The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-27
GLACIERS IN MONTANA.
Not Necessary to Go to Alaska for
Moving Ice Masses.

For some years 1 have been interested
IN the geography of a small section of
the Rocky mountains, which, until re-
Gently, was part of the Blackfeet reser-
walton, in northwestern Montana. This
section lies for the most part east of the
continental divide and between the in
ternational boundary on the north and
the Greath Northern railroad on the
south. The portion of it which l know
best is included in the watershed of the
81. Mary's river and its tributaries In
1881 L took to the head of the st. Mary's
river the first party that had ever visited
1t, SO far as known, and in 1895 accom-
panied to the same point the government
commission which afterward purchased
from the Blackfeet Indians the rough
mountain land which formed the western
portion of the reservation Of that tribe
Before that 1 had made a sketch map Of
the region, which is the basis of all the
maps Of it that have been made or pub
lished.
In 1897 I made a hasty trip to the head
of the river and climbed Mount Jack
son, the highest peak in that region
Last July QS9S) l again went to tho head
. tfhe river and climbed the Blackfeet
mountain, another lofty peak, somewhat
less accessible than Mount Jackson. On
both trips l was accompanied by my
friend, J. b. Monroe.
nitely to locate two points about whose
relations 1 have never until now been
quite certain One is the Pumpelly gla-
cier, discovered by Professor Paphael
Pumpelly, who, / believe. In 1883, with a
small party, which included the late w
A. Stiles, crossed from the Flathead
country 10 the plains by way of the
Marias, or. as it Is now called, the Cut
Bank pass The great mass OF ice, which
is seen by every traveller going through
the Cut Bank pass, rises to the height
or several hundred feet above the face
of lofty cliff, over which portions of the
glacier are constantly falling with tre-
mendous reports, which are heard for a
long distance.
From the top of the Blackfoot mountain
the whole country leading up to the Cut
Bank pass can be seen, and immediat
ly below 1t to the southeast lies the
Pumpelly glacier, readily identified, not
only by its position with relation TO the
alley, but also by the peaks and rocks
in its neighborhood. 1t thus appears that
the Pumpelly glacier, as / have long sup
posed ws the case, Is part Of the south
ern now OF the great ice-cap which COW
ers almost the whole of the Blackfoot
mountain. The Blackfoot glacier, which
stretches away in a northeasterly direc-
tion from the peak of the Rlackfoot
mountain, though perhaps varying in ex-
tent somewhat with the season, was es-
timated last July to be six or seven miles
long, and in some places between three
and four miles wide. From the peak of
the Blackfoot mountain the icefleld flows
also in a northerly direction. meeting an
other which runs down between Mount
Kainah and Mount Jackson, while from
Mount Jackson a number of smaller gla-
ciers flow down to timber line.
A little 10 the west of south of the
Blackfoot mountains, and lying in a great
bend of Mud creek-tributary to the
Flathead-which entirely cuts It off from
the main range. lies Mount James, one OF
the three highest peaks in this Immediate
section. Seen from tho east. It IL shaped