Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-09-17

us topographic surveys OF the Mount
Rainier National park, made a new
series of measurements by triangula-
ton methods at close range. These
give the peak an elevation of 14,40S
feet. This last figure, it should be
added, Is not likely to be in error
by more than a foot or two and may
with some confidence be regarded as
final. Greater exactness of determin-
alton is scarcely practicable in the
case of Mount Rainier, as it's highest
summit consists actually of a mound
of snow, the height of which natural
ly varies somewhat with the seasons
and from year to year.
This browning snow mound, which :
was once supposed to be the highest
point in the United States, still bears
the proud name of Columbia Crest.
1t is essentially a huge snowdrift or
snow dune heaped up by the furious
westerly winds.
Six great glaciers originate at the
very summit. They are the Nisqually-
the Ingraham, the Emmons.
Winthrop. the Tahoma and the -
glaciers. But many of great sOV
stateliness are born of the SIN Il
rock pockets or Enthusiastically
tured bowls of great dimensions and
ever-increasing depth-from which
they merge into the glistening armor
of the huge volcano. The most dis
tinguished of these are the Cowlitz,
The Paradise. the Frying Pan, the Car
bon, the Russell, the North and South
Mowich, the Puyallup and the Pyra.
mid glaciers.
Remarkable Glaciers.
More than twenty glaciers, great
and small, clothe Rainier; rivers of
ice, with many of the characteristics
of rivers of water, roaring at times
over precipices like waterfalls: rip
pling and tumbling down rocky
slopes-veritable noisy cascades; ris-
ing smoothly up on hidden rocks to
foam, brooklike. over its lower edges.
Each glacier, whether originating at
the bright summit or in vast spring
like cirques, begins in even, immacu-
late snow. A thousand feet or so be-
low 1t attains sufficient density and
weight to acquire movement. Here,
looking down into crevasse, one sees
nothing but clean snow, piled in lay
ers; slightly compacted and loosely
granular snow, called neve in the
Swiss Alps. Gradually, as the cur
rent sweeps along, 1t compacts, under
the pressure and the surface melt
ings, into hard, dense, blue ice.
In glowing contrast to this marvel
GUS spectacle of ice are the gardens
of wild flowers surrounding the gla-
ciers, pushing, wherever the rock and
ice will permit. up the giant slopes.
These flowery spots are called parks
Spray park, st. Andrews park, Hen
rvs hunting ground, Paradise, Sum-
merland and many others.
Above the forests" writes John
Muir, there is a zone of the lowell
est flowers, so miles in circuit and
nearly two miles wide, so closely
planted and luxurious that 1t seems
as II nature, glad to make an open
space between woods so dense and
ice so deep, were economizing the
precious ground and trying to see how
many of her darlings she can get to-
gether in one mountain wreath
daisies, anemones, columbine, cry
throniums, larkspurs, etc., among
which we wade kneedeep and waist
deep. the bright corollas In myriads
touching petal to petal. Altogether
this is the richest subalpine garden
I have ever found, perfect flower
elysium."
The lower attitudes of the park are
densely timbered with fir, cedar, hem,
lock, maple, alder, cottonwood and
spruce. The forested areas, extending
to an altitude of about $500 feet,
gradually decrease in density of
growth after an altitude of 1000 feet
is reached, and the high, broad pla-
teaus between the glacial canyons
present Incompatible scenes of diver
sifled beauties, seemingly arranged to
suit every taste.