the most remarkable lake basin in the world. From this point radiate the chief mountain ranges, and three of the longest rivers of the Continent — the Missouri, the Columbia, and the Colorado.

On the south are the Wind River Mountains, a snow-clad barrier which no white man has ever crossed. On the east is the Snowy Mountain Range, and the grand cluster of volcanic peaks between it and Yellowstone Lake. On the west is the main divide of the Rocky Mountains. On the

north are the bold peaks of the Gallatin Range, and the parallel ridges which give a northward direction to all the great tributaries of the Missouri from this region.

Set like a gem in the centre of this snow-rimmed crown of the continent, is the loveliest body of fresh water on the globe, its dark-blue surface at an elevation greater than that of the highest clouds that fleck the azure sky of a summer's day, over the tops of the loftiest mountains of the East. Its waters teem with trout, and the primeval forests that cover the surrounding country are crowded with game. But these are the least of its attractions. It is the wildness and grandeur of the enclosing mountain scenery, and still more the curious, beautiful, wonderful and stupendous natural phenomena which characterize the region, that have raised it to sudden fame, and caused it to be set apart by our national government as a grand national play-ground and museum of unparalleled, indeed incomparable, marvels, free to all men for all time.

Evidences of ancient volcanic action on the grandest scale are so abundant and striking throughout the lake basin, that it has been looked upon as the remains of a mammoth crater, forty miles across. It seems, however, to have been rather the focus of a multitude of craters. "It is

THE CROWN OF THE CONTINENT. 3

probable," says the United States geologist, Dr. Hayden, with his usual caution, " that during the Pliocene period the entire country drained by the sources of the Yellowstone and the Columbia was the scene of volcanic activity as great as that of any portion of the globe. It might be called one vast crater, made up of a thousand smaller volcanic vents and fissures, out of which the fluid interior of the earth, fragments of rock and volcanic dust, were poured in unlimited quantities. Hundreds of the nuclei or cones of these volcanic vents are now remaining, some of them rising to a height of 10,- 000 to 11,000 feet above the sea. Mounts Doane, Longford, Stevenson, and more than a hundred other peaks, may be seen from any high point on either side of the basin, each of which formed a centre of effusion."

All that is left of the terrific forces which threw up these lofty mountains and elevated the entire region to its present altitude, now finds issue in occasional earthquake shocks, and in the innumerable hot springs and geysers, whose description makes up so large a portion of this book of wonders. Nowhere else in the world can the lastnamed phenomena be witnessed on so grand a scale, in such limitless variety, or amid scenes so marvellous in beauty, so wild and unearthly in savage grandeur, so fascinating in all that awes or attracts the lover of the curious, the wonderful, the magnificent in nature.

UHAPTEK II.

FIRST EXPLORATIONS.

IN their exploration of the headwaters of the Missouri in the summer of 1805, the heroic Captains Lewis and Clarke discovered and named the three terminal branches of that river — the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin; then ascending the first named to its springs among the Kocky Mountains, they crossed the lofty ridge of the divide and pursued their investigations along the Columbia to the sea. The following summer they returned, separately exploring the two main branches of the Great Eiver of the Northwest, each perpetuating the name and fame of his brother explorer by calling a river after him. Ascending the southern, or Lewis Fork, Captain Clarke recrossed the mountains to Wisdom Kiver, (a branch of the Jefferson,) then traversed the country of the Jefferson, the Madison and the Galla-

6 WONDERS OF THE YELLOWSTONR

tin to the Eochejaune, or Yellowstone, which he followed to its junction with the Missouri, where he rejoined Captain Lewis. The map of the country explored by these brave men, makes the source of the Yellowstone a large lake, doubtless from information received from the Indians, but they seem to have heard nothing of the marvels along the upper reaches of the river and around the lake from which it flows.

