The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-16

900, 600 of cubic feet of ice fell in an in
slant toward the hamlet, the agitation
oi the air causing houses to be twisted
around aud their roofs torn off, while
many others were crushed like almond
shells. In speaking of scene like this,
an eyewitness says: .'It made its pres
ence known by frightful noise; everv-
tbing around us appeared to move of
itself Rocks, apparently solidly fixed
In the ice, began to detach themselves
and dash against each other; crevasses
cracks in the ice, ten and twenty
feet wide, opened before our eyes with
a fearful crash, and others, suddenly
closing, drove to a 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
lce-water flows down their sides, to col
lect at the bottom, and, in doing so, pol
lshes the ice to a beautiful marine green.
saw guide on the Groner glacier
pause over a crevasse many yards
wide and nearly filed with water;
and such was its depth that, after
he had hurled his heavy alpen-
stock down through the water, some
time elapsed---in 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, weird
sound may 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
ly covered by frost or snow, and the
careless traveller runs the risk of break
ing through these frail snow-bridees.
and losing his.life. Such accidents are
prevented by the members of 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 its destruc-
ton are to be seen than elsewhere. The
melting ice at the end of the 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
the stream with a laundering crash.
One winter one of these vaults was sup
ported by regular and beautifully
fluted column composed of icicles. The
lower part of an ice-river sometimes
forms a delightful picture, with its
tlower-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-howers;. passing in view
of a magniGcently Scared and broken
wall of ice and snow twenty-five
miles long, which pierces the
clouds, and y 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
ina comfortable chair within 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 warm day, be
greeted by the rush and bomb of an
avalanche. At the distance, though
seemingly near, it would appear like
small white cascade curling ND white
puffs 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 exhilaratinr
slide on the smooth ice covered with
downy snow. 1t reduced the half hour
to few minutes. but had no wish to
repeat the experiment. We simply had
to take a 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 mem
bers of the Alpine Club discovered a
peculiarly granda and beautiful crevasse,
followed out into 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 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 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
in long zig-zags.
The Grand Mnlets is 10, 600 feet above
he level of the sea, and is the point
reached by travellers on the first days
af Afa,,f Al 1