The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-09-01


point opposite the deepest assures and
finest forms and color Of the glacier;
and although the guides would allow
nae but ten minutes, yet in that time,
/ saw three spires of ice, the highest |
should saw, not less than fifteen feet,
fall and disappear in the bed Of the
gorge or source Of the Arve' and with
in few hundred yards of the glaciers
foot. from under which that restless
stream energies with sound and fury
sipnifving an element in Nature, that
taken in connection with its parent,
the glacier, becomes to the naturalist
one of his most interesting studies and
to Man a source of power.
You will be interested in learning
how important service the glacier
performs in the economy of nature.
Those licing, dreary, ponderous mass
es, or fields or seas Of ice, which pro
long the reign Of wixter through the
year, are the source of life and the
springs Of vegetation; locked-up res
ervoirs and sealed fountains, for a sea-
son, by which the vast rivers, travers-
ing large portion of the globe, are
sustained. The summer heat, drying
up other fountains, opens their unfail-
ing supplies in June when the rivers
of the valleys are reduced, in their
parched beds, to rivulets; the torrents
of the Alps, fed by melting glacier
and snow, rush down from mountain
heights and supply the deficiency,
and, when in their most melting mood
! July and August, the rivers and
lakes of Switzerland and Italy are full
/ est.
r The glacier, as you may be aware,
3 retreats and advances according to
the severity and prolongation of the
{ winter; it frequently disappears alto
4 gether aud occasionally reforms.
1t is certain that the Mer de Glaze
e has shrunk considerably. Recent and
, precise observations of Professors
a Forbes and Tyndall have determined
| the average daily motion of this most
: interesting glacier to be about 2 feet
e a day, obviously more in hot and less
G in cold weather.
Il John Phenix insists upon it that
h Joshua must have winked a little wher
Z be commanded the sun to stand still
and | dare say that when we come tC
J. a stand-still on the glacier, although
IS we marked no motion, it nevertheless
Il did move a little
Scientific men compute the number
of glaciers among the Swiss Alps a
six hundred, and the extent OF surface
occupied by Them at one Thousand
square miles, varying from a few
square yards to acres and miles in ex
tent, covering in some instances, whole
districts, and sending arms anC
branches into the inhabited valleys
below the region of forests and belov
, the level at which corn will grow
=, Accidents often occur to the traveie
- while crossing or exploring the gla
, cier
In 1877 shepherd, in driving hi
" flock over the ice to high pasture
or had the misfortune to tumble into on
o. of the assures He fell in the vicini
le ty of the torrent which flowed unde
ID the glacier, and by following up il
IS bed some distance, succeeded /
id reaching the surface by another fs
Il ure, with only a broken arm. A clei
,d gyman of Vevay, M. Moron, was Ell
ok gagged in making some scientific re
of searches upon the glacier, and was l
he the act of leaning over to examine
is singular well-shaped aperture IN th
IT. ice, when the staff on which h
nv leaned gave way and he was preclp
nd tated to the bottom, from which h
he lifeless remains were some days ate
ice recovered. All the evidences OF tn
no power of the glacier, seen on all side
nm interested me intensely, especially IL
cl, noraines of the Mer de Glace and IL
o. enormous piles of rocks at its foo
tv explored the tunnel near the glacier
Inv torrents mouth, an artificial exc
nd walton, with side chambers, exten
,v. ing into the glacier over three-hul
90 dred feet 1t was about six feet big
ms and five feet wide, lighted by candle
nj, the effect on the blue ice being excee
m ingly novel and beautiful.
i'd, The sudden change of temperate
full and the thoughts which naturally G
on cur to the explorer, have decided tie
. dency towards reducing the heat
the ones blood and zeal had the sat
The faction of being the first person aft
nd the guide, to explore another-but
4 Il. la.W