In later years — especially after the discovery of the Montana gold-mines had drawn to the upper valleys of the Missouri an adventurous, gold-seeking population, who scoured the mountains in all directions — rumors of burning plains, spouting springs, great lakes and other natural wonders, came down from the unknown regions up the Yellowstone. And not content with these, the imagination was freely drawn on, and the treasure valleys of the Arabian Nights were rivalled, if not reproduced. One over- venturous party, hotly pursued by Indians, escaped, report said, by travelling night after night by the brilliant Hght of a huge diamond providentially exposed on a mountain. A lost trapper turned up after protracted wandering in this mysterious region, his pockets stuffed with nuggets of gold gathered in a stream which he could never find again. More astound-

FIRST EXPLORATIONS. 7

ing still was a valley which instantly petrified whatever entered it. Kabbits and sage-hens, even Indians were standing about there, like statuary, among thickets of petrified sage-brush, whose stony branches bore diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other gems by the thousand, as large as walnuts. " I tell you, sir," said one who had been there, to Colonel Eaynolds, " it is true, for I gathered a quart myself and sent them down the country."

The first earnest attempt to explore the valley of the upper Yellowstone was made in 1859, by Colonel Eaynolds, of the Corps of Engineers. His expedition passed entirely around the Yellowstone basin, but could not penetrate it. In his report to the War Department, he says :

" It was my original desire to go from the head of Wind Eiver to the head of the Yellowstone, keeping on the Atlantic slope, thence down the Yellowstone, passing the lake, and across by the Gallatin to the three forks of the Missouri. Bridger said at tne outset that this would be impossible, and that it would be necessary to cross over to the headwaters of the Columbia and back again to the Yellowstone. I had not previously believed that crossing the main crest twice would be more easily accomplished than the transit over what was

8 WONDERS OF THE TELLOWSTONK

in effect only a spur ; but the view from our first camp settled the question adversely to my opinion at once. Directly across our route lies a basaltic ridge, rising not less than 5,000 feet above us, its walls apparently vertical, with no visible pass or even canon. On the opposite side of this are the headwaters of the Yellowstone. Bridger remarked triumphantly and forcibly on reaching this spot, * I told you you could not go through. A bird can't fly over that without taking a supply of grub along.' I had no reply to offer, and mentally conceded the accuracy of the information of ' the old man of the mountains.' ^^ * * * *

" After this obstacle had thus forced us over on the western slope of the Kocky Mountains, an effort was made to recross and reach the district in question, but although it was June, the immense body of snow baffled all our exertions, and we were compelled to content ourselves with listening to marvellous tales of burning plains, immense lakes, and boiling springs, without being able to verify these wonders. I know of but two white men who claim to ever have visited this part of the Yellowstone Valley — James Bridger and Eobert Meldrum. The narratives of both these men are very remarkable, and Bridger, in one of his recitals, described an immense boiling spring, that is a perfect

FIRST EXPLORATIONS. 9

counterpart of the Geysers of Iceland. As lie is uneducated, and had probably never heard of the existence of such natural marvels elsewhere, I have little doubt that he spoke of that which he had actually seen. The burning plains described by these men may be volcanic, or, more probably, burning beds of lignite similar to those on Powder River, which are known to be in a state of ignition .... Had our attempt to enter this district been made a month later in the season, the snow would have mainly disappeared, and there would have been no insurmountable obstacles to overcome.

" I cannot doubt, therefore, that at no very distant day the mysteries of this region will be fully revealed, and though small in extent, I regard the valley of the upper Yellowstone as the most interesting unexplored district of our widely expanded country."

Ten years after Colonel Raynolds's unsuccessful attempt to solve the problem of the Yellowstone, a small party under Messrs. Cook and Folsom ascended the river to the lake, and crossed over the divide into the Geyser Basin of the Madison. No report, we believe, was published of their discoveries. At any rate, the general public were indebted for their first knowledge of the marvels of this region to an expedition organized in the summer of

10 WONDERS OF THE YELLOWSTONK

1870 by some of the officials and leading citizens of Montana. This company, led by General Washburn, the Surveyor-General of the Territory, and accompanied by a small escort of United States cavalry under Lieutenant G. C. Doane, left Fort Ellis toward the latter part of August, and entered the valley of Yellowstone River on the 23d. During the next thirty days they explored the canons of the Yellowstone and the shores of Yellowstone Lake ; then crossing the mountains to the headwaters of the Madison, they visited the geyser region of Firehole River, and ascended that stream to its junction with the Madison, along whose valley they returned to civilization, confident, as their historian wrote, that they had seen " the greatest wonders on the Continent," and " convinced that there was not on the globe another region where, within the same limits, nature had crowded so much of grandeur and majesty, with so much of novelty and wonder."

