The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-07-12
JULY ~, 1855.
From the American Asrieu.tari.,

The Glaciers
1t is we'll known that at certain height
above the level of the sea, mountains are COW
cred with snow throughout the wear This
point OF elevation is called the cline Of perpet-
ual congelation.'' Many suppose that the
snow never melts above this line. Herein y
a mistake. The line of perpetual concelation
is determined solely by the fact that during
single revolution of the seasons. ali the snow
that falls in that year is melted, and no more
If the snow never melted. the highest noun
tains on the globe, would be continually in
creasing in size and elevation. But such is
not the fact. At the equator. the line of per
petual congelation is at l6 ,C00 feet above the
sea. In Switzerland it falls 10 s. 700 feet
The line varies with the latitude Every snow
clad mountain is not a glacier The glaciers
are no. found in all places where the cold is
sufficient to form them. They are peculiar 10
certain ranges of mountains. They I'LL the
valleys among the Alps. Each glacier re
sembles mighty river, instantaneously con
geaed. Its surface corresponds with the de
cining bed on which it rests. except that it Is
thrown into swells and ridges, resembling the
waves of the ocean In a storm. 1t is. literal
", iyozen torrent. The snow tha. falls
upon it in winter disappears in summer, and
the frozen current is constantly in motion, al
vancing to the plains below How remarka-
BILE is this phenomenon: lis lower extremity IS
daily thrust forward into the green and sunny
wales at the foot of the mountain, Immense
quaint titles of earth and rocks are forced along.
by this solid mass of ice. into the cultivated
regions below. The glacier. therefore, is
wasted at the base and renewed at the top.
The progress made by these frozen streams
varies in different valleys and in different
wears The "Mer de Glace,'' the largest OF
the Swiss glaciers, moved one year only 40
feet: in another year, 442 feet. The velocity
of different portions of the mass also
varies. The middle moves faster than the
sides. The lower end of the glacier is al
ways invading the cultivated fields of the peas
ants. If the motion be slow, the extremity
mels away as fast it advances, yielding a
cold, turbid stream of water at It's base. Ii II
moves more rapidly, it often presses forw ard
mound of earth and gravel and buries the
arabic land to great depth with the debris OF
the mountain. These hills or ridges thus
formed are called 'tmoraines." Sometimes the
i fruits Of autumn ripen within few feet of the
melting ice. Travellers say they have picked
ripe cherries from trees while standing upon
the glacier.
j In 1920, at a place called "Hameau des
Bois.' the glacier made sudden descent on
the arabic lands, driving huge blocks of gran
ite up TO the very doors OF the inhabitants,
and leaving, within hundred yards Of their
! homes. formidable bulwark of earth and
i boulders. bevond which all vegetation ceases
Huge rocks are also carried by these moving
torrents Of ice upon their surface: and when
they are gradually undermined by the thawine
of the ice. they are pitched into the green
valley below Thus the citizens live in con
slant peril in those places where this sistles,
foe of agriculture drives forward its desola
ting engines.
The cause of the motion of glaciers has
never been clearly aScertained. Different the
orics have been proposed to solve the problem
the most important of which are those of "di
lation and .'gravitation.' According 10 tho
theory of diation, 1.-The tide is supposed To be
pressed onwards by an internal swelling o
its parts. occasioned BY rapid alterations o
freezing and thawing of its parts. rather by
the formation continually OF minute crevices
into which water derived from the warmth 0
the sum- and the action of the air the sur
face, is introduced and where it is frozen by
the gold of the glacier W hose bulk 1t thus IN
creases." 1t is we'll known that water expand:
when it congeaS con the theory of gravity
the weight Of the superintendent mass Of ic'
is the sole cause of its motion. The ice lying
on an inclined plane or rock. is supposed tc
>Iiut over IL, Ul lts natural teHdcHtS ~ NS
scend aided by the action of the earth
warmth. which prevents its being frozen at th'
bottom"
Lieut. Forbes, who has spent much time il
Investigating the matter, finds, as he thinks
insuperable objections to both theories, ant
advances third of his own invention, THAT
glacier is an imperfect fluid, or siscous bod,
which is urged down slopes of certain inch
nation, BY the mutual pressure Of its parts.
MIND THE DOOR.