The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-16
BEWILDER|NC ice EFFECTS
Picturesque Views Among the Glaciers
of Far Alaska.
MASSES or LuSTROUS CRYSTAL
Spirited Description Of davidson Glacier.
One Of the Two Incompatible WOn-
ders Of Our Northern Possession.
Othes Intcrc sting Features.
Written for The Tribune.

Written for The Tribune.
We parted with our readers on ap-
preaching the famous iceiield, Davidson
glacier, near the head of Gastineau
Channel. 1t was the sunset hour-S.55
p. m--that our noble, Queen with her
gallant Commander. and as bright
company of Passengers as ever graced
a ship sailed swiftly and silently up
this long, CLASSY, blue arm of the Pa
cific. Everybody was on deck and
everybody was spell-bound with the i'm
pressive grandeur and stiffness of this
hushed and deserted ford running be-
tween perpendicular and precipitous
mountain walls thousands of feet high
on ei<iirr side, -~'.'' -
Presently through gap in the west
ern wall we eagerly caught a glimpse
Of Davidson glacier. The sunset was
just beginning to turn the whole sky
to gold while the western wall of the
ford lay in a deep shadow. which re-
fiected across to the eastern wall. on
which fell the full splendor of the eve
ming sun, closely followed with shadows
of the intensest violet hue. Such
shadowsi Imagine the scene, If you
can. --
AS we drew nearer, the mountains
seemed to take on greater grandeur and
still whittier robes. Far, far away, so
the Fairweather range, with it's
majestic snow-robed peaks, Mount
Fairweather and Mount Crillon-lfting
their spires heavenward over three
miles above sea level. We;try to take
in their stupendous height by COM
parison with the lower ranges which
surround their base. 1t is "a glorious
vision to paint on the mind, but which;
no words of mine can we'll portray. Oh!
tntp h
lence! We look: we wonder: and are
speechless. One says: From the sum
init OF those towering mountains we felt
that II was no: far to the throne Of
Cod
THE FINEST GLACIER.
Our steamer stops while in front Of
this magnificent glacier 1t Is revealed
to us as a body of ice as graceful in
form as the famous Muir Glacier" Is
colossal In stature. We pass 1t and re-
pass 1t. but the finest view Of the glacier
IL from the steamer directly abreast it,
1t looks like a mighty winding river
sweeping down from the White Noun
tains and pouring its mighty torrent
into the sea, where 1t is suddenly con-
gealed and becomes a large field of ice.
1t Is a spur OF the great series of glaciers
that form the "frigid bulwark of ice"
that surrounds Glacier Bay. 1t Is named
for Professor George Davidson, the
astronomer, who explored it's lower
slopes in 1867. 1t was further explored
by Captain Carroll in 1869
AS we sail in front, a moraine Is dis
tinctly seen, which runs far out into
the channel Uynn). Here is forest
Of low willow and alder trees, which
have sprung up on this terminal mo-
raine, half mile wide., This moraine is
distinctly seen. chanelled with streams,
and is swanpy throughout. At the
base Is u chaotic mass Of grimy blocks
of ice. Between the crevacess to the
lire of the mountain gateway the ice
level Is found by Professor Davidson
and other explorers. to be 645 feet above
the channel. 1t is more difficult of as
cent than the Muir" but tourists who
wait over a steamer can be taken by
launches from the canneries to where
tOlerably dry path leading to the ice
formation has been found. The lower
slopes Of the glacier Is screened by the
dense growth Of trees. Above these
trees this sea Of ice spreads out through
rocky gorge thousands of feet high
expanding like a fan to the breadth OF
three miles. In fact. in almost every
ravine there is a glacier and the Artic
appearance becomes very marked, al.
though the thermometer only stands
at AZ degrees, and We are within forty
miles or six degrees Of the Arctic circle
The veteran traveller. Rev. Dr. II. NJ
Field, of the New York Evangelist who
made the trip in 1894. writes: 1.-THE day
after we left Juneau, we steamed into
the Bay of Chilcat, where two inlets
lead up into the main land around
which circle the mountains and the for.
ests In whose dark bosoms are counted
no less than nineteen glaciers. But
mad eyes only for one, the Davidson
which II were to distinguish 1t from
other glaciers, l. should say was more
beautiful than terrible, as 1t descends
by gentle slope from the mountain
height. spreading out Its fan-like bord
ers till 1t is three miles wide at the
shore. where II dips Its cold feet II
the sea-
ANOTHER SETTLEMENT.
A few miles beyond this glacier thu
great ford becomes too narrow ant
shoal for steamers. and with a tantaliz
Ing peep Of lofty mountains, gaps ant
overlapping spurs, we sweep in shor,
under the shadow of Mount Labouch
ere. which Overhangs the Indian villag,
and cannery OF Pyramid Harbor, which
IL found an interesting piece of noun
tain scenery. 1t takes it's name from
Rsymmetrical rock which rises Id soil
lary Aesolateness M the midst OF tn,
exer-eaterine tides h IL quite renind