The Yosemite, Alaska, and the Yellowstone . crater of the Excelsior Geyser. This immense pit ofirregular outline is 330 ft. in length and 200 ft. wide at the widest geyser has eruptions every fourth year. The first record of this mostpowerful of all geysers is as follows : Colonel Norris asserts that he at first heard its spoutings at a pointsix miles distant, but reached the scene too late to witness them, althoughhe saw the effects of the eruption upon the Firehole Paver, which was so 184 The Yosemite, Alaska, and the Yelloirstone. swollen by the flood as to wash away some bridges
The Yosemite, Alaska, and the Yellowstone . crater of the Excelsior Geyser. This immense pit ofirregular outline is 330 ft. in length and 200 ft. wide at the widest geyser has eruptions every fourth year. The first record of this mostpowerful of all geysers is as follows : Colonel Norris asserts that he at first heard its spoutings at a pointsix miles distant, but reached the scene too late to witness them, althoughhe saw the effects of the eruption upon the Firehole Paver, which was so 184 The Yosemite, Alaska, and the Yelloirstone. swollen by the flood as to wash away some bridges over the small streamsbelow. In February, 1880, the Excelsior became frightfully violent in itseruptions, causing the earth to rumble, and filling the valley with densevapour. The period of action began about 10 , gradually becominglater every night, until on the 1st of July, the eruption took place at10 , showing a loss of 12 hours during nine months. Colonel Norrisreported that in the summer of 1880 the power of the eruptions was. Fig. 126. The Splendid Geyser. almost incredible, elevating sufficient water to heights of from 100 ft. to300 ft. to render the Firehole River, here nearly 100 yards wide, a foamingtorrent of steaming hot water, and hurling rocks of from 1 lb. to 100 weight, like those from an exploded mine, over surrounding acres. TheExcelsior has increased in activity ever since, giving two or more displaysdaily, sending out a compact body of water from 60 ft. to 75 ft. in diameterto a height varying from 60 ft. to 300 ft. It is a sufficiently awe-inspiringexperience, as the writer can affirm, to stand at the verge of this steaming The Lower Geyser Formation, 185 lake, upon the hollow crust which projects over the boiling water, and peerdown upon the agitated surface as the clouds of scalding vapour areoccasionally lifted by the breeze. But when this geyser is in action, theawful noise and concussion produced by the falling water, accompanied byrumbl
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