Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-11
WILL EXPLORE THE
CANADIAN GLACIERS
REGION is RICH WITH RARE
MINERALS
Well Known Scientists Pass Months
Visiting Northern Mountains
and Learn Many inter-
estlng Things

| Sohih4 tUh'9S
The most accessible glaciers on the
North American continent lie in the
southwestern part of Canada, just over
the United States boundary.
| Recognizing the fruitfulnesS of this
region for the geologist, the Smithson-
ian institution several years ago sup
ported an expedition headed by DR..
William H. Sherzer, professor OF
natural science at the State Normal
college, Ypsilanti, Michigan, to explore
the glaciers for scientific data. A full
report of the expedition, after the
working out of many observations and
drawings of valuable conclusions, is
| just published in the series of Smith
sonian Contributions to knowledge"
This series of contributions" in
cludes publications most vital to the
purpose for which the institution works.
1.-The increase and diffusion of know
| ledge among men," Through it have
been given to the world the results
of original researches containing new
| facts and conclusions at the time of
their publication not known to the sci
entif1c world.
In the report of DR.. Sherzer are album
dant original data and observations
on glacial origin and action. Five gla-
| ciers are described, the Victoria and
| Wenkchemna glaciers in Alberta, and
the Yoho, Asulkan and the great Ille-
cillewaet, discovered in 1883, in Brit
ish Columbia.
Climatic Extremes
They are in a region of climate ex
tremes, thermometers having recorded
as high as ITO degrees at Griffin lake
and as low as 40 degrees below zero
at Calgary. Blowing from the warm
currents of the Pacific, over the Gold
and Coast ranges, come occasionally
the "snow-eating" chinook winds, dry
and balmy, given the name from the
tribe Of Indians near Puget sound by
early Hudson bay trappers and voy-
ageurs. These winds constitute one of
the meteorological peculiarities of this
continent and by scientific study have
been determined to be part Of a great
"whirl" due to an Intricate series of
influences.
1t may be a matter of surprise to
many, suggests DR.. Sherzer, to learn
that four or five days of comfortable
railway travel places one in the midst
of snow fields rivaling in size and
grandeur those of Switzerland, that the
ice bodies descending from these fields
may be studies from modern hotels as
a base, and that one may safely ride
horse to the very nose of each. For
trii ) on the ice to the passes and
neighboring peaks, experienced Swiss
guides are available during the sum-
mer months. So far as is known there
is here the most magnificent develop
ment of glaciers of the Alpine type on
the American continent.
Glaciers Generally Receding
The glaciers generally were found to
be still in retreat, the Wapta, at the
head of the Yoho valley, having ex-
Ceeded it's average of the last three
years by few feet, while the Illecille-
waet at Glacier house receded but one
third of the average which 1t has main
tanned during the last seventeen years.
The Asulkan, in an adjoining valley,
which had been advancing for about
two years, has remained practically
stationary during the last year. The
Victoria presents an oblique front of
nearly half a mile, and its lower 800
feet, completely veneered with rock,
has pushed out into the forest at a
comparatively recent date. The Wenk-
chemna glacier, in the Valley of the
Ten Peaks, formerly called Desolation
valley, proved exceptionally interest
ing because of its almost unique char
acter only one other of the type-the
Malaspina in Alaska-having been de-
scribed.
The Wenkchemna consists of a slug
glish ice mass. relatively short but
broad, formed by the lateral coalescence
of about a dozen short ice streams, each
of which retains its Identity more or
less perfectly entirely across the gla-
cier and maintains its own nose and
motion Independently of It's neighbors.
To those who do not fully appreciate
all the factors of the problem it is
frequently a matter of surprise that a
glacier in one valley may be In retreat
while that In an adjacent valley may be
advancing, as has just been the case
In the Asulkan and Illocillewaet val
legs: but in the case of the Wenk-
chemna there is still more varied be-
havior In streams that are side by
side almost Throughout. their length.
Interesting facts as to just how gla-
ciers flow are set forth. "Flow" Is a
good word to describe their motion.
Glacial ice, to all appearances solid, is
under certain circumstances plastic and
If a river of water can be conceived
that moves in inches instead of miles,
such river would resemble very close
ly q glacier. The experiment of set
ting up eighteen metal plates in a
direct line across the Victoria glacier,
third of a mile, showed a total move
ment in 423 days varying from seventy
six feet In mid stream to about an
inch on the sides, an average of lit
tie over two inches a day near the CEN
ter and dwindling toward each bank.
This means a flow in the swiftest part
of about sixty-six feet year.
On either side and in front of each
are the usual glacial moraines or
mounds of broken rock and gravel,
either pushed up or deposited by the
ice in melting. The constant race be-
tween the melting forces and the flow
of the ice stream, to determine whether
the great mass shall invade new ter
ritory or be forced to give ground, is
not the least interesting. Measure
ments in every case were made from
stationary marks to the nose of the
glaciers, resulting in the conclusions,
above stated, that some were advancing
and others receding.
Complete Surveys
Complete surveys were obtained of
each glacier from the high neve fields,
where the snow, avalanched two
thousand feet from the mountain
peaks, first begins to compress into
glacial ice, along the compact mass
| itself, several miles to the rounded
nose, and it's drainage stream running
down usually to lake and then off in
a river. The term lice waves" seems
| AA