The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-02

Of their progress In material and INTEL
lectual ways. and the measure OF their
development physically and spiritually.
are more interesting and worthy OF OBJ
servation. by far, than the remaining
relics OF their previous ignorance and
benighted condition prior 10 the COM
ing Of the church and school. Rev.
Mr.. Thwing says: There are hungry
hearts as well as hideous totems at
Fort Wrangel This people deserve the
aid, sympathy and encouragement Of
the Christian world.
Resuming our voyage, We leave this
curious old Stikine town and after
steaming westward for twenty-five
miles. encounter a most treacherous
bit of navigation called "wrangel Mar
rows" This strait has been thorough
ly surveyed and the channel marked by
buOys, but this nineteen miles is the
most delicate bit of navigation on the
entire passage. Captain Carroll says
the passage must be made at high tide,
for even a hundred ton vessel drawing
but six feet of water at "half-tide"
could not make the passage on account
Of lodges of rocks and boulders
stretched across its entire length. In
some places 1t is not over a hundred
yards wide and very winding. and con-
sequently 1t presents kaleidoscope pic
lures. While danger need not be ap-
pretended. as the waters do not surge
through it with the force and swiftness
Of Seymour Narrows. yet 1t requires all
the alertness and skill Of Captain Car
roll and his pilots to navigate 1t. We
were on the hurricane deck adjoining
the bridge. for no tourist should miss a
single part Of this scenic passage-and
watched and listened intently. Hard
a-port!" ''Starboard!" Steady"
"Hold.' and LET her go!" are con-
stantly heard from the captain, as he
cautiously PAGES the deck from side to
side. as our beautiful Queen floats
around these buoys that locate the hid =
den reefs and shallow places. The oc-
casion is one that calls forth express
sions OF admiration from each passen-
ger at the skill Of the officers in charge
of the big steamer.
Through these narrows the tide var
les from fourteen to twenty-three feet,
and salmon who enter here with the
tide manoeuver around to the foot Of a
fall. leap its eight foot rise at high tide
and swim to n mountain lake. Here are
most luxuriant stretches Of grassy
slopes. called Scotch Heather" which
embrace many lawn acres. These beau
! tifully wooded shores. right In this re-
gton OF solitude, surpass anything In
the way of charming and impressive
scenery We have yet encountered, and
the landscape grows more and more
sublime the farther north we go; the
snow peaks become more numerous and
seem nearer by: the blue Of the foot
hills become more and more intense and
the crimson and yellow ferns and
grasses grow more luxuriant and pic.
| turesQue.
FIRST GLACIER.
| Emerging from the Narrows into
''Prince Frederick Sound" new visions
OF grandeur await our wondering gaze
Here we get our first glimpse Of an
Alaskan glacier, which bears the name
| Of Patterson and rises boldly 5000 fee
above an inlet off st. Thomas Bay ant
pours over and down a great slope
showing a beautiful blue and white
front and rises a solid ice wall ovel
seven hundred feet high. Early navi
gators say it dropped frequent iceberg!
from its cliffs to the water At tn,
front Of Horn Cliffs" at the foot OF tn,
glacier. a magnificent water fail set!
off the scene. Its serpentine form 1.
seen winding over the mountains wher,
1t Is finally eclipsed by the towering
magnificence Of Devils Thumb" re
markable monollth pointing it's spir,
heavenward nearly 5000 feet-a lant
mark seen for a great distance.
Here the tourist enjoys exquisite an,
unique effects of glances of sunligh
from clouds to glacier. In the distance
II the weather be pleasant. and the at
mosphere clear, can be seen "Stikeel
Glacier" up the Stikine river, near tn
Canadian boundary, where Professo
John Muir says Is "a Yosemite 100 mile
| Ia Il 1,x HkAl <~A 4 1.
300 glaciers from his canoe in 1875