The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-02-18

few Of the animals are found farther
north, in accessible places above the
snow line on the Cascade range.
Another interesting creature found on
Mt. Rainier is the great marmot, other
wise known as the whistling marmot,
because OF its way of giving warning of
approaching danger by shrill whistle
that echoes among the cliffs. These ami
mails are related to the prairie dogs
They are two feet high when sitting erect.
They are very numerous, being so timid
aud quick to seek refuge in their burrows
that it is hard for the sportsman to get
shot at them. They make their burrows
wherever they can find earth enough for
the purpose, and they occur throughout
the Cascade range, above level of $500
feet. The principal bird of Mt. Rainier
is the arctic ptarmgan, which is becom
ing very rare, owing to the efforts of
sportsmen to eXterminate the species.
The trouble is that Mt. Rainier is pro-
tected from private ownership and thrown
open to public vandalism. The great
beauty OF the meadows on the slopes be-
low the snow line depends on the pre-
servation of exquisite groups Of trees.
These groups, which could not be re-
placed in five hundred wears, are often
fired 10y tourists for amusement.
the glaciers of Mt. Rainier extend
down it's sides about / 900 feet. Their
melting makes half.a-dozen large rivers,
principal among which are the Cowlitz,
NIeqnally, White and Puyallup. The
waters Of these rivers look like skim-milk,
carrying large quantities OF finely pulver-
lied rock. This ground-up rock, brought
down to the sea level has in the course
OF centuries filed extensive areas formerly
occupied by extensions of Puget Sound,
thus forming the rich soil of the valleys
adjacent to Tacoma and Seattle. A fine
view Of the groat peak may be had from
any part Of Puget Sound. Approaching
the mountain, the climber finds himself
involved in thick forests of frs and
cedars, with a luxurant underground of
ferns and other plants, 30 that the noun
tain is hidden until the traveller stands
actually on its slopes, or emerges into
one of the gigantic canyons leading from
it. Thus beheld, the white peak presents
a superb spectacle.
Following the canyon, the climber nj
length arrives at the foot OF glacier,
which appears as Il mass OF wet debris
filling the canyon from wall to wall and
rising with a steep slope many hundreds
Of feet. The depth or thickness Of the
ice river may be anywhere from two hun
dred to six hundred feet it is composed
Of solid ice which having been reduced
by melting, is covered 10y heaps Of gravel
and boulders that have melted out. The
surface OF the glacier is exceedingly
rough, the Irregular distribution of debris
and uneven melting producing ridges
and cones often 100 feet or more in height
Ascending farther the traveller finds the
slope Of the glacier more gentle and Its
surface more smooth. Here and there
the protection afforded by slabs Of rock
has retarded melting beneath, so that, if
it is late in summer. great stones are
seen porched on columns Of ice.
Advancing farther up the glacier, the
ascent grows sleeper, and the icy surface
is replaced by a surface Of snow, which
covers The ice-stream. Crevasses become
numerous, extending in parallel lines
ACROSS almost the entire width Of the
glacier and dividing it into level.topped
tables, which vary from twenty to one
hundred feet in width. The crevasses
themselves are from foot to forty feet
wide, and frequently $50 feet deep. They
are made by the separation Of the ice in
its onward flow. In the depths OF the
crevasses the ice has an exquisite blue
tint-snch blue TINT as no other sub
stance in nature exhibits. Indeed, the
blue color is much more intense than
sky'blue and wonderfully beautiful, il is
due to the ABSORPTION by the ice of all
light rays, except blue ones.
Stll higher up, the glacier forms
mighty cascade, descending PERCEPTIONS
slopes for thousands OF feet. Here the
great ice mass If split up into pyramids
and prisms on huge scale, forming
spectacle Of superb chaos THE ice-clids
flash brilliantly ia the sunlight, while
the crevasses between the cliffs give out
their blue light. Above the series OF ice
cascades, on the very dome OF the noun
tain. the ice sheet occasionally travers-
ell by crevasses less wide and less num-
efous, but very hard to pass, ,inasmucn
as they are apt to be Of great length and
the upper and farther side OF the chasm
is frequently from twenty to fifty feet
above the lower side. presenting an in.
surmountable barrier.
Finding himself at length on the sum.
nit Of the mountain, the. climber dis
covers that he is on the edge of gigantic
volcanic crater a third OF mile in diam
eter. Ia fact. Mount Rainier is volcano
not completely extinct, inasmuch as
steam still escapes from the rocks about
the margin OF the crater, which in places
l. hot enough to boil an egg. Here, then,
is very remarkable condition OF things.
/ scarcely paralleled anywhere else in the