The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-28
THE VALUE OF GLACIERS.
The French Are Finding Out How
 Much They Add to Water Supply.

AAiA A ACAlNh EAAC Oul lIOA
 Much They Add to Water Supply.
 The French government began last spring a novel and interesting study. It has long been recognized that the melting ice of the glaciers among the Alpine regions of southern France contributes in the summer months a very important part of the water sup ply required by the towns and manu- featuring interests. It is proposed to obtain scientific knowledge of the economic value of these glaciers. For this purpose the section of gla- cial studies has been organized in the Agricultural department and a consld- erable force in charge of seven men specially trained in the scientific ser vice has been detailed to survey the ! glaciers and make a thorough study of their regime. The work Is to GOV CT the entire mountain region between Switzerland, Italy and the Medlter- | ranean.
 The purpose is first to obtain exact information as to the size of the | glaciers and the area covered by them and then to examine the entire glacier area every spring and report upon the quantity of water it may be expected to yield during the melting season, | This amount varies, of course, with the precipitation, and 1t will be of great economic value to know months in advance approximately how much l water from the snow and ice of the ] mountains the mills, towns and irri- gated lands may expect to receive dur ing the season.
 The studies of the engineer, I'm beaux, though confined to one particu- lar water system, have thrown consid- erable light upon the importance of this source of water supply, He has 1 proved that from April to August about one-half of the water in the Durance river is derived from the glaciers that feed it's head streams The Durance supplies power to scores of mills, its waters irrigate many val ley farms and Marseilles derives it's entire supply of potable water from 1t.
 It is expected this year to make great progress with the survey of the glaciers. They will be mapped on the basis of these surveys on the very large scale of about six inches to the mile. These maps will be very help full in all future study of these vast accumuations of ice, and in fact the work that the French have undertak- en will be very important contribu- ton to the science of glaciology.
 Among the scores of glaciers that will be surveyed this season will be those of Mont Blanc. A still larger un- dertaking this summer will be the mapping of the glaciers in the noun. tain group of which Pelvoux is the most conspicuous feature; and the survey of the glaciers in the upper
 valley of the Neste, among thu Pyrenees, is also a part of the summer program.
 Some of these glaciers are retreat
 ing, and this is especially noticeable among the mountains of the Pelou1
 region, The study that has been giv
 en to this matter in the last few years
 in various parts of the world seem. to show that glaciers have their peri
 ods of advance and retreat. Some O the Canadian glaciers that have beer diminishing a little for years are be ginning again to push their fronts . little lower into the valleys. - The French government has givel to Pierre Claimant the task of search ing the archives oftthe Department O : Isere for old documents concerning the climatic and glacial conditions il 5 order to study the variations for lont l periods of the different phenomen; supply from the glaciers.-New Yorl 7 Sun.