The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-27
PERILs OF CARBON GLACIER.
Snow CIIHs That Tower HundedS of
Feet TO Greet the sparkIes of Puget
GnnvH
From the Cleveland World

From the Cleveland World.
When a party gets separated in the
mountains. common method of commun-
icatiOn is by halloOing. It is astonishing
the distance the exclamation go ho." can
be heard. When unable to see our way any
farther we thought to attract the atten-
tion of those in camp by hallooing, so
writes a correspondent from Tacoma,
Wash. In few minutes prolonged 20
hO!" came rolling up the mountain, and
we could also dimly hear the barking of
dogs. BY following the sound. which was
repeated occasionally, we finally got into
the camp.
The correspondent thus describes the
climbing Of Mount Tocoma;
Early the next morning we were off for
Canada Creek falls. The weather was I'M
favorable for Dicture-taking. and, we lay
in camp two days, unable. owing to the
fog, to see across the canyon, except at
long intervals. Several times we perceiv-
ed the sun shining brightly on the snow
clad mountain peaks, but all else was fog,
and clouds. At one time within a space Of
thirty minutes the green trees of one side
of a mountain were rained on, then cur
rent of colder air turned the rain into
snow, so that the trees We're frosty and
the whole mountain side white with snow
and the sunshine came and the frost and
light covering Of snow melted and the
mountain was green again.
Sunday afternoon, June Is, one week
after we started, we made camp at the
foot of the Carbon glacier This glacier
is one of the largest of the dozen or more
that flow down inch by inch from the
mountain, if not the largest. out of a
great black hole in the foot OF the glacier,
in which a good-sized house could be set,
leaped the white and foaming waters Of
the Carbon river, the velocity of which
has increased at the width decreased. For
mile down the canon from the foot of
the glacier the stream is so swift as to
easily move rocks as large and larger
than hogshead. The floor of the canon
10 rod Mi Vsaasrlrs md he.
party proceeded we had to move around
and between them. Within a distance of
two miles from the foot of the glacier sew
eral mountain torrents, called creeks,
mingle their millions of gallons of cold
crystal water with the Carbon river
There is no finer water. Among these
creeks are the Chenuis, Cataract and Ip-
shut 1t is from these that the city of
Tacoma will. in all probability. eventually
get its water supply
That night was very wild, dark and des-
olate. 1.-The wind blew and the floods
came" At intervals the weather would
clear Then we could see immense white
mists moving majestically up the valley.
There was no sound except the rivers
eternal roar, and no scenery except the
white mists moving through the black
ness. One cloud was like an immense
white ship, bowsprit, hulk, masts and all,
moving mysteriously through the night.
The next morning the brown and gil
Eantic mass of the glacier lay before us.
The foot of II at present is about 200 feet
high and 600 feet wide. 1t rose in great
Mus, ascending one after another above
US. The glacier ranges in width from a
quarter of a mile to a mile, and is about
five miles long. 1t is one mass of solid
green and blue ice and from all we could
see we concluded that in places it might
extend half a mile thick. On top Of the
ice is a coating of sand and gravel rang
inches in thickness. This is thickly in
tersperSed with rocks from the size of a
cocoanut to that of box car. These
rocks are so unstable on their foundations
that it seems that IL one will only whis-
per to them to move they will start and
go rolling and crunching down the hum
mocks and disappear from sight. with
hollow echoes, in a yaWning creVasse
These creVaSses are numerous. Many Of
them are so deep that their bottom is lost
in darkness. often their mouths are con-
cealed by a thin covering of snow, con-
cealing danger that has swallowed ur
many mountain climber. The sand
gravel and ice form a slippery footing
The rocks are likely to roll down on one
and il requires continual vigilance to
elude them.
Armed with alpenstocks and carrying
packs containing provisions and photo
graph apparatus, We assailed this gigantic
glacier about O'Clock Monday morning.
The glacier throws out from each side
immense piles of rock. We climbed along
on one of the rock piles which descended
of the glacier was reached. 1t was dan
gerous, difficult and toilsome climb all
that day, but the scenery was beautiful
in the extreme, and that encouraged the
party. Frequent waterfalls, glistenng in
the sun, dashed over mountain precipice
at the side of the glacier, to disappear
through a black hole in the ice
Slowly we climbed hour after hour, with
the big white Mount Tacoma ever ahead
and in sight as an inspiration. That even
ing at z o'clock we threw ourselves down
upon the soft heather on a beautiful mo-
raine about a mile from the top of the
glacier. a thoroughly fatigued party. Our
pack was dumped on the edge of a snow
bank, which helped to serve as a pillow
at night. The air was cold, but dry, and
we did not mind IT, as we had a roaring
fire made from dead fir sticks. We were
not quite beyond the timber line. Mount
Tacoma-cold, white and solemn-pierced
the sky above our very heads. That night
we went to sleep amid the roar of the
waterfalls and the thunder of the ava
lanches ans they crashed from the prec-
ipices of ice. rock and snow upon the
heads of the glacier. In the morning the
little pool at the side of the glacier, from
which we had obtained water on going
into camp the evening before had half an
inch of ice upon it, The weather was still
unfaVorable, but bright and early in the
morning we started for the citadel peaks
heaped with snow. At an altitude of 5000
feet on a high peak the wind blew such
a hurricane that the camera had to be
weighted down with rock in order to keep
horizon. We lay in alternate brightness
of sunshine and gloom Of fog on that one
peak six hours, waiting for an occasional
chance to take picture. Above our heads
was a pile of rock and pure white snow
a mile high. Some Of the snow cliffs we're
500 feet high. Below US were the other
mountains standing in long columns IN
til they were lost TO sight in the blue
haze. Off to our left was Puget sound
and the mists that hung over It, This
scenery was worth the effort and adven-
ture that were necessary to view 1t.