SULPHUR. The demand for this mineral, for the purpose of preventing and curing the skin and hoof diseases of the sheep, increases, as does the animal, grazing upon the grassy slopes and terraced foot-hills of these mountain regions, where they are proving very profitable to their owners; and, as no refining of the substance is necessary for this and similar purposes, all thus needed by ranchmen could be readily obtained in the National Park, if they are allowed to do so, which has not been done further than to test its fitness and invite propositions. At the suggestion of the Hon. John Sherman, while we were visiting Sulphur Mountain during the past season, several excavations were made in the sulphur deposits of that and other localities, in order to learn something of their depth and quality. The uniform result was the finding of sulphur somewhat mixed with geyserite and other substances, in strata, or banding to where we were forced to desist by scalding hot sulphur water, or the stifling fumes arising from the deposit, at depths ranging from 3 to 6 feet from the surface. Specimens of these have been forwarded, with those of obsidian, geyserite, &c., to the National Museum for exhibition, as well as to ob tain an opinion regarding their practical value. Although in this first search for beds of sulphur no heavy deposits cold enough to be worked were found, still I deem it far from conclusive evidence that none such exist, which may yet be found and profitably worked, if it be considered best to allow its being done. Hence, I suggest the propriety of allow ing the search to be made by some responsible person or company, under a lease, allowing the mining and sale thereof of a limited quantity, and for a restricted length of time, and under such regulations as may be thought necessary and proper. While I do not in this desire to represent that any great revenue will immediately accrue to assist in the protection and improvement of the park, I see little danger of loss or injury in exploring some of its nearly countless sulphur deposits, but a certainty of obtaining many specimens of the fragile but beautiful sulphur crystals, and perhaps beds of commercial value, or knowledge of scientific interest. PAINT-POTS. This is a provincialism, or local phrase for the dwindled remnants of salses or mud geysers, which are difficult to describe or comprehend otherwise than by actual view of them. Having in detail described the various kinds of geysers in my last year's report, I here only need to add that from the choking of the supply pipe, or fissure, to the regular intermittent Geyser, or from the bursting out of new ones, many of them dwindle into salses, with only an occa sional eruption of their seething, foaming, muddy contents, and still dwindling in power, while increasing in their density and coloring, as well as the fetid smell, and nauseous, often noxious gasses escaping there from in spasmodic, hissing or gurgling throes or eruptions, become what are called paint pots. These are sometimes in gulches or basins commingled with or bordering the other kinds of geysers, but usually in more or less detached localities, each of which generally exhibits a preponderance of red, yellow, or other coloring characteristic of the predominant iron, sulphur, or other mineral substances of the basin, but in many of them are found closely and irregularly intermingled pools or pots of seething nauseous paint-like substances of nearly every color and shade of coloring known to the arts, and with a fineness of material and brillianey of tinting seldom equalled in the productions of man. Although so brilliant, the colors of these paints are not permanent, but soon fade, and as the deposits are so numerous, accessible, and constantly accumulating, it is a question for scientific research to learn if the addition of lead or other minerals in proper proportions may not render these mineral paints practically valuable. There is direct evidence that the Indians used this paint liberally in adorning or besmearing their persons, their weapons, and their lodges. They also used a much more durable variety of red and yellow paint found in bands, layers, or detached masses, in the cliffs, a notable deposit of which was discovered by myself during the past season in the face of the almost vertical walls of a yawning, impassible earthquake fissue nearly opposite the mouth of Hellroaring Creek, which has evidently been visited by Indians in modern times. C. H. WYMAN: INSTRUCTIONS TO WYMAN. CAMP AT FORKS OF THE FIRE HOLE RIVER, SIR: You are hereby instructed to proceed with George Rowland, and the necessary saddle, pack animals, outfit and provisions to the Lower, Midway, and Upper Geyser