"It Roars Like a Mad Dragon"

"It Roars Like a Mad Dragon". S.E. Matthews, Soda Springs Geyer Corporation, December 1937. , Many Oregon and California bound emigrants mention seeing ten to twelve foot hight white mounds and cones in their diaries and journals while passing through the Soda Springs area in the mid-1800s. Often, one of the first natural curiosities that they encountered was Pyramid Spring. , In the 1937, several local businessmen attempted to find and divert hot water from Pyramid Spring to develop a commercial bathhouse and health resort. On November 28th, at a depth of 315 feet, their hopes and dreams seemed within reach. The drilling rig struck a gas chamber, and shortly after drilling ceased for the day hot water began gushing upward more than forty feet. The next day, after the 3500 pound bit was removed, the ground shook as if it were about to split open and a roaring gusher of more than 70 feet streamed upward from the valve. After several days, the hissing hot water began to cool and become laden with mineral content (hard water), rendering it undesirable for use as a bathhouse. Two weeks later the drilling riggers were able to finally cap the gusher. , The hordes of tourists that the businessmen anticipated, never came. But the geyser did attract attention. Within weeks, the Secretary of the Interior sent a telegram to Soda Springs asking the City to turn off the geyser because "...it is throwing the world famous 'Old Faithful Geyser' of schedule." Today, Soda Springs' Captive Geyser has a timer on the valve that permits it to erupt every hour on the hour throughout the year.