. Annual report. 1st-12th, 1867-1878. Geology. 116 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEEEITORIES. of trachyte apparently stratified and inclining 10° to 15° from the val- ley. The vegetation grows remarkably rank along the streams and in the valley where the crust of silica does not prevent it. The perpetual warmth caused by the proximity of the springs is undoubtedly very fa- vorable to the growth of plants. We camped the evening of August 5, in the middle of the Tipper Geyser Basin, in the midst of some of the grandest geysers in Fig. the world. Colonel Barlow and Captain Heap, of the United States E
. Annual report. 1st-12th, 1867-1878. Geology. 116 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEEEITORIES. of trachyte apparently stratified and inclining 10° to 15° from the val- ley. The vegetation grows remarkably rank along the streams and in the valley where the crust of silica does not prevent it. The perpetual warmth caused by the proximity of the springs is undoubtedly very fa- vorable to the growth of plants. We camped the evening of August 5, in the middle of the Tipper Geyser Basin, in the midst of some of the grandest geysers in Fig. the world. Colonel Barlow and Captain Heap, of the United States Engineers, were camped on the oi)posite side of the Fire-Hole. Soon after reaching camp a tremendous rumbling was heard, shaking the ground in every direction, and, soon a column of steam burst forth from a crater , near the edge of the east side of the river. Fol- lowing the steam, arose, by a succession of impulses, a col- umn of water, apparently 6 feet in diameter, to the height of 200 feet, while the steam ascended a thousand feet or more. It would be difficult to describe the intense excitement which atten- ded smeh a display. It is prob- able that if we could have re- mained in the valley several days, and become accustomed to all the preliminary warnings, the excitement would have ceasecl, and we could have admired calmly the marvelous ease and beauty with which this column of hot water was held up to that great height for the space of twenty minutes. After the dis- play is over the water settles down in the basin several inches and the temioerature slowly faUs to 150°. We called this the Grand Geyser, for its power seemed greater than any other of which we obtained any knowl- edge in the valley. (Fig, 47.) There are two orifices in one ba- sin ; one of them seems to have no raised rim, and is a very modest-looking spring in a state of quiescence, and no one would for a moment suspect the power that was temporarily slumbering below. The orifice is oblong, 2^ by 4 feet
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