Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-12
FASCINATIONs OF A GLACIER.
Crevasses and Ice Pinnacles as OBJ
served Al Close Range.

The fascinatiCns Of a glacier are as
witching as they are dangerous. writes
a British Columbia correspondent to
the New York Post. Apostolic vision
OF L crystal city glorified by light that
never was on land or sea" was not
more beautiful than these vast ice
rivers. whose outward course is
chronic!ed not BY years and centuries.
but by geological ages. With white
dOmed snow cornices wreathed fantaS-
tic as arabesque, and with CLASSY walls
Ct emerald grotto rejecting a million
sparkling jewels. one might be in some
cavtrnous dream world. or 2mGng the
lettering grandeur Of an ancient city.
The ice pillars and slvered pinnGcles,
which scientists call seracS. stand like
the sculpturcd marble If temples
crumhlins to rain. Glittering pendants
hang from the rim Of Blush chasm.
Tints too brilliant for artists brush
CLEAN from the turquoise Of crystal
walls. Rivers that flow through valleys
Of ice. ana lakes hemmed In b. Hills
of icc shine with an azure depth that
is Very irfnjty's self. III the morning.
" hen ali thaw has been stopped by the
Eill 'tib. II - utiA--AN SAtEiN
over the glacial fields: even the noun
tain cataracts fail Eoiselessly from
precipica to ledge lin tenuouS wind
blown threads. But with The rising 0f
the sun the whole glacial world bursts
I'd life in noisy turlu,t Surface rivu-
lets brav-l over the i've with a glcc That
j. vocal and almost human. The
gUrgie Of rivers flowing through sub
tc-ranean tunnels becomes q roar. as
Of rushing. angry sea. Ice grip no
longer holds back rock scree loosened
by the nights frosts, and there is the
reVcrbera ting thunder of the falling
avalanche.
IN America, the Rockies and Selklrks
are virtually the home Of the Alpine as
diatfngui he'd from the Piedmont and
Continental glaciers. in these ranges
tie largest and greatest numbers of
truly Alpine glaciers are to Ee found.
Where the Saskatchewan and Atha-
basca take their rise is d glacial field
broken into numerous separate
glaciers. which is so miles long by 10
bread This is the famous Bow river
valley region which has been 50 dill
gently explored for the past 10 years
DN members ol ltlt iIOHtOIi - IlAtit iii+h!i
and London Alpine Clubs. but still
offers untrodden areas for the explorer.
From any of the heights above Lake
Louise south Of the Bow. one c21
count at least 20 distinct glaciers with
in q radius Of as many miles. From
Mt Stephen. farther west. overlooking
the Van Horne. Emerald, and Otter
tail ranges, there are - Inherent
glaciers. not parts Of the same glacier,
visible without the aid Of field glass.
From Sir Donald. still farther west. a
lofty pyramid of rock over $1,000 feet
high, commanding the niiciliiwaet val
ley. as many as 120 glaciers have been
counted. The remoteness of the
region. perhaps, explains the strange
neglect of this vast glacial field.
neglect that has been general but for
the work Of DR.. George Dawson ct
Ottawa, Walter y. Wilcox Of Wash
ington. and a few men Of the
Boston and Appalachian and London
Alpine. Owing to the ire
nendous steepness of the forward
pitch and the narrowing led in which
the ice river is wed%cd as it trends to
the valley, the great glacier If the Hi
( cilliWaet shows creraSst'' Serac ana ice
( cataract on an unusually grand scale.
! 1t was with instructions to 50 70 tie
frest crevasses he knew HAT Jacob, the
old Swiss guide. with a luncheon in his
pack. rope coils over his shoulder and
two ice axes under his arm, plunged into
tie matted tangle of forest growth that
everywhere characterizes the lower slopes
of the Selkirk mountains. Incidentally:
h.. II said TWO guides should be employed
v,bnr ayamining crcVaSSes: if not tW,
guides. then three persons should Away
be on the rope. a false step may unbaI.
snca two hit it seldom upaets three
I-enanfaIiv WAS caution necessary after
thn bcavy sort ot snowfall that had beer
nvcrIa Wing a rift Of rock and ice for fouI
DAYS: but, a. some one has said, expert