Sharp County record., 1880-12-30

and dash against each other; crevasses
[cracks in the ice, ten and twenty
feet wide, opened before our eyes with
fearful crash, and others, suddenly
closing, drove to great height the
water which they contained" When
these cracks do not close up, or, as IS
frequently the case, do not extend to
the bottom of the glacier, the melted
ice-water flows down their sides, to col
lect at the bottom, and, in doing so, pol
ishes the ice to a beautiful marine green.
| saw a guide on the GrOner glacier
pause over crevasse many yards
wide and nearly filled with water
and such was its depth that, after
he had hurled his heavy alpen-
stock down through the water, some
time elapsed fact, thought it lost
before it shot up through the green
surface. If the water flows into a well
from between the layers of ice, a weird
sound NAV be heard coming up from
the depths, that has been well COM
pared to the tinkling of q silver bell The
smaller cracks in the ice become light
| " covered bv frost or snow, and the
careless traveller runs the risk Of break
| inc through these frail nOw-bridges,
and losing his life. Such accidents are
prevented by the members of a party
linking themselves together with a
strong, light rope and in case one per-
son breaks through, the others prevent
him from falling any distance. Several
lives have been lost in Switzerland,
during the past season, through the neg
lect OF this precautiOn.
1t is at the lowest portion Of glacier
however, that more signs Ofits destruc-
ton are to be seen than elsewhere. The
melting ice at the end ofthe Glacier deS
Bois often forms an ice-vault, or pOrtico
one hundred feet high from the bottom
of which rushes out the yellowish,
frothy glacier-water. When the vault
becomes top-heavy, it breaks in upon
the stream with q laundering crash.
One winter one of these vaults was sup
ported by a regular and beautifully
fluted column composed Of icicleS. The
lower part of an ice-riVer sometimes
forms delightful picture, with its
hower-cOvered banks, rye-feld, per-
haps growing at one side, and the ears
of ripening rye nOdding over the ice.
On one of the most beautiful Alpine
routes, the bridle-path leads over green
pastures and alps decked with rhodo-
dendrons and patches of vivid and
countless wild-fowers; passing in view
of magnihcently SCARED and broken
wall of ice and snow twenty-five
miles long, which pierces the
clouds, and increases in grandeur
almost throughout the whole
distance. About the middle Of the Sec
Ond day of the journey we would find
ourselves, after a good dinner, seated
in comfortable chair within a seeming
stones throw of that majestic mountain,
the Jungfrau, its summit and higher
portions covered with snow Of the most
brilliant purity, while one Of its minor
peaks, called the silver horn, is perfectly
dazzling. Here, seated in safety and
ease, we might, on a warm day, be
greeted by the rush and bomb Of an
avalanche. At the distance, though
seemingly near, it would appear like a
small white cascade curling up white
pufs of snow, but IN reality it would
consist of many tons of ice and snow
powerful enough to cut its way through
any obstacle. though there harmlessly
hurling itself into a deserted valley.
There are many celebrated Alpine
points from which to view the glaciers.
In descending from one of these higher
overlooking mountains, the ascent to
which had led US half hour over ice
and snow, the distance was cOnsidera-
bly, shortened by safe and eXEilarating
slide on the smooth ice covered with
downv snow. Itreduced the half hour
to few minutes, but I had no wish to
repeat the experiment. We simply had
to take seat on the snow near the
edge of the incline, give slight push,
and before we knew what happened the
bottom of the snow-feld was reached
The drawbacks were shoes and garments
filled with snow, followed the next day
by frosted toes-in August, too.
Near Mount Rosa, in 1861, some men,
bers of the Alpine Club discovered a
peculiarly grand and beautiful crevaSse,
followed out into a long cavern formed
like the letter G. The walls were of a
transparent blue color, arched over
from the sun, "while from the roof
above hung down a forest Of long, clear
icicles, each adorned with two or three
lace-like fringes of hoar frost" They
were seeking shelter from a sudden
gale of wind, and to enter the cavern
were forced to sweep these beautiful
decorations down with their poles.
The Rhone glacier is imbedded be-
tween the Gersthorn and the Galen
stock and extends backward like huge
terrace for a distance of fifteen miles.
As its name denotes, it is the source Of
the river Rhone. At the foot of this
glacier, an ice-grotto is hewn into the
mass of clear blue ice. TO the right is
seen the Furca road ascending the
mountain in long zig-zags.
The Grand Mulets is 10000 feet above
the level of the sea, and is the point
reached by travellers on the first day s
ascent of Mont Blanc. During the sec
ond day, they reach the summit and re-
turn to Grand Mulets and on the third
they descend to Chamounix. 1t was in
the vale of Chamounix that the English
poet, Coleridge, wrote his beautiful
:, II,-,,, boforo CupriSa - oOptainir,c m