The Crater of the Mud Volcano
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The Crater of the Mud Volcano

Image Not Available
Photograph

William I. Marshall

Maker
American, 1840–1906

The Crater of the Mud Volcano

From Yellowstone National Park Views


1876
Albumen silver prints
Image (each): 3 1/4 × 2 15/16 in. (8.3 × 7.5 cm)
Mount: 3 3/8 × 6 7/8 in. (8.6 × 17.5 cm)
Museum accession
1981.7805.0003
Inscriptions Printed in brown ink on recto LC: Published by W.I. Marshall, Fitchburg, Mass. \ Awarded a Diploma and Medal at U.S. Centennial Exhibition.
Printed in brown ink on recto RC: YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK VIEWS \ Catalogue sent on application. Orders by mail filled promptly.
Printed in black ink, on applied label, on verso, OVERALL: The National Park \ This Park, the largest in the world, area 3578 sq. \ is on both sides (but mainly on E. side) of the main \ range of the Rocky Mts., in N.W. of Wyoming \ Territory, U.S. of A. It was made a National Park by \ Act of Congress, approved March 1, 1872, and contains \ a far greater number and variety of natural wonders, \ lakes, cataracts, canons, mud volcanoes, solfataras, \ fumaroles, ornamental hot springs, spouting geysers, \ etc., than any other equal area on the globe. \ MUD VOLCANO SERIES. \ Subject Underlined. \ No. 51. The Grotto at Mud Volcanoes. \ " 52. The Crater of the Mud Volcano. \ The Grotto at Mud Volcano, on the west bank of the \ Yellowstone River ( see Nos. 56 to 73, and 117 to 121, in- \ clusive), in an opening about 3 feet high, 8 feet \ wide, and 20 feet deep, into a sandstone rock, from which \ great clouds of steam escape in pulsations, each accom- \ panied by a loud roar, and by the dashing, horizontally, \ of the clear water, nearly boiling hot, against the rocky \ sides, only a very small quantity (estimated at not more \ than 10 gallons an hour) escaping. The top of the Grotto \ resembles a Gothic arch, coated with moss and iron. A \ few rods south of the Grotto is the Giant's Caldron, an \ opening nearly vertical on the side of a steep hill. It is \ about 30 feet in diameter, and the same deep, funnel- \ shaped, and at the bottom a disgusting blackish green, \ thin mud is constantly pulsating back and forth at pulsa- \ tions similar to those of the Grotto, but much more vio- \ lent, jarring the ground, and making noise enough to be \ heard a mile away. No picture could convey any idea of \ its horribe appearance. A little below it is the Crater \ of the Mud Volcano shown in No. 52. It spouts once in \ 4 hours from the deepest pool in the center, its eruptions \ lasting about 12 minutes, throwing an immensive volume of \ thick, muddy water of a light slate color, and boiling hot, \ to a height varying from 20 to 40 feet, with much noise \ and immense clouds of steam. There are several other \ mud volcanoes in the group, and all of them smell strongly \ of sulphuretted hydrogen, and have deposits of sulphur \ formed about their margins (for Geyeser Views, see Nos. \ 7 to 44, and for Gardiner's River and Mammoth Hot \ Springs, see Nos. 79 to 116.)

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