Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-02-14
MlscELLANEous.
Letter from Alaska.

s1TkA, Con the ocean, ALASKA,
InIv 18th IRg7

July 10th, 1854.
In the harbor of Sitka is Japonskoi
(Japanese) Island. Hete, about so
yrs. ago. an old Japanese Junk that
had drifted across the sea on the
(kuro-Sino) japanese Current, was
stranded, and the Russians kindly
cared for the castaway sailors who
had survived the dreadful drift and
returned them to their native coun-
try, after an experience that is sell
dom equaled, even in the romantic
accounts of maritime misfortunes.-
The drifting of Japanese Junks, and
those of adjacent. countries, is not so
infrequent as one would suppose, and
this fact might set the reflective mind
to thinking as to the clinical possi6il-
tiles dccruing hereftonR, the settlement
Of the Northwest coast of North Anler-
icd, etc. (Petoff). The highest tenn
perature l have experienced was 450.
Tue st. Louis Globe-Democrdt of
July Ia. 'S3 has the following sub
stantially: !" Glacier. Bay and Muir
Glacier are called after the distinA
guished scientist of California, Pro-
fessor John Muir. who discovered it.
aro,,s.E aiss,s - =, w ,.z,.'.e,o,. go ,r;tL
tha Hena of tSa .n;e.Iit "o5 ~ s.on.tt 1T
of these forces of nature. Dry. fig
ures can give but a faint idea of great
desolate stretches of gray ice and
snow that. slope ont of sight behind
the juttipgs mountains and tumbled
;ata a ~ IT, o ttes sstt'orS,. .,Ct lie
,,io.ds : 30, ~ $50 ~ ,,aa,, 20
ILL., - 6h,. aa,s,a;n ~ /, go. 10 ,as
so,,nJiad IN f,ost' ~ fSi.s;s, 5I6
q - - A..
-. a., = sS6 r. 49, y. .
H. Ill, o,s 81 49, 4 ~. ~
m .,,
Ssa,s,s t,,, fss. s,..,s.sa,s and ,ninerss,
Saa .,;1s - III. ,,,as5 Il,
leo alI 5oft s.s ;e - eo,,,s,,.;
niarIy from fbe 1vatsT. n did moi
measure it hut went ON ton and ON
the Sides about 9 miles over the.
scanned and ragoed surface. We
gathered orr ice from here ne the
steamer does at every trip about
twice n month. An immense ocean
flows under this Glacier. how far
back. the next century NAV be able
to tell. certainly. it will not be known
in this. From the summit of Muir
Glacier. 90 others are to be seen in
different directions. Mr.. Edward
Roberts in the Orerland AoutLly
saws. s.Flood Switzerland. and sail
up some of it's canons toward Mont.
other Glacier Bay. But until the
sea-waves wash the feet of that Swiss
neak and until one can saiI past tbp
GLACIER of that country there will
never he found n natnnaninn hov tn
this of Alaska Norwav with Ill ~
II. r,aaedness bas notIi,o IN onno1
If and tboro ia NOT ,nounfoin in oil
tho ranges of the Rorkies which has
tho maiestic grocef,Inoss ~ Fo;r-
we.tbnr PeaI, Which Iool,s dow, nnnn
tho bov ,T;s said that the Glacier
of AIosk, if toI.e, r. Sw;tzorIond
would cover thot country over three
t;n,os. and tho frozen r;;,ors ~ AIoe-
ko are not onIv 20 miles in length
ond +I,roo ~ hro5th mt t,vi,.o end
thr;.o iii ,haf distonca Ior% ard IT, from @ tan
~ tbH tuIG tinos thot d;utsnoo i a ~ % vi,h
r. ~ @ Co. " Y"oon ~ tho th;rd - riwor n nf
smarico m hoe Iorto aN miles wido "
Tinst thirL of ~ Tho rokeo tic
So So,rco nf the Ynkon a1ore%s1o I5G
ro;Ias IN " a~tent and oTo1n5 in fSb
a,'d aoraa
W. loft S;t,ra JrIv 18th ot 30
AT 81 ,.t,oroj. 80 c;i,'os r oi,o
n beont;fnI trononiI snot some fonr
~ S~a n;Ios IN l.;ro,1pferoono snr-
Tounded bv sno,slclaJ monntains-
Near bcr,. are silver mines At GIa-
cier bat tbe temneroture ia 400 to 45o
at noon. After leaving the glacier
we pulled for Cbiikat and CbiIkoot.
about $50 miles more or less. north of
Sitka. We could read type about
twelve and l O'Clock. and at 2 O'Clock
it was daylight. We left ChiIkat
A