The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1909-10-14

regions of perpetual snow but recent
explorations show that not all perpet-
ual nov mountains contain these vast
ice-beds. When glacial-ice is absent
in the valleys Of snow-covercd ranges
it is because other necessary condi-
tiohs are lacking. No matter how
many other arms or branches a glacier
may have spread in traverse valleys in
tersecting the main glacial valley all
are connected with the perpetual snow
caps above.
Great humidity, which causes abun.
dant snow fall, is one Of the conditions
that must be present for the formation
of glaciers on the heights. To COM
pact the millions of tiny crystals into
glacier ice the snow must be subjected
to a c~hangeable temperature, alter
nate thawing and freezing. Many
persons probably wonder why these
great white fields extend below the
snow line, and below the mean line OF
80 degrees, or freezing point, A briei
explanation is given by the late Pro
fessor Joseph lie Conte in the follow
ing words: The upper part of a gla-
cier is perpetual snow, which has
drifted in and fills the summit valley
Lower down the valley one finds a
g%ranulated or intermediate snow, that
is, a formation between snow and ice
which gradually changes to glacier ice
in the lower attitudes" By the grav-
itation and pressure of the upper ice
fields the face of the glacier moves
snail-like to tide water where wealth
err conditions cause the great
chunks to break away from the active
glacier and float about in navigable
waters.
Nearly all glaciers of Alaska are pro.
longations Of vast ice fields fed from
the tops of high and stately peaks
The glaciers are moving all the time.
but only very slowly and the glacial
ice freed by coming in contact with
the sea usually finds IN outlet to the
Pacific through one of the many fords
and the action of the warm ocean cur
rents lcauses these broken masses t.
melt away. The borders of many OF
of Alaska's glaciers are moraine-
covered and contain small and shallow
lakes. The formation seems To be in
itiated by the melting back of the sides
Of crevasses. AS they broaden the
openings are filled with water and
miniature rivers flow here and there on
the slopes Of the glacier feeding into
the icy depressions.
Travellers who journey to Alaska will
find that the residents have applied
the term "'live glaciers" to ice-iields
discharging into the ocean. Those To-
Gated on the mountain slopes far above
sea level are generally referred to as
glaciers of the Alpine type because
they SO resemble the glacial-ice of the
Alps in Switzerland. Glaciers which
formerly discharged into large bodies
Of water but are now separated by
moraines are termed dead glaciers"
Our next stop we made at Tread
we'll. Here we were allowed to visit
the biggest gold mine in the world.
This mine is called the Glory Hole.
Some of III party donued the coat
and caps of the miners and made the
descent into the Hole. 1t was a thrill
ing experience. We were allowed to
visit all parts of the large plant and
the working of the machinery and the
process used in separating the gold
from the quartz was a revelation to
many of us. Quite a joke was perpe-
trated upon a number of our party. Il
you have ever been in stamping mill
you know just what they are. Nobody
Well, the word was passed around
that we were going to he allowed the
privilege of visiting the great STAMP
mill at Treadwell where two hundred
immense machines were stamping out
the gold from the rocks, but 10 we were
allowed this privilege it would be
necessary for US to keep perfectly still
and no one would be allowed to speak
loud enough to be heard. We ali
readily consented and proceeded on
our way. Before we reached the mill
however, we found that we had been
the victims of a huge joke for even at
that distance so great was the noise OF
the mill itself that one had fairly to
shout to be understood. 1t is needless
to say that nom spoke SO as to be
heard when nce inside the mill.
These stamps are mammoth crushers
which pulverize the rocks, This pull
veriSed substance is then subjected to
several processes of washing by which
the gold is separated from the quartz
the gold adhering to a large cylinder