Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-26
GLACIERS IN MONTANA.
Not Necessary to Go to Alaska for
Moving Ice Masses.

From Science.
For some years l have been Interested in
the geography of small section ~ the
Rocky mountains, which. until recently
was part of the Blackfeet reservation. in
northwestern Montana. This section lies
for the most part east Of the continental
divide and between the international bound
airy on the north and the Great Northern
railroad on the south. The portion Of il
which l know best is included in the water
shed of the ST. Mary's river and its trihu-
taries In 1871 | took to the head of the ST
Mary's river the first party that had eyer
visited il, 50 far as known. and in 1915
cUmpanied to the same point the govern
ment commission which afterward pur~
chased from the Blackfeet Indians the
rough mountain land which formed the
western portion of the reservation of that
tribe. Before that l had made "A sketch
map of the region. which il the basis az
all the maps Of it that have been made or
published.
In 1881 made has,y trip to the head 81
the river and climbed Mount Jackson. the
highest peak in that region. Last July 0SaNl
l again went TO the head of the river and
climbed the Blackfoot mountain. another
lofty peak. somewhat less accessible chan
Mount Jackson. On both trips was accom-
panied by my friend J. Il. Monroe
These last trips have enabled me definite
ly to locate two points about whose reli,-
items have never until now been quite
certain. One is the PumpeIly glacier dis
covered by Prof. Raphael Pumpelly who. I
believe, in lSS2. with a small paFtY which
included the late W. \. Stiles. crossed from
the Flathead country to the plains 10y way
of the Marias or, as il is now called, the
Cut Bank pass. This great mass OF Ice
which is seen by every Traveller going
through the cut Bank pass. rises 10 the
height of several hundred feet above the
face Of a lofty cliff, over which portions of
the glacier are constantly failing with ire
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 he seen, and Immediately
below it TO the southeast lies the Pumpeliy
glacier, readily identified. not only by its
position with relation to the valley hut also
by the peaks and rocks in its neighborhood.
1t thus appears that the Pumpelly glacier,
as l have long supposed was the case. is
part OF the southern flow of the great ic.-
cap which covers almost the whole of the
Biackfoot mountain. The Blackfoot glacier
which stretches away in northeastern
direction from the peak of the Blackfoot
mountain. though perhaps varying in TX
tent somewhat with the season, was esti-
mated last July to be six or seven miles
long, and in some places between three
and four miles wide. From the peak of tho
8iackfoot mountain the iceield flows also
IN a northerly direction meeting another
which runs down between Mount Kainah
and Mount jackson. while from Mount
jackson number of smaller glaciers flow
down to timber line
a little TO the west of south of the RIacl-
foot mountains, and lying i'm a great bend
of Mud creek-tTibutary to the FIatheaa-
Nhlch entirely cuts ii of from the main
range lies Mount James, one of the three
highest peaks in this immediate section
Seen from the east, it is shaped like the
square-faced. peaked end Of a haysraclx.
ana at a distance appears difficult or iuiF,os-
slple OF ascent Its southern and western
faces may be more practice be. than those
on the north and east appear From the
top OF the Blackfoot mountain the level
SLOWS Mount jackson to be the highest of
all these mountains. Mount James the next,
while Blackfoot is the third But the dit
ferences in height are slight
lew miles northwest of Mount Jackson
ana lying on the west side of the range IS
nttie basin named Avalanche basin by
l.. II. Sperry of Oberlin. Ohio and on m.
mountain overlooking this Mr. Sperry tolls
Us, are extensive snowfields and a glacier.
From The summit of Blackfoot mountain
IL appears that this avalanche basin lies
nearly south OF Mount Piegan of my map
ana southwest of Mount R,ynolds M
derstand that Mr.. Sperry who was Of
course unaware that the mountain had
been earlier named, has called Mount Rev
nolus Matterhorn, from the slender-as seen
from the southwest-finger of rock which
forms It's peak. Mount Reynolds is i'm the
continental divide. although most of the
recent maps wrongfully place ii east of the
divide.
If the locations of the Pumpelly glacier
and OF Avalanche basin with regard TO
DEFINITE and well known points in the con-
hnental divide, are thus established, the
matter is one of some interest to students
OF this section of the northern Rocky noun
tains, since hitherto. far as / am aware
the relations of the east and west sides
of the ranges have not been known between
the head OF Belly river and the Cut Bank
pass.
Lying nearly to the south of Mount Jack
son and between II and the Blackfoot
mountain is deep basin, which is the head
of Harrison creek flowing down toward
the Flathead lake. This basin. which L
have called Pinchot's basin, is occupied by
a large glacier, which Is fed by many
smaller ones flowing down the steep sides of
Mounts Jackson. Kainah and Blackfoot.
What the extent of this glacier may be
do not know, but lying in this deep bas sin
and almost completely surrounded by high
mountains. the area of the moving ice must
be considerable.