Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-05
Glaciers.

10 10 otcIuaI. Liz ouOW, AOWONCI, Ii
not so lasting. Indeed, it is constantly
cooperating, returning to the clouds
from which it descended; or, remaining
exposed to the rays of the sun, or to the
influence Of hot southerly wind, it
melts and trickles down until it is seized
by the cold and CONCEALED intoice. Thus,
by means of the millions Of drops which
melt only to freeze and melt again, and
again grow solid, the mass is constantly
transformed, and, little by little, the
snow so lately fallen upon the summit
of the mountain is found to have de-
scended the slopes. Even in summer
these enormous quantities Of ice and
snow produce local winter, all the more
curious from the contrast, for side by
side with the gloomy glacier, with its
great gaping crevices, its collection of
stones, it's terrible silence, flowers are
blooming, birds are singing and fruit
ripens. It is like death and life.
The glacier, however, has a life Of its
own. Though difficult to discover its
secret progress, it is in constant motion.
Like the avalanche, its work is to carry
the rubbish of the crumbling mountains
into the plains, not by violence but by
the patient labor of every moment. 1t
is true that glaciers have ages, almost
endless, in which to do their work, but,
slowly as they move, their destination is
the sea, where they must one day be
swallowed up. Always immovable in
appearance, they are really ice rivers
flowing in a rocky bed. On its course
the solid river behaves very much as
would one Of running water. 1t has its
windings, it's depths and shadows, its
rapids and cascades.
But the ice, not possessing the supple
ness Or fuidity Of water, accomplishes,
somewhat awkwardly, the movements
forced upon it by the nature Of the
ground. It cannot at its cataracts fall
in one level sheet as does the water cur
rent but, according to the inequalities
of the bottom, and the cohesion of the
ce crystals, it fractures, splits, gets cut
up into blocks inclining various ways,
falling over one another, becoming ce.
mented together again in curious ODE
lisks, towers, fantastic groups. Even in
that part where the bottom Of the i'm
mense groove inclines with tolerable
regularity, the surface of the glacier
does not in the least resemble the even
surface of the water Of a river. The
friction of the ice against its edges does
not ripple it with tiny waves similar to
those of the shore, but fractures and re-
fractures il with crevices intersecting
one another in multitude Of assures or
cracks, which, widening out into chasms,
become what are known as creUasses,
and which make travel upon glacier so
dangerous.
Looking down from the edges of these
chasms we see layer upon layer of blu
ish ice separated by blackish bands, the
remains of rubbish carried down from
the surface, Or at other times the ice may
be as clear and perfect as one single
crystal. What is the depth? We do not
know. A jutting crag of ice, combined
with the darkness, prevents our glance
descending to the lowest rocks; yet we
sometimes hear mysterious noise as
cending from the abyss; it is the water
ripping, stone becoming loosened, a
bit of ice splitting off and falling down.
Explorers have descended these chasms
to measure their density and to study
the temperature and composition Of the
deep ice. Sometimes they have been
able to do it, without any great risk. by
penetrating laterally into the clefts from
the rocks which serve as banks to the
rivers of ice. frequently, too, they are
let down by ropes. But for one scien-
tific explorer, who carefully and with
proper precaution thus explores the
holes Of the glaciers, how many unhap-
Ply shepherds have been ingulfed by
these chasms Yet it is known that
monmtaineers, having fallen to the bot
tom of crevasse, though wounded and
bleeding and dazed by the darkness.
have yet preserved their courage and
managed to save their lives. There was
one who followed the course of sub
glacial stream, and thus made verita-
BILE journey below the enormous vault of
ice.
Without descending into the depths
of glacier to study its air-bubbles and
crystals, praiseworthy as the courageous
effort may be, we can find much to in
terest us on the surface.
In this apparent confusion everything
is regulated by law. Why should q
assure always be produced in the frozen
mass opposite one point of the steep
bank? Why at certain depth below
should the crevasse, which has gradually
become enlarged, again bring its edges