The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-12-29
Mount Tacoma.
From the New York Sun.


Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast.
The row of peaks is one of the most re-
markable in the world. 1t begins with
the beautiful Mount Shasta. in California.
includes Mount Hood, Mount St. Helen
and Mount Adams, and its furthest repre-
sentative is, perhaps, Mount Baker in
British Columbia Mount Tacoma is the
giant of them all, although it hardly ex-
ceeds Mount Shasta in attitude Its height.
according to the Government survey, is
II, IA feet, two feet more than Shasta.
But it is a far more massive mountain than
Shasta. In fact, there are few great peaks
in any country that can be compared with
Mount Tacoma in majesty Of appearance.
As seen from the cities on Puget Sound it
looks far loftier than any of the Alps when
viewed from an equal distance, because
nearly its entire height is before the eve.
In other words, instead of rising from
great plateau or on the back of lofty
mountain wall, it springs to its full height
straight from sea level Its outline is ex-
ceedingly imposing, being that of huge
dome, the upper part of which, even in
midsummer, is white with snow, while in
winter the whole mountain is clothed in
white down to its foot hills.
Sixteen or seventeen glaciers flow down
the slopes of the mountain, some of them
of large size, and presenting all the char
-acteristic features of moraines. fssures.
moulins and icy precipices, which are to
be found among the glaciers of the Alps.
There is, perhaps, no other mountain within1
the temperate zone that exhibits so exten-
sive glacier system.
The ascent of the mountain has not been
hitherto very difficult when the attempt
was made late in the summer There is
no such climbing on dizzy precipices as
must be encountered on the Matterhorn.
for instance, all the difficulty arising from
soft snow. Avalanches are frequent ON
its fianks, and the snow remains until July
in some of the lower ravines. Crater
Lake, which lies ON the northwestern slope
of the mountain, occupying profound de-
preston, with precipitous walls on three
sides, is believed by some to mark the site
of former crater of the volcano but dur
ing visit which | made to it in 1892 |
became convinced that the depression,
whose bottom is filed by the lake, has been
produced by a tremendous landslip, induced
perhaps by the shaking of an eruption, but
not the direct creation of volcanic action.
The true crater, and that from which all
the eruptions have taken place, is on the
summit of the mountain Its location has
always been indicated by sort of notch or
scallop in the mountain top visible from
Tacoma and other surrounding points
There is legend among some of the tribes
of Indians living near Mount Tacoma that
the mountain was once very much larger
than it is now, and that vast mass sunk
out of sight during great eruption. 1t
is also said that stones have been shot from
the crater to distance of many miles
within historic times. Those who have
carefully watched Mount Tacoma have,
from time to time. reported the appear
ance Of puffs of steam and smoke at its
summit, but ordinarily little attention has
been paid to these indications that its vol
canic fires were only slumbering. but not
extinct
The appearance of the crater on the top,
a deep cavity about half mile across, has
always been suggestive of considerable
degree of heat existing beneath its floor,
for at times the rocks within have been
found comparatively free from snow, while
the outer slopes of the peak were deeply
buried
Several considerable streams take their
birth from the glaciers Of Mount Tacoma
In fact, acting as a cloud condenser for the
warm air blown in from the Pacific, the
mountain plays highly important part in
the economy of the Puget Sound region.
The immensely rich forests that clothe the
plains at its feet are mainly nourished by
the water derived from the mountain, and
the same is true of the thousands of acres
of beautiful meadow lands that surround it.
The history of Mount Tacoma as vol
cano still awaits investigation Very little
is yet known as to flows of lava that may
have taken place from it in past time. Its
great height together with the general
steep slopes of its sides, however, would
indicate that its eruptions have not been
characterized by vast flows of liquid lava
1t is not likely that such flows viii occur
either at present, or in the future, at least
not on large scale. The great period of
activity in the mountain. no doubt, occurred
when the ocean flowed nearer its foot than
it does at present, and perhaps when the
dusty plain of eastern Washington was COW
cred with lake All that We know of
volcanoes leads to the conclusion that the
leaking Of sea water down 70 their roots in
the crust Of the earth is a principal cause
of their explosions.
The city of Tacoma is situated more than
forty miles in an air line from the crater
of the mountain, and Seattle is still further.
so that under no circumstances could any
danger be apprehended at those points
from the activity Of the mountain. But
as spectacle great eruption Of Tacoma
1yould no GRAND hevond Dissertation. It's