The state herald., 1901-07-12
COLORADO's GLACIERS.

Colorado is one of the few states In
the Union that still possesses few
lingering remnants of the great ice
sheets that formerly covered the north
ern half of the United States. Near
Longs. Peak and Estes park are sew
eral ice fields showing the characteris-
tic signs of true glaciers. Mr.. Hallett,
one of the residents of Denver, fell into
one of the crevasses Of the glacier
which now bears his name and with
difficulty escaped with his life. There
are a number of uneXplored glaciers
that await the serious study of the
biologists of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, when
they visit the state in August.
The existing glaciers are but the rem
nants Of the ice streams which former
ly occupied the cnnons of the higher
mountains in Colorado. Near Silver
Plume and Georgetown the canon
walls show the growing and polishing
Of glaciers that must have filed the
valley to depth of 1000 feet. These
glacier phenomena are one of the geo.
logical attractions Of the famous Loop
Trip" Near the mouth of Empire
creek may be seen large terminal NOR
aims which choked Clear creek making
1t act like the waters running on lev
el plain rather than like the torrcntial
streams Of this high altitude. Lateral
morains Of this Clear Creek glacier
may be seen near the towns of Lawson
and Dumont.
Visitors to the Manltou mineral
springs will remember the enormous
q oil Al hnnlInr
from the higher portions Of Ruxtons
canon by the glacier which formerly
extended down this canon from the
ncighborhood of Lake Moralne. This
lake Is the source of the water supply
OF Colorado Springs The waters come
from the melting of the snow on the
submits and along the sides Of Pixies
Peak and are imponded In that basin
formed by the curved morains.
At the head of nearly every stream
coming from the range we find circular
valleys bounded by precipitous cliffs. In
the centers of these amphitheaters are
beautiful Alpine lakes held in by one or
more crcscentic curved momlnes. The
circes as they are technically called
were the accumulating basins for the
masses of snow which fell from the
higher peaks of the mountains in ava
lanches. From these neva fields came
out the Ice rivers or glaciers proper
which extended down the mountain
valleys for many miles. Many of the
larger lakes of Colorado. such as the
Twin lakes near Leadville or Grand
lake In Middle park are held In by
great dams Of rounded rock debris that
were left by the retreating glaciers.
The wide valley of the Arkansas be-
tween the lofty peaks Of the Saguache
and the Mosquito range Of mountains
was recently filed with colossal gla-
cler, evidences of which cover all the
country near I.eadville and Malta. The
morains from the San Juan mountains
extend far out on the adjoining plains.
The glncicrs of Colorado are Of the
Alpine type. They are like the IA
nous glaciers Of Switzerland and Nor
way. They differ from the glaciers of
the Greenland type in occupying only
the bottoms Of our mountain canons
instead OF covering the whole surface
OF the surrounding country. New Eng
land and the Lake states on the other
hand were covered by uniform sheets
OF Ice which enveloped the entire coun-
try, not even the submits OF the higher
mountains escaping. like the continent
nj Ice mass now enshroudlng Green
land. The stony soil Of New England
which has been responsible for the de-
velopment Of New England character.
TO whose influence we may trace 50
many important events In American
history Is entirely composed OF the ma
ferial swept down from northern lands
even from the Canadian highlands far
beyond the st. Lawrence and the great
lakes. Plymouth Rock Itself is a
wanderer from the northern lands.