Mr. Langford's account of this expedition, published in the second volume of Scrihners 3IontMyj and the report of Lieutenant Doane, printed some time after by the United States Government, (Ex. Doc. No. 51, 41st Congress,) gave to the world the first authentic information of the marvels of this wonderful region. Though their

FIRST EXPLORATTOKS. \\

route lay through a terrible wilderness, and most of the party were but amateur explorers at best, only one (Mr. Everts) met with a serious mishap. This gentleman's story of his separation from the company, and his thirty-seven days of suffering and perilous wandering, is one of the most thrilling chapters of adventure ever written.

The path fairly broken, and the romance of the Yellowstone shown to have a substantial basis in reality, it was not long before others were ready to explore more fully the magnificent scenery and the strange and peculiar phenomena described by the adventurers of 1870. As soon as the following season was sufficiently advanced to admit of explorations among the mountains, the Chief Engineer of the Military Department of the Missouri, Brevet Colonel John W. Barlow, set out for a two months' survey of the Yellowstone Basin, under special orders from General Sheridan. His route lay along the river to the lake ; thence along the northern shore of the lake to the hot springs on its western bank ; thence across the mountains westward to the Geyser Basins of Eirehole Kiver, which he ascended to its source in Madison Lake ; thence to Heart Lake, the source of Snake Kiver ; thence across the mountains to Bridger's Lake, in the valley of the Upper Yellowstone. Descending

12 WONDBBS OF THE YELLOWSTONE.

this stream to where it enters Yellowstone Lake, he returned by the east shore of the lake to Pelican Creek ; thence across the country to the Falls of the Yellowstone ; thence over the mountains to the East Fork of the Yellowstone, which he followed to its junction with the main stream.

In the meantime, a large and thoroughly-organized scientific party, under Dr. F. V. Hayden, U. S. geologist, were making a systematic survey of the region traversed by Colonel Barlow. The work done by this party is briefly summarized by Dr. Hayden as follows :

" From Fort Ellis, we passed eastward over the divide, between the drainage of the Missouri and Yellowstone, to Bottlers' Ranch. Here we established a permanent camp, leaving all our wagons and a portion of the party. A carefal system of meteorological observations was kept at this locality for six weeks. From Bottlers' Ranch we proceeded up the valley of the Yellowstone, survey ea the remarkable hot springs on Gardiner's River, The Grand Canon, Tower Falls, Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, thence into the basin proper, prepared charts of all the Hot Spring groups, which were very numerous, and continued up the river to the lake. We then commenced a systematic survey of the lake and its surroundings.

FIBST EXPLORATIONS. 13

Mr. Sclionborn, with his assistant, made a careful survey of the lake and the mountains from the shore, and Messrs. Elliott and Carrington surveyed and sketched its shore-lines from the water in a boat. Careful soundings were also made, and the greatest depth was found to be three hundred feet. From the lake I proceeded, with Messrs. Schonborn, Peale, and Elliott to the Firehole Valley, by way of East Fork of the Madison ; then ascended the Firehole Valley. We made careful charts of the Lower and Upper Geyser Basin, locating all the principal springs, and determining their temperatures. We then returned over the mountains by way of the head of Firehole Eiver, explored Madison Lake, Heart Lake, etc. After having completed our survey of the lake, we crossed over to the headwaters of the East Fork by way of the valley of Pelican Creek, explored the East Fork to its junction with the main Yellowstone, and thence to Bottlers' Ranch, which we reached on the 28th of August. From this place we passed down the Yellowstone, through the lower caiion, to the mouth of Shield's River, to connect our work with that of Colonel Wm. F. Raynolds, in 1860. From there we returned to Fort Ellis."

It is safe to say that no exploring expedition on this continent ever had a more interesting field of investigation, or ever studied so many grand, curious and wonderful aspects of nature in so short a time.