The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-26

Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Canada, on the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way, Aug. 28-"Iow wonderful ara
Thy works, Oh God" This scriptural
phrase cannot but come to the minds
OF the tourist as he first beholds the
'Great Glacier Of the Selkirks," as it
stands almost within speaking distance
Of the Glacier House. Would that
could bring II before my readers eyes
as we see II in all it's grandeur, with
out cloud. or mist. but in the full glory
of sunshine making radiant its glisten-
ing surface; while standing at its left.
e the huge ice-clad peak, Mount Sir
Donald, about mile from the foot Of
the Glacier rising abruptly, and APP
parently perpendicular with Its num-
erous pinnacles, one and one-half miles
above the railway.
Sir Donald Is a naked and abrupt
pyramid 1852 feet high. At a distance
ats peaks resembled a jagged saw. point
ing to the mysteries Of star and sky
and like Saul. towers head and should
ers above all his brethren. To this is
added the sublimity Of the great
glacier, which Is a vast plateau Of
cleaning ice. bright emerald in color.
with background Of undissolving
and sun illunined snow. The scene al
most hyOnotized us. especially after
sunset. when the full moon, rising in
all its splendor, bathed the glacier nnd
the surrounding peaks with a halo Of
tender hight that seemed more Of heav-
en- than Of earth.
THE HOME OF GLACIERS.
This vast ice plateau extends as far
~ the eye can reach, as large, 1t Is
said, as all the glaciers Of Switzerland
combined. In fact, we are in the region
Of glaciers. hundreds of feet thick. the
formation Of ages. covering an area
estimated to be forty miles square.
Scarcely a. more picturesque spot could
be chosen for the site Of a hotel. or one
that commands u greater array Of thrill
ling views OF mountain peaks. of cas-
caded gorges, or excoriated glaciers.
It IL truly a tempting halting place.
4.122 feet above either the Atlantic or
Pacific oceans. While the glacier is
only q mile away, its forefoot Is only
q few hundred feet above the level OF
the hotel. from where is seen the broad
ice stream curling over and pouring
down the slope at the head Of the great
horseshoe valley. AS one says: "Ad-
vanctng only one foot a day, the sun
matches its might against the ice and
keeps the forefoot of the glacier al
most stationary at the head Of the
ravine."
From. It glacial stream has been
caught and made to supply the foun-
tains about the hotel. A good path
makes 1t not only practicable but easy
OF exploration. While the tourist may
see the great ice field from the hotel.
and the car window, and note the
pale greens and blues Of the crevasses
and may be blocks Of ice as they break
fs'om its glimmering surface, he should
stOp-Off and mount the grinning Ice
cliff and wander over it's cracking sur
face in order to drink in the immensity
Of this one Of Gods wonders.
GAME ABUNDANT.
Game through this lofty region Is
very abundant. Here is found the
nervous mountain goat, as well as his
colleague, the big horn sheep and the
black, grizzly and cinnamon bear.
The hotel is handsome cottage, with
an "anneX." unique in style and said
to resemble a Swiss chalet. But IT Is
neither house nor chalet, yet 1t fits har.
fnoniously into the landscape, and Is
quite commodious. 1t serves not only
as a dining station for passing trains.
but a most delightful stopping place
for tourists to remain for an explora-
tion Of mountain and glaciers. 1t Is a
summer garden in miniature. for the
space around 1t Is gravelled and plated
with flowers. both wild and cultivated,
which are here in abundance, while
pebbly walks, ornamented with hanu-
some specimens OF native minerals.
croqueI grounds. wide verandas, etc,
abound altogether forming a novel and
restful retreat, I might say the flora OF
the Selkirks differs from that OF the
Eastern slopes Of the rockies, and is
said &c resemble in many respects that
Of Europe within the same latitude.
AN INSPIRING OUTLOOK.
The outlook from the Glacier House,
on all sides is not only beautiful but
grand, and as compared with yester-
days experience it IL the elimination
Of beauty and grandeur. But We are
told that in the on coming mountain
scenery, we are to behold still greater
and more majestic displays of Gods
power, particularly where the rockies
and Selkirks contend for supremacy.
One can hardly realize that no human
foot ever climbed to the summit OF this
range until 1883.
1t is but just to say that
this stately monolith (Sir Donald),
is named in honor Of Sir Dom
aid Smith, the Presbyterian cap
itaiist and philanthropist of Montreal,
whose gifts to hospitals, colleges, ETC..
have made him famous as the Peabody
of Europe and America. He is also
one of the chief promoters of the Cam
adian Pacific railway. having done Tor
that road what similar men like Jay
Cooke. Wright. Stanford, Crocker,
Huntington and others have accomp'
lished for the great transcontinental
railways OF the United States.
ASCENDING THE SUMMIT.
Resuming our journey eastward, we
follow along the slope of the summit
peaks, of which Sir Donald is the chief.
Here Grizzly Peak and a member Of
the Hermit range are also in full view.
TO the left is Cheops and far below Is
the deep. valley Of the Illecillewaet.
which makes its way westward by
devious course among the numberless
hoary-headed mountain monarchs. Far
below and for many miles away, can be
traced the railway seeking the bottom
of the valley by series of extraordi-
nary curves doubling up on itself again
and again.
We pass several snow sheds. but not
through them, for an outer track IS
provided that the summer scenes may
not be lost. In two miles we rise 17S
feet and reach Selkirk Summit station
and the summit of the pass; and for
the next two miles traverse Rogers
Pass at an elevation of 4.75 feet. This
pass valley has been reserved by the
government as national park. 1t
was named after Major A. B. Rogers,
by whose adventurous energy It was
discovered In 1883. previous to which,
no human foot had penetrated to the
summit of this great central range.
RIVALS OF THE ROCKIES.
The most elaborate description, not
even aided by our camera, can do JUS
tice to the views at this point. The
views from the Selkirk Summit rival
in grandeur that of the Rockies. con-
sisting as they do of a long line of
snow- covered peaks upon whose sue.
cessive shoulders the railway runs.
The pass lies between two lines of
these peaks vying with each other ia