Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-01-11
AMONG THE GLACIERS.
Grand and Remarkable Traces or
Natures Powerful Enginery.

a., Nnvyport r "A lecture was given by
Hon James W. Patterson, State Superlh-
icndcut of Public Instruction of New lamp
shire. upon ~ Trip Among the Glaciers
Mr. Patterson sand:
If we go forth into our fields and pastures,
he began, we see rocks and powders scat
tered promiscuously and IN countless mum
bcrs, which have been transported from
their original beds by some giant fofc2
which dominated the world IN pfmlllVe
are, but unknown since the historic PERIOD
If in our northern ATTITUDES we lay pare inc
tanks Of the mountains we find the under
living lodges al ground and pohshed py
some poverful cngincry of nature, which
has passed down their naked sides, ploW-
ing at intervals parallel burrows IN their
tonrh and urviclding surface. Everywhere
ov.r our northern hemisphere the Titanic
workers of the oldcn time have dumped
their wcightv burdens of drift above the
stratificd deposits of a yet earlier period,
and the Heterogeneous masses Of mingled
dirt. gravel and powders found among our
mountains and stretching cast and west
along our temperate zone all point 10 time
when glaciers. like those Of Greenland,
moved over our continent and sent their
mighty bergs into the sea. but whence
came this power and whittier has 1t gone!
is the question winch naturally comes 10
every lin. There arc abundant reasons 10
believe that this glacial force is periodic,
ike so many other OF the operations OF nat
ure
Several thtTrics have been propoundcd at
different times to account for the pcriOdlclty
If glacial action. That of Croll, which ac-
counts for the varying mean temperature OF
the earth by the revolutions of the seasons
around the eartE's orbit and the changing
cccentrclty of the orbit itself, seems to be
the most rational Winter at aphclIon must
bc longer and colder than winter ut perl
hclion, and the variation must increase win
the increase of the Ccccntl1city OF the ORBIT,
and with the increase of the inclination OF
the axis of the earth to the plane of its
orbit.
Our modern glaciers are produced like the
ancient, by a low temperature acting upon
the moisture of the atmosphere.
The day after reaching the valley three OF
us Americans determined to make the as
cent of Mont Blanc Having secured five
Swiss guidcs we were accoutercd accord
ing to directions, with heavy shoes having
sharp spikes in the solcs and heels, and
with busllms around cur lower limbs.
Each man was armed with long aipcn-
stock having q strong steel spike IN one end
The guides took with them an alpcn axe and
a coil of strong rope, with leathcrn bolts at
tached at intervals Of about eight feet apart.
Thus prepared we started on our trip up the
glacier.
For time the ascent was easy and wo
had little trouble. But after advancing
some distance we began to encounter long
cracks or assures III the ice, whichwe were
obliged to leap.
AS we advanced the openings or crevasscs
became wider and more hazardous to pass.
At length we came TO one five feet wide and
descending to an unknown depth. Our
leader stopped and bucl,lcd one of the
heavy belts about his waist and passed the
next TO me. fastened this about my5clfGnd
handed the third TO the second guide, and
he to the next till we were al harne.scd OF
roped together Thus prepared the fore
most guide placed himself upon the edge of
the crcvassc. and giving spring went over.
We followed him in order till all were
over, One of our number, short, heavy
man, failed Of secure landing on the upper
side. but the rope was strong and we hauled
him uD hand over hand We continued to
repeat this operation till atlcngth we struck
a crevassC some twenty feet wide. Here
we found 4 ladder with heavy spikes in the
lower end, which one of the guides drove
into the Ice below the surface and then
dropping it onto the other side let himself
dowl the ladder and assembled to the ice
above We all followed suit and We're safely
landed on the other side So we continued
TO advance till We reached the Grand Muicis
about four o'clock in the afternoon. Here,
more than ten thousand feet above the sea,
we spent the night, intending to complete
the ascent the following morning. But
thunderstorm which followed us up the
mountain covered the glacier with veneer
ing of glare ice which rendered further adj
vance extremely dangerous, SO that the
guides refused to lead rs up to the summit.
Reluctantly we turned back and crcpt eau
tously down the mountain Of assured ice.
At one point we reached a crcvassc of five
feet with narrow tongue of ice beyond and
second opening beyond that. This was a
pcrilous spot and we watched our leader
with intense anxiety. Moving up to the
edge cautiously he cut place for his foot
with his alpen axe and then,putting himself
IN position, gave spring, and falling fat
npon the ice arrested his progress and
awaited our coming one by one in the same
manner. On reaching our hotel we found
the nervous strain had been severe one,
but were ready the next morning for the
Mer de Glace. We went on foot and with
out guides to the Montouvert, and thence
descended to the glacier, which we crossed
and recrosscd and studied with great care
The origin Of glaciers is easily under
stood, but ii is difficult to account satisfac-
torily for some of their phenomena On
the south side of the Alps we find the
snow line about eight thousand feet above
the sea. All moisture above the line, 1t is
evident, must be condensed and reach the
mountain surface as crystaized or granu-
lated snow or as hail When the steep
sides of these lofty heights become over
loaded with snow, it pushes down of its own
weight, and sometimes descends three
thousand feet below the frost line into the
deep valleys below. The depth of the snow
and ice will be measured by the depth O
the valley, and may be from one hundred
10 fifteen hundred feet. The glacier ter
inmates where the melting power of the
heat below is balanced by the supply Of
snow and ice from the realm of cold above
and, of course, this glacial river viii alter
nately advance and recedc with the periodic
changes Of the mean temperature. What
has already been sad assumes that the
glacier is in motion The evidence of this
is the observed steady movement OF oh
iects lying on the surface of the glacier
But objects near the center arc seen to ad-
vance more rapidly than those near its
sides, which are retarded by friction with
its banks. Hence, we infer that the move,
ment is not in mass, but molecular.
Various theories have been started to ac
count for this motion. 1t has been said
that the weight Of the snow above and be
hind the gia ier pushed it down the in
clncd plane on which it rests Uudoubtcd
IL a force of this kind must exist, but il
that were all. 1t would advance as a solid
,.-,,;,4f, i my IN fact