The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-09-22

Sci
wonder and admiration upon the beautiful
sight; rs we approach the great glacier the
icebergs get larger and thicker. our steamer
lodging about between them; they being 30
large, IL our ship was to strike any Of the
large ones WI would all 90 to the bottom,
hence our captain Is ON watch and will steer
US safely through. The glacier looked SO plain
at seven o'clock we thought ii only a few
miles away; We asked the captain how far we
are away from it and TO our surprise he tells
us IL Is thirty miles off; we continue on
through lcebergs (slI our winter wraps and
clothes on, blanket shawls over our laps, il is
so cold) we soon COM to anchor In $50 feet
depth OF water and about 400 yards from the
shore and about 600 yards from the face of
the glacier; IT is q grand sight. beyond u des-
cription In fact; 1t extends across the bay,
called Glacier bay, abou u. four miles across,
the face or front wall of the glacier coming
right down to and into the ocean,, and stand.
Ing 800 feet high, looking like a marble wall,
except when a fall of Ice co mes, then 1t shows
the green bluish color OF clear crystal ice.
Our small boats are let down into the water,
we 20 ashore to commence our ascent up
onto our first glacier; we first walk about
amongst the small icebergs left on the beach
by the receding tide. the small icebergs being
about ten feet high and about twenty to tbir-
W square,, and round, and in fact In all shapes
and sizes, small and large. We first stand
up on ono, then sit down on one, and then
we start up onto the glacier: we go up. up,
gradually. the first half mile being over rock
aud small pebbles as we think; We so on find
openings In various shapes and sizes, and
looking down into them we see the pure,
clear, crystal ice; We keep On, and soon come
to where there are no rock or dirt on top Of
the Ice, and we ascend some mile and a half
further on nothing but pure ice some 500
feet thick above water and no telling how
deep under water /; we look all around US and
Ice, Ice, Ice Is all we can see except the high
mountain tops In the distance; after eating
Ice for awhile and drinking Ice water out of
the little pools where the suns rays lave
melted the ice, and then registering our
In the book put up on the glacier by
lip captain last June, we start down
en"aA u oVioto dltlh2
plain, the good old soul that he is, says
MAYBE some OF us are a little too cool
cling on the ice so long; 1 have a little
ants,' so my wife. who never refuses q
OF whisky, says "Yes, | th,nk It will
le," so we turn up the flask, and she
good drink; of course l can't refuse,
ke one too; we soon get back to our
Small boat. and Us we get into 1t to 90 to our
ship, We hear q shot like u canon, as we had
heard as we came anchor, and look toward
the wal! OF Ice and we see the Ice starting to
Tall and fully 1000 tons came topling over in
to the sea. When these huge icebergs fall into
the sea they create quite a commotion in the
water, making waves as large as IL a heavy
wind storm was blowing on the ocean beach;
the wages were from twenty to thirty feet Ia
heighth. After spending some four hours here
we heaVe up our anchor. fire our canon AZ a
parting salute and bid good bye to the grand
est sight to be seen in the world-Muir glac-
Ter. As we pass down the bay for some thlr-
ty or forty miles we are surrounded by float
Ing icebergs, making a beau tiful sight to
look upon; we soon run into Idaho harbor
to a fishery and leave q little freight, and now
at 8 O'Clock we retire for the night.
Friday, 9th OF August. a beautiful bright
sun shining morning. we find our ship at the
dock at KilisnOo; a large fish oil establish
ment here, where they catch herring fish by
the million and roll them into pulp. thus
squeezing the oil from them; only a few
white persons here, the balance Indians.
amongst them Captain Jake mot Jake Con-
ner}. Jake is the police captain thus titled to
control the Indians; he first came down to
our ship dressed in his military suit, white
shirt front and standing collar; he soon goes
back to his home and returns III a differen,
suit, and makes some half dozen changes in
the two hours we are here; we compliment
him which plesses him very much; the other
Indians look upon him as ..Big Indian
After unloading empty fish and oil casks and
loading on their products we set sail again for
our next port, which Is SIika, where we will
arrive ut five this evening, aud | will mail
this there. We will stay at Sitka twenty-fpur
hours, the law compelling US to lay there
that long on account of It's being the most
northern and farthest mailing station, and
to give parties receiving mail by our steamer
time to answer same by our return. We mr..
away from the icebergs now, and although
the snowy mountains are all around us, yet
the day IL quite pleasant, 30 we can enjoy
sitting out In the sun; now, 8 p. m, wa ARE
laying at the wharf or dock at Sitka, having
arrived here at four this evening; this IL a
beautiful place; the governor and territorial
officers all live here. and there Is q United
States man Of war anchored within 100 yards
OF as, and ~ our ship comes iatoxpert she
ladies and genf5emep o. Sitka come eSw& 4
zee pc CONS IN. wkiSzr Hsfsa Us fee. $40
goof to see ons sign o. alixasiop after
being out Of II Tor the past ten dsssE F6er,
is quito a mi xed population here. one-thirt
each whites, Indians and Russians, some few
Chinese. We 20 ashore, and first see the
bright brass cannOns mounted ready for
action, then the old houses built by the Rus
slams some 100 years ago. We promenade
through the town and enjoy 1t very much
call on a gentleman and his wife who are oc.
cupying Il log house built by the Russian
some eighty three years ago In which are the
same stoves used by the Russians, all @
which Is exceedingly interesting to us. The
harbor here is u beautiful one, right on the
broad Pacific ocean. but protected from the
rough sea by hundreds Of small islands, m .k
Ing 1t look grand; the climate here through.
the year being line, the thermometer now
80 degrees. and at no time in the winter get.
ting below zero; we will lay here until foul
o'clock tomorrow evening. and so in the
morning we will have Il fine time going to tn,
Indian village. on the mar of war. to the mIs
slons up to Indian river. etc., and I will nov
close this letter and may write you anothel
before we return home, as from here we tax,
the back track and go homeward bound.
j. q. MCGREW.
: OFFICIAL STATEMENT