Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1915-03-18
HUBBARD GLACIER
Alaska's Gigantic Frozen River
as 1t Meets the Sea.
THE MOTHER OF IcEBERGs.

kumblings and Roarings That Come
az the Masses of Ice Break Away
From the Face of the Lofty Cliff to
Start on Their Ocean Voyages.
The birth of an iceberg is strikingly
described in report made to the Ma
donal Geographic society by r. S. Tarr
and Lawrence Martin, who headed the
expeditions of the society to Alaska
for the study Of the behavior OF gla-
ciers there.
The front of the Hubbard glacier,
measured in a straight line, Is three
and one-half to four miles wide. But
since the ice cliff has sinuous form
with projections in the center 1t Is In
reality much longer than this, the total
length being between four and one
half and five miles. This cliff rises be-
tween $50 and 800 feet above the wa
ter and extends an unknown distance
below 1t.
Zone usually needs to wait but few
moments to hear from some part OF the
cliff the thunder-lke rumble or roar
which is the first announcement of an
tceberg's fall. followed q few moments
later by the appearance of great
swell, which on reaching the shore
forms a line of white breakers even at
distance of several miles from the ice
cliff.
"By watching the ice cliff one may
see the huge masses fall from the ice
front and fountain of water dash
perhaps even to the top of the glacier
and then In a few seconds hear the re-
port which the rending Of the glacier
sends out
ance. Sometimes it is only small
piece that falls, and then a sharp
single report like the crack OF a pistol
goes through the air; again part OF
the front crumbles and the down
sliding ice. broken into small pieces,
seems from a distance like q foun-
tain Of water. while the report is only
q low rumble: at other times huge
masses break away, forming large
icebergs, and the noise then produced
Is Hike the heavy rumble of distant
thunder. ana at rare intervals one
may see a huge mass of blue OF
black Ice thrust itself up from be.
low the ford, some distance from the
glacier front, as part of the sub
merged ice foot is broken off. and then
no report is heard, but the wave that
follows is far greater than usual.
'The water waves which follow the
discharge Of icebergs from the front
of Hubbard glacier are of great mag
niture. In September. 1918, for ex
ample, the big steamship Princess
Maquinna was aground on rec
Just west of Oster island with thu
members Of the international geo
logical congress, who visited Yakuta
bay under the guidance of the JUNO
author. The ship lay somewhat over
mile from the glacier. and yet thu
water wave following the discharg
Of icebergs from Hubbard glacie
caused the steamer to roll until sh
took in water on the main deck a
frst one side and then the other wa
tipped far down by the iceberg waves
There are periods when for an hou
or two there is very little discharg
-and then periods, fully as long, whe
scarcely moment elapses without tn
sound of icefalls from some part of tn
glacier front. 1t is possible that thes
differences are in some way related {
the state of the tide. but we hav
not determined whether the period
of quiet and activity form part OF
regular cycle or are merely irreguia
intervals due to accumulation of strai
and relief from strain or to expai
sion and contraction under sunlight
while there are periods of relativ
quiet, they are not periods of absolu,
repose. and they occupy far less tim
than the periods of activity. Day an
night the ice falls, and the report
that pass out through the air are s
frequent that it is fair to speak {
the glacier as almost ceaselessly a
tive. The noise disturbs ones slet
at first, and sometimes, when an u
usually heavy fall occurs, wakens OF
even after he has grown accustome
to the ordinary rumble. A sense
nervous relief is felt when camp
removed to part of the ford to whit
the iceberg roar and the breakers {
the coast do not reach
True Devotion.