The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-05-01
Alaska's wondrous Glaciers.
From The Alaska News-

rIoui tliO <AioSAa -NS"S-
To the average mind the Territory is Il
small piece of land with a few outlying
islands far to the north and possessing but
few points of interest to any other than the
trader eager to swap brightly tinted calicoes
for luxuriant furs the miner in pursuit of
the phantom Fortune, the missionary with
the earnest zeal to save the savages, and
the ubiquitous tourist who considers the
country as a place to be viewed only from
the deck of steamer The latter class
stand aghast when informed that Alaska
comprises in area almost rs much as the
entire United States east of the Mississippi.
With unmistakable incredulity they receive
the statement that there are mountain
peaks contained within our boundaries so
high and so mighty that other mountains
in the United States are as mere molehills
in comparison, and when told of our mar
vellous glaciers and vast ice fields wonder
ment is no longer concealed and they realize
for the first time the immensity of the
country which to SO many is but as sealed
volume
In the vast moraine of ice back of and
surrounding Mt. ST. Elias the State of
Rhode Island could be placed and would
be only as fly speck on sheet of spotless
paper; the State of Delaware might be
dropped into crevasse and its sides would
never be scratched in its descent to the
bottom Visions of glaciers, as seen from
an excursion steamer, are confined to the
Takou inlet and Glacier Bay. Soon after
leaving Wrangel the first mountain of ice
is seen in the distance, looking like frozen
river emerging from the clouds. The sea
is CLASSY, and procession of small bergs,
broken away from the glacier, float silently
toward the South. 1t is natures dead
march to the sun, to be melted in its burn
ing kisses and be transplanted into its
happy tears Wild ducks fly past, and
from its eyrie bald-headed eagle surveys
the scene, deeply, darkly, beautifully blue,
apparently conscious that he is the symbol
of the Republic.
At Glacier Bay on the first sight of Muir
Glacier one draws comparisons and mentally
notes that there are glaciers and glaciers.
In Switzerland glacier is vast bed OF
dirty air-holed ice that has fastened itself
like porous plaster to the side of an Alp,
and distance alone lends enchantment to
the view In Alaska a glacier is Won
derful torrent that seems to have been sud
denly frozen when about to plunge into the
sea. Down and about mountains wind
these snow-clad serpents, extending miles
inland, with as many arms, frequently, as
an octopus. Wonderfully picturesque is
the Davidson Glacier, but more extended
is the one named in honor of John Muir,
which marks the extreme northerly point
of the route travelled by the excursion
steamers. Imagine glacier three miles
wide and 800 feet high at its mouth.
Think of Niagara Falls frozen stiff, add
thirty-six feet to its height, and you will
have slight idea of the terminus Of Muir
Glacier, in front of which your steamer
anchors; picture background of mountains
Is, 900 feet high, all clad in mantle Of
perpetual snow, and then imagine gor-
geous sun lighting up the ice crystals with
all the hues of multi -colored rainbow, and
YOU will have vision such as would have
delighted the soul of Raphael. The face
of the glacier takes on the color Of aqua
marine, the tint of every particle Of float
ing ice, big and little, that surrounds the
steamer and sometimes proves such an i'm
pediment to navigation. These glaciers
are constantly moving and tumbling head
long into the sea, and as the huge masses
fall the ear is started by submarine thun-
der, the echoes of which resound far and
near Down, down, down goes the berg,
and woe to the boat in its way when it
again rises to the surface.