Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-20
NARROWED At GLACIER
Though Ice and Carpet Slippers
Don't Harmonic.
SCENERY AND MISFORTUNE
nlecillewaet Glacier Biggest in the
World.
THE GREAT CAVE OF CHE0PS
Telegram From the Secretary Of War
and the Trouble It
Stirred Up.
THE GREAT CAVE OF CHEoPs

Special From STAFF Correspondent
REVELSTOKE. Canada, August 12-This
has been g. day Of fortunes and misfor-
tunes, Of incidents narrowing and other
wise. Since the eleven Of us left Wash
ington-until this Hateful day-everything
has been as merry as the alimony chimes.
We have withstood the assaults of local
committees without number. we have alb
sorbed statistics and scotch and soda with
equal readiness. we have trified with six or
seven meals day and banquet or two
every twenty-four hours-and up to now
impunity has been seated at our right
hand.
But this morning the blow fell. Back at
Glacier, hundred miles or so down the
line. the train stopped for thirty-five min
utes. At least. that's what the time table
said, although I'm now convinced that
twas either a misprint or the engineer was
anxious to get home to mother. But at
any rate the stop was long enough for five
members of the party to rush for the plat
form, coatless. collarless and carpet-slipped
to get breath Of fresh air. They are
still breathing. Telegraphic advices from.
Glacier relieved our fears on that score not
long ago..
But things might be worse. If couple Of
thoughtless. freight trains hadn't endea-
vored some hours ago. to run north and
south on the same track at the same time
and place, the five unfortunates left be-
hind at Glacier in shirt-sleeved and carpet
|'slippered negligee wouldn't have been able
to catch up with the rest of us for five
days. But as 1t is there's considerable of
muss up the line and before it is cleared
away and our car able to proceed, there'n
be a grand reunion. For they are now
rushing hitherward by freight
Eaorf,,1 coao;o rIr;ns
It may be that the scenic thrills of the
early part of this morning had something
to do with the sublimated carelessness of
the Glacier five. For from Field to Glacier
there is something doing every minute. The
train has to descend the western slope
of the Rockies to the valley of the Column
bia, and to reach 1t the course Of the Kick
ing Horse river is followed through some
of the finest mountain scenery in the world.
1.-THE descent is. no slight one say the
guide books. And for once these interest
ing publications haven't exaggerated. In
fact they're most outrageously conserva-
tive for Field Is 4 $50 feet up in the air,
while Golden is only 1850 feet above sea
level-and this / 800 drop has to be made
in thirty -four miles. I've shot the chutes
in various foolish resorts around this pleas
ure-loving land, but that breath-removing
diversion isn't circumstance to this train
slide down the mountain: Before the edge
of the drop is reached a brakeman rushes
through the train with nervous look and
an .armfuI Of red flags and tofped0es and
sets all the hand brakes. This in itself Is
not calculated to quiet the fears of the
tinlid passenger. A few moments later you
can hear the air brakes shut down with a
grind and a shrek and tho slide begins
Possibly the carop wouldn't be so nerve
rack1nE If the scenery. zpasA' f. so much on
the catastrophicai 1os6ar s'Rut tbs track is
laid on anaaftf fetal, shelf along the noun
tain side. From the, windows -on ore side
off no froi In, wsf1 the.
may almost be touched, while on the other
a passenger, with ambitions for 'Change,
might jump OF and travefa straight down
for. couple Of. weeks without stopping for
refreshment. The Columbia river. a;pretty.
sizeabie torrent at this. point looks for all
the world like little-wlhte@ ribbon at the
bottom of this canyon from the vantage of
the shelved train. = -@.~ Il
The track runs between the Ottertail and
Van Horne ranges. the former being built
of sheer rocks with lofty pinnacles above
the Alpist from the chronic ward. The
finest Of the range. Mount Goodsir. fell a
victim to the prowess OF Prof. Fay of
Tufts College, who went up whole and
came down again with q skinned shin.
couple of dozen stone bruises and the loss
Of three teeth. to show that he had been in
some busy spot. The Van Horne range,
Just across the narrow valley, is less I'M
hued and its summit Is an alternating sue
cession of crest and trough. To the south
east the Beaverfoot mountains. another
splendid line Of big peaks, stretch In regu-
lar company formation out OF seeing dis
lance, and between them and the Ottertails
rises the bulk of Mount Hunter.
Bergvil1e Citizens.
could go on for an hour talking about
these mountain friends of mine for I was
introduced to. all the leading peaks Of the
Rockies and nodded. to many OF the hoi
polloi of Bergville that hadn't been formal
ly presented. But this isn't a typographical
essay, SO we'll skip a few million tons of
rock. world full of scenery and some
thrills and arrive at Glacier. where Miss
Fortune was waiting to greet US.
This is certainly nifty spot and about
as restful as any place on earth. also
than the summer resort in which some of
us will eventually spend considerable time.
A man with nervous prostration could come
out here mere wreck. and in three days
be able to sit on the business end of tack
without appearing excessively annoyed.
The Great Glacier is about a mile and a
half from Glacier House, the inevitable C.
p. r. hotel, but among such gigantic sur
roundngs and in this filtered and pasteur-
lied air, looks a whole lot nearer. Its
slowly receding front, with crevasses of
is only few hundred feet above the level
of the railway. Good trails have been
made to it, and its exploration is not diff
cult, but tbs not very wise to wander
i d
guide That's what the natives told US, and
I took it to heart. A couple of centuries or
SO in the natural cold storage department
of the Selkirks would give anybody a cold
in the head.
This big chunk of ice is said to be greater
than all those of Switzerland combined As
I've never been to Switzerland, l. can't say
I did start to cross the ocean once upon a
time, but one of the flremen happened to
find me before the ship left port. 1t was
very discouraging. But whether or not
this glacier is bigger than those of Switzer-
land it is merely the center of group of
glaciers embracing more than 200 square
miles. There's enough ice around here to
supply New York for more than a week.
And there can't anything be said more ex-
travagant than that.
The Illecillewaet glacier-Ive hesitated
about springing that name-like nearly
every other glacier in the world, is re-
ceding. The sun drives 1t back about thirty
five feet year. I'm glad / found this out
Heretofore I've had the impression that a
glacier moved forward. Another lie nailed
The Caves Of Cheops.
t.o,,t CIV y,atIoS from, Ola efor a. -