Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-03
THE SELKIRK GLACIER
A Scene of Wonderful Grandeur From It's
Summit.
Coming Down From the Peak Takes
Much Less Time Than
Ascending 1t.

Correspondence of the Boston Transcript.
All of the interesting statistics concern
ing the glaciers of the Selkirks are set
down in their proper places in guide books.
Biographies and books on the various pro-
auctions OF nature. My personal interest
in and special knowledge of the glaciers of
the Selkirks begin with a decision to spend
day in their vicinity, in passing. These
took form and shape upon the effecting of
an engagement with a guide to meet me on
the following morning for the purpose of
plotting me to the most interesting part of
that great Selkirk glacier which the hotel
at its foot advertiSes as covering IAN area
of about thirty-eight square miles"
Ny travelling suit was just about as we'll
adapted for glacier climbing as 1t would be
for a presentation to the Queen of England,
but the chief essential was supplied by the
guide in the shape of a pair of shoes, which
were heavy a guilty conscience, and
only one size smaller than the sleeping car
which brought me to the place. They were
high in the ankle, broad in the sole and
shod with heavy and protruding iron nails.
Above them the graceful curves of my shin
bones were unduly accumulated by being
wound with heavy wooden ''putties," those
admirable bandages which take the place
of leggins with the English army in India
and with some of the mountaineers of Eu-
rope My travelling bag gave up sweater,
and my finished appearance led bystander
to compliment me upon my close resem-
blance to a Corsican brigand of the most
malevoent type. But an attractive perso-
nal appearance is very far from sine qua
non of that kind of trip, and five min
utes walk from the hotel put us where
there were none to see or to criticise any,
way. a possible exception to that existed
in the shape of some possible mountain
sheep or goat which the guide told me were
to De seen in the vicinity occasionally
The anomaly of the hotel surroundings
was lost as we entered the woods. AT the
buildings we left combination of warm
sunshine, green grass, wild flowers foun-
tainS and occasional snow heaps Under
the tall fir trees all was winter The snow
lay in depth varying from two to any mum
Der OF feet The spring warmth had reached
1t sufficiently for melting in exposed spots
and for turning all the surface into a moist
mass of coarse granulation, into which even
the Dig boots sank to a depth which made
heaVy walking. Occasionally, by reason of
melting underneath, caused by running
water, one sank midleg, and even waist
deep, with plunge which was by no means
pleasant The way followed up the valley
along the course of rushing torrents whose
source was the glacier above. They roaref3
and TUNED down their steep bed
Flashing in foam and SPRAY"
10 ma their way eventually into the Co.
lumela river, and so on into the Pacific
ocean.
About one and three-quarters miles from
the hoteL a large rock bears painted in
scrlption: Sixty feet to snout'' BY this
euphonious title is meant the terminal point
or the glacier. Our path to ii had taken us
through forest of tail frs, straight as In
dlan arrows. We crossed the plunging
streams on rude bridges. and emerged at
raine at the foot of the "snout," which ap-
pears to be a variable point Some years
1t advances, other years it recedes. But al
ways behind 1t, pushing its mighty mass
nyUY1r I'D m TOD md frar sfn a
from picturesque ice structure into even
more picturesque tumbling and whirling