The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-08
HUBBARD GLACIER
AIaska's Gigantic Frozen River
as II Meets the Sea.
THE MOTHER OF IcEBEReS.
Rumblinss and Roarinss That Come
as the Masses of Ice Break Away
From the Face OF the Lofty Cliff to
Start on Their Ocean Voyages.

\ dS tne MasSen OF ico DFoaN AWAY
From the Face OF the Lofty Cliff to
Start on Their Ocean Voyages.
The birth of An iceberg is strkingly
| described in n report made to the Ma
| uonal Geographic society by h. ). 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 straight line. Is three
and one half TO four miles wide. But
since tho lee clin has a sinuous form
with projections in the center II is in
reality much longer than this, the total
length being between four and one
half and five miles. This elf rises be-
tween go and 200 feet above the wa
ter and extends an unknown distance
below It.
zone usually needs to wait but few
moments 10 hear from some part OF the
cliff the thunder-like rumble or roar
which is the first announcement OF an
iceberg's fall. followed few moments
later by the appearance of great
swell which on reaching the shore
forms a line OF white breakers even at
3 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 a fountain OF water dash
perhaps even 10 the top OF the glacier
and then IN Il few seconds hear the re-
port which the rending of the glacier
sends out
zone is fascinated by the perform
ance. Sometimes it is only small
piece that falls, and then sharp
single report like the crack of pistol
goes through the air; again part Of
the front crumbles and the down
sliding ice, broken into small pieces.
seems from distance like Il fonn-
tain OF wafer while the report is only
n low rumble; at other times huge
masses break away. forming large
icebergS. and the noise then produced
is like the heavy rumble Of distant
AiAhhN'Af anu HA ihiN iiliFl dIN WV
may see n huge mass Of blne or
black Ice thrust itself up from be-
low the ford. some distance from the
glacier front. as a part OF the sub
merged ice foot is broken or. and then
no report Is hesri, but the wave that
follows is far greater than usual.
The water waves which follow the
discharge OF lcsbergs from the front
Of Hubbard glacier are OF great mag
niture. fIf September, 1913, for ex-
ample. the big steamship Princess
Maquinna was aground on reef
inst west OF 0sler island with the
members of the International geo
logical congress, who visited Yakutat
bay under the guidance Of the junior
author The ship lay somewhat over Il
mile from the glacier and yet the
water wave following the discharge
Of iceberes from Hubbard glacier
caused the steamer to roll until she
took in water on the main deck as
first one side and then the other was
tipped far down by the iceberg waves
There are periods when for an hour
or two there il very little discharge
and then periods fully rs long, when
scarcely moment eiapses without the
sound Of icefalls from some part or the
glacier front. Il is possible that these
differences are in some way related to
The state OF the tide, but we have
not determined whether the periods
of quiet and activity form part of 4
regular cycle or are merely irregular
intervals due to accumulation of strain
and relief from strain or TO expan-
sion and contraction under sunlight
while there are periods OF relative
quiet, they are not periods OF absolute
repose, and they occupy far less time
than the periods Of activity. Day and
night the ice falls, and the reports
that pass ont through the air are so
frequent that il is fair to speak OF
the glacier as almost ccasclcSsly ac-
tive. The noise disturbs ones sleep
ut first. and sometimes, when an I'M
usually heavy fall occurs, wakcns one
even after he has grown accustomed |
to the ordinary rumble. A sense of |
nervous relief il felt when camp is |
removed 10 part OF the ford TO which |
the iceberg roar and the breakers on |
the coast do not reach"