The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-05-12
WONDERS OF SCIENCE.
The Brnlren.e Glaciers of AIasxu


The Bmlnense Glaciers Of Alaska
The study of the geology of California
enabled Prof. Whitney, and others, to
point out the traces Of immense glaciers
which at a time geologically recent hal
existed IN the mountains of Sierra Nc
vada. The climate and the diminuiOn
of the rainfall, consequent upOn COM
parat.vely recent geological changes,
lave, however, caused the disappear
ance of the greatest part Of these, and 1t
was not ii 1870 that Mr. Clarence King
discovered actual glaciers on the north
side of the extinct volcano of Shasta III
Northern California.
From the summit of Shasta, IA, 400
feet above the sea, we look down ON three
consid, rable glaciers. One of these has
a breadth of three or four miles, and
sends branches four or five miles down
the canon. Its thickness is estimated
IN places TO be ct least ], 800 feet, ard
its surface presents great crevasses, two
of them 2, 600 feet long, and thirty or
forty feet wide Glaciers have also boon
found on Mount Rainier, or Tachoma,
Washington Territory, on Mount Hood,
in Oregon, and Ia Alaska
Much moro would be known about the
glaciers of Alaska but for its compare
lively recent settlement, the thinness of
its population even now, and the diff
Guilty Of scientific observation.
The Stickine Is perhaps better known
that any other river IN Alaska, because
OF its being the way back TO the Cassiar
gold mines. 1t is about $50 or 400 miles
long, and navigable for small steamers
$50 miles, flowing first in q general
westerly direction, through grassy, I'M
dulating plains, darkened here and there
with patches of cvergreens, then cTIrving
southwark, and receiving numerous trib
Htaries from the north, it enters the
coast range and sweeps across 1t to the
SEX through valley more than 100 miles
long, and one to three miles wide at the
bottom, and from 8, 900 to 5000 feet
deep, marvelously beautiful and inspir-
ing from end to end. To the apprecia-
tive Observer sailing upti.e river through
the midst OF it MI, tlIe canon for the dis
! lance of about ITO miles is gallery of
sublime pictures, an unbrOken series of
| majestic mountains, glaciers, falls, cas-
! cades, forests, groves, hOwery garden
! spots, grassy meadows IN endless variety
] OF form and mpositiOn-furniture
enough for a dozen YOsemites- while
back OF the walls, and thousands of feet
above them, innumerable peaks and
! spires and domes of ice and snow tower
! grandly into the sky.
About fifteen miles above the mouth
of the river you come to the first of the
| great glaciers, pouring down through
the forest in n shattered ice-cascade
nearly to the level Of the river. Here
the canon is about two miles wide,
| planted with eOttonwoOds along the
banks of the river, and spruce, and fir,
and patches of wild rose and raspberry
extend back TO the grand Yosemite
walls. Twelve miles back to this point
noble view is opened along the SkOot
| River canOn-a group of glacier laden
Alps from 1900 to L, 600 feet high, the
source of the largest tributary of the
Sickino.
Thirty-fve miles above the mouth of
the river the most striking object of all
comes in sight. This is the lower ex-
panded part of the great glacier, meas
urinR about six miles around the snOut,
pushed boldly forward into the middle
of the valley among the trees, while its
sources are mostly hidden. 1t takes its
rise III the heart OF the range, thirty or
forty miles away. Compared with this
the Swiss 7ter dc gldce is a small thing.
1t is called the Ice Mountain" and
seems to have been regarded as a mo-
tionless mass, created on the spot, like
the rocks and trees about, without vent
uring to guess as TO how or when. The
front of the snout IS about BOZ feet high,
but rises rapidly back Ia,r few miles to
q height OF about ], go feet.
Seen through gaps of the trees grow
ing on one of its terminal noraines, as
YOU sail slowly along against the cur
rent, the marvellous beauty of the
chasms and clustered piunacles shows
to fine advantage in the sunshine.
Forbes, Tyndall, Ramsay, Merriman,
Hayes, and other observers, have writ
ten much about the wonderful glaciers
of other parts of the world, and yet the
mystery of the exact period of the
origin of these great muses. of ice in
Alaska is seldom referred to.