Wonder Of The Yellowstone

A correspondent of the .Philadclphia Press who acconipanies the Hayden exploring expedition, writes from Madisoa Itivcr, Montana : On reaching tho Grand Canon of thé Yellówstono we spent several daya in eiamiuing it moro in detail than we did last year. I described the canon last year ; I will, therefore only refer to it now. Many readers of the Press no doubt bave sefcn Thomas Moran 's great painting of it, and many pcrhaps have exclaimed, "Impossiblo; it is exaggerated ; tho colora are too bright." Not so. In fact, no artist can hope to depict oxactly the oolors of nature as seen here. Moran has approached it as nearly as is possible lor anythiug human to do it. Ho has heightened nothing. Thoso of the expedition who saw tho canon for the first timo agreed that tho reality far exceeded their anticipation, while those who saw it for tho second time found new points of beauty and grandeur. Tho width of tho canon, as determined by triangulation, ia 1,100 ïeet, whilo the dopth of the lower f all (the heart of tho canon)" is 800 feet. This increases to over 1,000 foet a shoré distance below. Ournextstopping placo wasat Mud Yolcanoes, on tho Yellowstone River. Ai this place, which is one of tho most interesting in the National Park, there are threo springs of peculiar interest, viz : " The Mud Geyser," " the Grotto," and the " Devil's Cauldron." Tho spring of the Mud Geyser is nbout sixty feet in diameter, situated in a basin, the diameter of which is about 200 feet. The ernptiori takes placo with great regularity overy four hours añd eighteen minutes. Aftor the eruption, tho water folla rapidly for an hour, when it begins to rise vory slowly. As the time of action approaches; there is a bubbling in tho center of the spring, until suddenly the water is thrown into the air with great violence. The maximum height, which is about forty feet, is roachod ncar tho end of the action, which t'.H'ii becomes more and more violent until suddenly it ends. Tho contrast betwoen the action and its rest is very striking. It is like a calm aftcr a storm. Tho Grotto is a cave threo feet high and eight feet widf, out by tho water in sandstone. Abo o tho opening th rocks have tho shape of a gothie whoso sidus are covered with bright green vegutation nourished by the stoam. The spring itself is aboat twenty feet back from the mouth of the cave, and from it' the titeam escapes in puffs with a throbtdng noiso like that of an engino. Tho tempenituro of the water is 182 degv Fahrenheit. Tho Devil's Cauldron is tho most horrible-looliiiiK spring in the group.' It is a mud crate, '10 feet in diameter and 30 fuet doop. It is funnel-shaped, sloj)ing in to u diameter of 15 feet ut the bot torn. Tho steam escapes from it in au immense column that Can be seen for miles, while tho thick black mud of tho bottom is constantly boiling. Tho trees about tho Oauidron are boatod witn mud to their topmost brinch(.s. One of tho party, a yonng F.njrlishnicn, on scoins; the Cauldron lor the tirsttiino, exelaimeJ,' " If this is iiot heil,' surely it is tho bacfcdoor to it."