Basins, for the purpose of preventing vandalism of geyser cones and other objects of natural interest, and in general attend to the enforcement of the laws, rules, and regulations for the protection and management of the Yellowstone National Park. For the prompt and full performance of this and other duties, you are hereby appointed an agent of the government, with full power of seizure of vandalized articles, and the outfits of those persons committing depredations, at your discretion, in accordance with article seven of the printed rules and regulations of the Superintendent of the Park and the Secretary of the Interior for the management thereof, published May 4, 1881, a copy of which is hereunto attached. (See appendix marked B.) You are also to use due diligence in keeping a record of the weather, making and recording observations of the periods and altitudes of the various geyser eruptions, and especially the Excelsior in the Midway Basin. Weather permitting, you are expected to remain ten or twelve days, returning via the Norris Geyser Basin, there spending at least one day and two nights, carefully noting the geyser eruptions, and, upon reaching headquarters at the Mammoth Hot Springs, make a detailed report in writing. P. W. NORRIS, P. W. NORRIS, Superintendent Yellowstone National Park. MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Yellowstone National Park, October 10, 1881. Superintendent of the Yellowstone National Park: SIR: In compliance with your attached instructions of September 27, I proceeded through the Lower to the Midway Geyser Basin, carefully noting geyser eruptions, until the non-arrival of Rowland necessitated my descending the main Fire Hole River to the Marshall Hotel at night. Returned early upon the morning of the 28th, and Rowland having arrived at noon we made our camp upon the road across the Fire Hole River from the Excelsior Geyser, judging it the nearest safe place for viewing its eruptions, as well as the movements of tourists. A terribly swollen knee, from the effects of a horse kick while in the great cañon of the Gibbon, had not only thus delayed Rowland's arrival, but also, despite his earnest efforts, continued to seriously curtail his proposed observations of geyser eruptions in the Upper Basin while I was thus engaged in the Midway one. Although the attached report contains the main features of these eruptions, I may properly add that the subterranean rumblings and earth tremblings were often so fearful as to prevent sleep-so great the cloud ascending from the Excelsior Geyser, and so dense and widespread the descending spray, as to obscure the sun at mid-day, and the united mists and fogs as to saturate garments like the spray from a cataract, and often render the nights so pitchy dark as to prevent accurate observations. Most of the rocks, hurled hundreds of feet above the column of water, fall in the foaming pond, but many are strewn over surrounding acres. This monster geyser now seems settling down to regular business, with less powerful but more frequent eruptions than during the summer, but its eruptions fully double the volume of water in the Fire Hole River, here nearly 100 yards wide, 2 or 3 feet deep, here very rapid, mdering it too hot to ford for a long distance. Owing to Rowland's lameness, and the dense fogs in the valleys, the eruptions of the adjacent geysers, as well as those of the Lower Basin and the Geyser Meadows, were ast properly noted; and, although no concert of eruptions was observable, all were un ally active and powerful. Thus also, in the Upper Basin, as noted in the occasional visits of Rowland, as well as during our two days' continuous observations there. Whe Old Faithful was fully sustaining her proverbial reputation for reliability, the Grand Beehive, Castle, Splendid, and others geysers, seemed struggling to rival it; in fact, ali the evidence indicates greater power and activity than during my first visit in 1575, of at any intervening period. The recent severe snow storms tend alike to clear the park of the tourists now in it, and restrict the number of future arrivals this fall, as well as the danger of forest fires and vandalism. En route to the Norris Geyser Basin we had a distant view of geysers in eruption is the Monument Basin, nearly amid the clouds, and others in the cañon of the Gibben, and the Paint Pots, the appearance of all of which, as well as in the Norris Basa indicates unusual activity. In fact, there seems no room to question the marked increas of power and activity of the internal forces throughout the Fire Hole regions. Most respectfully, yours, C. H. WYMAN. Record of the eruptions of the Excelsior Geyser in the Midway Basin, Yellowstone National Park. |