"
In sixteen minutes the flow of waters ceased, and a rush of saturated
steam succeeded. At the same time the fierce swish of ascending waters
and of descending cascades ceased, and a clear, definite note, as of a
trumpet, exceeding long and loud, was blown. No archangel could have
done better. As the steam rolled skyward it was condensed, and a very
heavy rain fell on about an acre at the east as it was drifted by the
air. It looked more like lines of water than separated drops. I found
it thoroughly cooled by its flight in the upper air.
I climbed the huge natural masonry, and stood on the top. I could have
put my hand into the hot rushing of measureless power. What a sight it
was! There were the brilliant colors of the throat, open, three feet
wide, and the dazzling whiteness of the steam. At thirty-two minutes
from the beginning the steam suddenly became drier, like that close to
the spout of a kettle, or close to the whistle of an engine. All pure
steam is invisible. At the same time the note of the trumpet
distinctly changed. The heavy rain at the east as suddenly stopped.
The air could absorb the present amount of moisture. One could see
farther down the terrible throat that seemed about to be rent asunder.
The awful grandeur was becoming too much for human endurance. The
contorted forms of rocks on the summit began to take the forms and
heads of dragons, such as the Chinese carve on their monuments.
Pages:
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88