Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-07
Glaciers in the Wind River Noun
tainS.

BY DR.. F. V. HAYDEN.
so TAR as am now aware no true glaciers had
ever been discovered TO exist in the territories
OF the United States east Of the Pacific coast
until the past season, when a division Of the
survey under my charge observed one on the
east side of Wind River Peak, and two on the
east side OF Fremont'S Peak.
The glacier on the east side of Wind River
Peak has all the elements OF true glacier. 1t
Is about 900 yards in length and 500 in average
breadth. Many OF the mountains in the vicinity
are dome-Shaped, much smoothed, and in some
cases grooved or scratched showing very clearly
the action OF glaciers at a former period. A
number of lakes are scattered about in the de-
preSSiOnS among the mountains, all bearing
proofs OF their glacial origin. But the glaciers
Oh the east side OF FremOnts Peak are the most
important, and are examples OF perfect gla-
clerS An English gentleman, Mr. Jas EcCie5,
who has spent most OF his summers for the past
fifteen years among Alpine glaciers, at the first
mature glaciers. The upper one, that hugs the
base OF the peak, was estimated as covering a
base OF about Ia square miles; the lower one,
= OF a square mile. We named them Upper
and Lower Fremont Glaciers.
The east side OF FremOnt's Peak is a nearly
vertical wall, abovt 5000 feet high, extending
down into large amphitheater surrounded
with nearly vertical wall OF gneiss, 1,O90 to
200 feet high, the upper portion OF which
SHOWS the marks OF erosion In ancient times by
the enormous masses of ice and snow that eX-
lSted during the true glacial period, OF which
the present small forms are only insignificant
remnants. The upper portion OF the larger one
OIL Jne glaciers extends up The side OF the noun
tam ana Is composed of snow and ice, while at
the very base the upper portion seems detached
from the lower. forming large chaSm or ere
vase 20 to 80 feet across. The middle portion
was formed of solid ice, while the lower was
covered with snow. On the sides were small
mOraineS, aud also a terminal moraine The
stream that flowed from beneath was full OF
mud IN suspension, as il placer mining were 60
.ng on at its source.
The lower glacier is connected with the uD-
per, but there is q descent of 10 or ~ feet to
IL from the upper. They are separated also in
the middle by a large mass OF gneiSS, so that
they may properly be called by different names
On the west side of FremOnt'S, there Is an am
phltheater about 10 miles long and wide, COW
cred all over With glaciated granite rocks and
hundreds OF small lakes, from few rods
to mile in extent There are the marks
OF the old glacial period. These proofs are
most conspicuous along the western mar
gins of the Wind river range, from South
Pass to Union Pass, distance of eighty
miles. There are no unchanged Sedimentary
beds older than the Wahsatch group while the
entire western half is covered with enormous
mOrainal ridges. In glacial times there must
have been one vast glacier extending 90 or 50
miles from north to SOUTH and at least ~ miles
in direct line from east to west, while the
arms or branches extending along every gorge
or channel Of stream, to the divide.
But shall not extend these remarks further.
as l hope at the April meeting to read two
papers On the geological structure of the Wind
River mountains, and another on the "Old mo-
ra1neS of those mountains and the TetOns
[Science Ners