El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-19

GTEAMER HUMBOLDT, Lynn Canal
Alaska, Feb.19-I am in the iceland
OF Alaska. There are more than
5000 glaciers between here and Seward
where our railroad is building. Hun
dreds of them come down to the level
OF the sea, and 25 are always drop
ping icebergs into the tide waters
Alaska is the greatest glacier region
OF the world. with the exceptions only
of Greenland and Antractica. There
are many glaciers in the southeastern
part of the territory, and you can see
some Of the biggest Of them by a ride
Of four or five days from Seattle on a
comfortable steamer. You can steam
among icebergs as big as a ship amid
masses of crystal sapphire right up to
the walls Of ice. the ends of ice rivers
that are slowly flowing dawn the sides
Of the mountains. Now and then the
tide leaves icebergs on the shores, and
the green pines bend over them with
their branches.
] am now in the Lynn canal on my
way to Skagway. Looking through my
stateroom window ] can see a wall of
snow-capped mountains which are
green almost TO their tops. Just OPP
posite me is great field Of ice upheld
between two lofty peaks The field is
miles in width, and it slopes upward
until lost in the clouds. That field is
a glacier.
The true glacial region Of Alaska
begins a little beyond the international
boundary, and IL runs from there along
the coast for a distance as great as
from New York to Chicago. It skirts
the ocean and extends for a hundred
miles or so back into the interior. The
most OF the glaciers are north and
west OF Skagway. They are confined
within an area about 100 miles wide
and 500 miles long, comprising a ter
ritory perhaps as large as the state
OF New York This. all told, does not
comprise one tenth OF Alaska. but II is
that part OF the country most fire.
Quented by tourists, and IL is from
their stories than many have received
the idea that Alaska Is nothing but
mountains and ice.
The truth is. most OF the territory
is north OF these glacial ranges which
border the coast and a great part of
IL is "a dry as northern Dakota or
Montana. The Yukon valley has crisp,
cold winters and short dry summers
The winters have clear skies. and the
climate is bearable. In summer the
whole land is covered with the green
est OF green, and the air Is so invig-
Grating that one seems to be breathing
champagne
The interior OF the country is COM
paratively low. The coast glacial
region Is rugged and high. May of
Is mountains are lost in the clouds,
nd some OF their peaks kiss the skies
an altitude higher than any other
rt OF the continent They are so
gh. SO steep and so cold that they
cipitate the water that rises from
warm ocean currents that wash
hern Alaska, and give the snowfall
has built up the glaciers and
ps them alive.
The Famous Talzu GfNcser.
~ inlet is a ford. Is miles long !
with steep mountains and guarded by
& In steaming up it you can count As
prs. and at the end Of It come to
amous Taku glacier. the front wall OF
b. where II enters the sea- Is a mile !
and more than 200 feet high The !
I river OF ice widens II goes back /
cen the two mighty hills on each side. !
nc distance from the sea II r. two /
81 u width. and II continues to widen I
b a Stance OF eight Wives. where 10 r. lost |
n Ereat Ice field close 70 the boundary /
n British Columbia.
The TalCu glacier IS a live glacier--that f.
Il IS moving down TO the ocean and Is al !
ways dropping great bergs into the sea- It 1
IS travelling downward at the rate OF eight I
which drop are as large as the sky-scrapers
II our principal cities. Only little distance
iWay, near that II can be photographed
BY a swing Of the camera, is a dead glacier. !
which shows out on the other side OF the
lin az the west This Is also about a mile
vide, but II seems TO end at the shore !
md, no icebergs come from its great dusty
vail
Sunshine on Great Glacier.
II was at 5 o'clock IN the morning that
had ny first sight OF the Tal5u glacier The
un was already two hours or more high, !
md its rays caught the icebeTgs which /
loated about In the inlet and turned them /
o Eapphires. There were hundreds Of these I
,ushed its way 70 the face OF the ice wall. 1
'he steamship was the Humboldt. with a