Filmy Jet of Beehive Geyser, Upper Basin, Yellowstone Nat. Park, Wyo., The

Publication

Filmy Jet of Beehive Geyser, Upper Basin, Yellowstone Nat. Park, Wyo., The

Description

THE FILMY JET OF BEEHIVE GEYSER, UPPER BASIN, YELLOWSTONE PARK. "Opposite our camp, on the E. side of the Firehole River, is a symmetrical cone resembling an old fashioned straw beehive with the top cut off. It is about five ft. in diameter at its base, with an irregular oval-shaped orifice having escalloped edges and of 24 by 36 inches interior diameter. No one supposed that it was a geyser and until this morning, among so many wonders, it had escaped a second notice. Suddenly while we were at breakfast this morning a column of water shot from it which by quite accurate triangular measurement proved to be 218 ft. in height." In these words Nathaniel P. Langford, of the Washburn Expedition, recorded the first observed eruption of the shapely Beehive Geyser on Sept. 18, 1870. Thousands of visitors since that time have enjoyed the beauty of the slender spray shooting up from the Beehive's nozzle-like opening, but none with the delighted wonder of those first discoverers, to whose eyes every marvel of the Yellowstone came as the vision of San Salvador came to the eyes of Columbus. The Beehive today is credited with throwing a stream 200 ft. high, but its eruptions are very irregular. When they occur there are generally 3 to 5 of them at 12-hour intervals following the eruptions of the Giantess. This monster, the msot conspicuous on Geyser Hill, becomes active at periods of from 10 to 20 days. Its terrific convulsions, in which it throws tons of water to a height of from 160 to 200 ft., are accompanied by shocks and tremors resembling earthquakes, and an eruption, including the subsequent steam period, lasts from 12 to 24 hours. (View looking W. Elev. 7,350 ft. Lat. 45° N.; Long. 111° W.)