Shortly after dinner the news was circulated that a religious service
was to be held in the office of the camp, where the guests assembled
around the large fireplace. I learned from some friends that our party
was expected to conduct the meeting. Later, the manager asked me to
take charge of the service. She said that it would be impossible to
get the people in until after 8:30 o'clock, as Old Faithful would be
due to make a display about that time, and that the great searchlight
from the hotel would be turned on the geyser when the water reached
its maximum height. This caused much excitement among the guests, and
every person sought the best position to get a view of the display.
Immediately afterward the people gathered in for the service. Song
books were passed around and a lively interest was taken in the
singing, in which nearly every one joined. My brother and his wife
sang a number of pieces together which greatly pleased the audience.
My brother then preached a short sermon and I followed, giving them
some interesting history concerning the Pillar of Fire church. This
seemed to be the subject in which most of them were interested, and I
was glad to be able to give them the information they desired. There
is so much akin to the supernatural in the Yellowstone it made the
preaching of the Gospel easy on this occasion.
The day, after having been full of interest and inspiration, closed
with a message of salvation for the people, which was best of all.
Many gathered around us to express their appreciation of the service.
The next morning I arose refreshed and ready to finish the tour of the
Upper Geyser Basin, which contains twenty-six geysers and more than
four hundred hot pools and springs. A party of "hikers," with a guide,
started out about nine o'clock to make the rounds before luncheon. I
was not quite sure that I could keep up with them, but as many of the
places are not accessible to vehicles I had to make the attempt or
miss my opportunity.
The basin is drained in the center by the Firehole River. Everywhere
steaming hot springs are seen, also mounds and cones of geyserite. In
this basin, within a square mile, are the grandest and mightiest
geysers in the world. There are pools of scalding water whose
marvelous beauty and delicacy of coloring cannot be described.
Everywhere are undulations crowned with geyser cones, or hot spring
vents of a grayish white appearance. In places, the earth trembles,
strange rumblings are heard, and the air is heavy with sulphurous
fumes. How could it be otherwise but that a person should feel that he
is in close proximity to the Inferno which Dante so vividly described!
The RIVERSIDE GEYSER, on the banks of the Firehole River, plays, we
were told, "Over the River" at intervals of six or seven hours.
Sometimes eruptions occur more frequently for a period of several
days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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