The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-05-12
THE REDWOOD GAZETTE.
BY AIKEN E. SCHMAHL.
THURSDAY, MAY IL, 1898.
MOUNTAINS AND GLACIERS.
Alaska Has The Largest in the
World.


World.
To THE EDIToR:-While we are wait
ing to hear the result of the efforts of
the gold seekers to reach the head of
Copper river, by way of Miles Glacier,
let us for change turn from the utili-
tartan to the wonderful features of the
great country of which we have been
speaking. If we examine map we
find near the southeastern corner of
Alaska proper a number of the high
est mountains and most extensive gla-
ciers in the world. Nature seems to
have been very generous to this new
acquisition of ours in many ways. but
in none has it displayed its largeness
in greater abandon than in the
mighty mountain monarchs that cover
large section in the region of the
l41st degree of longitude. In order
to have in mind a measure by which
to judge these immense efforts of ma
ture let us take the height of noun
tains, the names of which are more ia
miliar to us for comparison, in order
that we may see clearly on what
grand and magnificent scale the
Alaska mountain system is reared. In
the United States we find that Mt.
Whitney, in California, has an altitude
of $4,000; Nevada, Mt. Wheeler,
$4,000 feet; in Oregon, Mt. Hood,
l2,200 #. washington, Mt. Rainier, H.
400 it,; New Mexico, Cerro Blanco,
1920 it,; Colorado, Blanko Peak, H.
400 #. While the summit of Mount
Blanc, the highest of the Swiss Alpine
system rears it's snow-capped head to
an elevation of only 200 feet. Leav-
ing out the Himalayas in Central Asia
and the Andes in South America, we
find the climax of the mountain
grandeur of the world in Mt. Logan
rearing it's glistening, snow-clad sum-
NIT 1880 feet heavenward, it's august
majesty supported bv Mt. St. Elias,
$4,000 feet high, and Vancouver, Hub
bard and Pinta, with their lofty sum-
mits and many lesser dignitaries, in
the vicinity. A little way to the
southeast we find Mt. Fairweather,
1880 feet high, Mt. Perouse $4,000
feet, Mt. Lithua 1850 feet, Mt. Cul-
lon 1900 feet, supported by series
of mountains Of gradually decreas-
ing elevation to the shores of Glacier
Bay, where the process of continent
building, formation of glaciers, de-
post of moraines. and the sending off
of icebergs is going on to-day, as it
has been for thousands of years in the
past.
The above is only beginning of
the account of the mountain monarchs
of Alaska. When it shall become
fashionable for the venturesome globe
trotter of the future, with his guide
and alpenstock, to climb the Alaska
mountains instead of Mount Blanc,
he will find in the same mountain
range, near the source of Copper riv-
or, Mt. Wrangel $500 feet high, Mt
Tillman 1880 feet and Mt. Black.
man 1880 feet with many elevations
of lesser altitude intervening.
1t is not in mountains alone thai
Alaska has furnished to the scientist
a text of exhaustive treatises on thu
manifestations of nature. To my mine
the glaciers are the most marveloul
and at the same time the least under
stood. l have mentioned above thre
groups of mountains and it remains t
say of them that each is the source o
the largest and most unique glacie
system in the world.
The Mt. Fairweather system a
Glacier Bay, about 80 miles west Q
Juneau, though not the largest of tn
three, possibly presents to the studen
and pleasure seeker the best study q
all the functions of glacier buildin
are going on to an extent that can b
measured by science. It may not b
amiss to say by way of the vague vie,
that many entertain of the real signif
canoe of a glacier, that it is river G
ice slowly descending the mountai
side. 1t originates as frozen mas