The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-01-26
NeNpERs OF aclKEtg.
90 - - 81 40.

sEAe sHnEsssrS1 Glacier oF Asassxa.
The study of the geology If California
enabled Psaf. Wh.tarv. aad others to
point out the Traces If immense rlaciers
which NJ o tifuc geuiagicteily recent hal
.eXistcd il the mountains IT Eiclgt No
We 10. The climate itnd tho dilninutioa
of tho rainfall, consequent upon com
.paratlvely recent geological changes,
Lave, however. caused the disappear
.nlce 81 the greatest part Of these, and 1t
WINS not til 1870 that Mr. Clarence Hing
discovered actual gluciers on Ghe north
side Of the extinct volcano Of Shasta ia
Northern California.
From the summit Of Shasta, II, 400
feet 7bove tho sea, we look down on three
considerable glaciers. One Of thcsa has
q brecdth Of thres OF four miles, and
sends branches four CT five mills down
the canon rs thickness Is estimated
In places To lie ut lest ], 300 feet, and
its surface presents great erevA,sscs, two
OF them 2, 900 feet icag, aud thirty or
forty feet wide. GLA,ers have also been
found on Mount ilitinieF, on Iacholaa.
Washington Territory, on Mount Hood,
IN Oregon, and in Ala ka
Much more woul3 t5.s known about The
,giBciers "a Alaska but for it's conpsrH,-
lively recent settlement, tue thhlness Of
Its populatiSn even now, and tie diff
Guilty Of scientific observation.
The Stickino il perhaps better known
that any otht.r river III Alilska, because
,of its being the way back TO ihs Cnssisr
gold mines. 1t is about $50 or 400 miles
long. and naviga5le for small steamers
100 miles, flowing first III general
westerly dirsctaoll, through grassy, un-
,dulating plains, dArlsened here and there
with patches OF cvergreens, then curymg
southwark, and receiving numerous trib-
utaries from the north, it enters tine
coast range and sweeps acrOss 1t to tho
sea through valley more tean 100 miles
long, and one to three miles wide at the
bottom, and from 5000 to 8, 600 feet
deep, marvelOusly beautiful and inspir-
ing from end TO 0ud. TO the apprecia-
tive observer sailing up tho river through
tho midst Of it all, TIC canon for the dis-
tance Of about Ito miles is a-gallcry Of
Sublime pictures, an InbrOken series Of
majestic mountains, glaciers, falls, cas-
cadcs, To- CsstS, groves, howary garden
spots, grassy meadows in endless variety
OF form alld mpOsitiOn-funiitHra
enough for a dozen Yoso1Aites-whiIo
back Of the walls, and thousands Of feet
above them, innuInerable peaks and
spires and doln,s OF loc and SNOW tower
grnndly into the sky.
About fifteen miles above the mouth
of the river y0u come 10 the first of tho
great glaciers, pouring down through
the forest in shattered ice-cnscaoo
noorly to the Lowell Of the river. Here
tho canon is about two miles wide,
planted with cottonwoOds along tho
banks Of the river, and spruce, and iir,
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 caHon--a group ST glacicr-laden
Alps from 10, 600 to Il, 900 feet high, tho
source OF the largest tributary Of the
Sticline.
Thirty-five miles above the mouth a
the river the moet striking object of all
comes in sight This Is the lower ex-
panded part of the great glacier, mcas-
uring about six miles around the suout,
pushed boldly forward into the middle
OF the valley among tho trees, while lts
sources are mostly hidden. IL takes it's
rise IN tho heart of tho range, thirty or
forty miles away Compared with this
the Swiss nIer dc glacc II "A small thing.
IL is called the ' lee Mountain, +" and
eocms 10 have been regarded rs a mo-
Goniess mass, oIN.ated on tlle spot, like
,flle rocks and trOes about, without vent
t1ring 10 guess rs 10 how IN when. The
front Of the snout ~ about 3bO feet high,
but rises raphlly back B,g fow miles TO
q height OF about 40 fs,,t.
Seen through gaps Of the trees grow
ing ON one OF its terminal mnraiIlos, as
yea -snil slowly along asninst the our
rent, tho marvellous beauty OF the
clasms and clustered liiunacles shows
TO fine advantage in the sunshine.
Forbes, Tyndall, Ramsay, Merrinaln,
Hayes, and other observers, have writ
ten much about the wonderful glacicrs
Of other parts Of the world, aud yet the
mystery Of the exact period If the
origin Of thcsc great niaaaes Ok leo ia
Alaska is seldom Referred 10.