With God in the Yellowstone Part 5

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.

GROTTO GEYSER has the most attractive formation of any geyser in the park. The Washburn party named it in 1870. Its eruptions are irregular, occurring at intervals of two to eight hours and lasting from fifteen minutes to eight hours. Sometimes the Grotto ceases and the ROCKET plays to a height of fifty feet. After it has ceased, the Grotto resumes action.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RIVERSIDE GEYSER _Haynes, St. Paul_]

The GIANT GEYSER, south of the Grotto, is the highest in the world. We found a person near it in soldier's uniform who said he had been waiting there a week to see it play. Its maximum height is 250 feet, which is reached during the first twenty minutes of its eruption. Its cone is ten feet high with one side partly broken off. Eruptions occur every seven to twelve days.

Near the Giant are three "boiling caldrons," CATFISH, BIJOU, and MASTIFF. These are supposed to be indicators, but it is uncertain whether the eruptions of the Giant are foretold by them.

The DAISY is a very beautiful and reliable geyser, erupting every one and a half to two hours. Seventy-five feet is its maximum height.

The BONITA POOL, across the road, acts as an indicator.

The BRILLIANT is a beautiful blue hot spring and near to it is the COMET, which has built up a small cone of geyserite.

When our party reached Castle Geyser on a hill opposite the Giantess, our guide called attention to the fact that the Giantess was in action. Our time was limited, but every member of the party wanted to cross the bridge and go to Geyser Hill and get as near to its crater as possible. We did so, and it was at this time, during the steam period, when the water had receded, that I got a glimpse into its awful depths; and trembled at the yawning chasm which threatened to engulf us. It looked as if it might be connected with the place where the king of darkness dwells and his organized forces operate. We had only a few minutes to tarry, and hastened back to the vicinity of Castle Geyser to renew the journey.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GIANT GEYSER _Haynes, St. Paul_]

I was grateful for this little diversion, which broke in on the regular program of the tour, feeling that I had been fortunate to see at least one eruption from the crater of the Giantess.

MORNING-GLORY SPRING, or GEYSER, as it is sometimes called, was to me the climax in beauty of all the springs in the geyser basins. It looked as if it might be a gem of Paradise that had survived the curse. It appears to be a ma.s.s of many-colored liquids, resembling a giant morning-glory, hence its name.

CHAPTER VIII

THE BOTTOMLESS PIT

Proof is often asked for statements made that h.e.l.l is located in the center of the earth. John, as recorded in the 20th chapter of Revelation, said,

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the BOTTOMLESS PIT and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the BOTTOMLESS PIT, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled."

Where else could the bottomless pit be but in the center of this earth, when it is implicitly stated that the angel came down from heaven with the chain to bind Satan? Ours is the sphere for which he is contending and where he has so long deceived the nations. Where else could the angel lock him up but on the inside of the earth?

In the 16th chapter of Numbers we have an account of Korah's company, who murmured and rebelled against the Lord, and Moses, in trying to show how great was their crime against G.o.d, said,

"If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the PIT; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

"And it came to pa.s.s, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the PIT, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also."

[Ill.u.s.tration: GROTTO GEYSER _Haynes, St. Paul_]

In the first chapter of Job, we have an account of a controversy between the Lord and Satan. And the Lord said unto Satan,

"Whence comest thou?"

Then Satan answered, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

The Lord asked Satan if he had considered His servant Job, a perfect and an upright man, one who "feareth G.o.d, and escheweth evil."

Satan, unwilling to admit Job's loyalty to G.o.d, said,

"Hast not thou made an hedge about him, ... on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."

The Lord took the challenge, and said,

"Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand."

It follows that calamity fell upon Job's household, and he lost his sons and his daughters and all that he had. And again Satan presented himself before the Lord, after he had lost in the battle with Job, who maintained his integrity through his afflictions, and sinned not nor charged G.o.d foolishly.

The second time the Lord said unto Satan,

"Whence comest thou?"

And again the answer was, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

Here is an admission from Satan himself which proves without a doubt where he dwells; and it is here that the mighty angel will capture him and bind him with a great chain and lock him up in the center of this earth for a thousand years. It is comforting to know that Job won in the second battle, after Satan had afflicted him with boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, and so will Satan be defeated at the closing up of this age, when judgments shall fall upon the wicked, as upon Korah's company, and great demonstrations of G.o.d's power be seen and felt.

Jude speaks of the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitations (that is, came down to earth) whom G.o.d "hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." He also makes mention of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. These are but a few of the instances mentioned in the Scriptures showing the location of h.e.l.l, which is the abode of the wicked, and where Diabolus has his throne.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SAPPHIRE POOL--BISCUIT BASIN _Haynes, St. Paul_]

The impression that was made on the explorers of the Yellowstone regions is indicated by certain names that were given to some places, such as "Devil's Kitchen," "Devil's Frying Pan," "Black Growler,"

"h.e.l.l Broth Springs," "Devil's Hoof," "Devil's Inkwell," "h.e.l.l's Half Acre," etc.

That the suggestion of these things should be a mere freak, or fancy of the mind is out of the question, when there is so much scriptural proof to the contrary.

Man has been created in the image of G.o.d, and a little lower than the angels (Heb. 2:7). There is a voice that speaks to the soul when all others are hushed. Intuitively he knows that punishment awaits the wicked, however much he may try to stifle his conscience and evade the issue.

The only way to escape the wrath that is to come, is through the atoning blood, the efficacy of which is proved when conditions are met. "Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22).

[Ill.u.s.tration: PUNCH BOWL _Haynes, St. Paul_]

The PUNCH BOWL is situated in a narrow divide in the valley. Its rim is ornamented with yellow, saffron, and red. It is one of the gems of beauty in the upper basin, and is so located as to revive the spirits of those who, starting out on foot, from the Upper Basin Camp and Old Faithful Inn, have grown weary in making the tour. When our guide called it out, I felt that I could go no farther without resting, but after tarrying a few minutes, and admiring its beauty, I was refreshed. I was, perhaps, the only one in the company who was overtaxed physically, and had to trust to the good will of the guide not to leave me too far behind. He kindly took notice, and halted, giving everybody a few minutes to rest, while he explained the scientific action of the geysers.

These beautiful springs in remote places reminded me of the gems of salvation that are obtained only through sacrifice and suffering.

There is always a price to be paid for anything that is of worth. It cost me something to visit some of them on foot, but I was well paid.