Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-02
MOUNTAIN OCTOPUS OF ICE
Rauier's GtisteninG Tentacies
spread Out over one Hundred
Square Miles.

A frozen octopus OF enormous bulk
lwhose glittering armored body rises three
miles into tho sky, with twenty OF more
huge wrinkled arms reaching down among
Thousands Of acres of the most gorgeous
land luxurious Wild flowers. 20 squirt,
from each finger tip. river OF ice
water into the valley below.
Surely a quotation from the Arabian
Nights" Or ghost tale to frighten chill
Idren on Halloween.
But no. however. flgurative. this IL a
ltrue statement OF an actual fact. There
really exists such an ioe-armored ooto-
lpUs in the United States. II Is a Justifi-
able description OF the most interesting
mountain in Uncle SANS dominions, and,
lperhaps. In the world.
Mount Rainier is In tho state OF WASH
ington. fifty-six miles southwest Of
Tacoma II IL one OF that celebrated
range Of volcanoes which were supposed
20 be extinct until, within the year. Las
sen peak broke forth again. Rainier,
though supporting one OF the most re-
markahle single peak glacial systems In
the world. emits steam from certain
creyices. evidences OF continued internal
heat.
Mount Rainer stands. in round num-
bers, 1000 feet high above its immedi-
ate base and covers 100 square miles
of territory. In shape II is not a sim
pie cone. tapertng to a slender. pointed
summit like Fujiyanna. the great vol
.cano OF Japan. II is rather q broadly
truncated mass resembling an enormous
tree stump with spreading base and ir-
regularly broken top.
More than twenty glaciers. great and
small. clothe Rainer; rivers Of Ice. with
many OF the characteristics Of rivers OF
water. roaring at times over precipies
like waterfalls; ripping and tumbling
down the rock slopes-veritable noisy
cascades; rising smoothly upon hidden
rocks. to foam. brook like over its lower
edsea
Each glacier, whether originating at
the bright summit OF In vast spring-like
cirques. begins in even. immaculate
snow. A thousand feet or 30 below Il
attains sufficient density and weight to
acquire movement Here. looking down
into a crevasse. one sees nothing but
clean snow. piled IN layers; slightly
eompaeted and loosely granular snow.
called neve IN the Swiss Alps. Gradually.
as the current sweeps along. Il compaets.
under the pressure and the surface meet
ings. into hard. dense blue ice.
In glowing contrast 10 this marvellous
spectacle of Ice are the gardens OF wild
flowers surrounding the giaciers, push
ing. wherever the rock and ice VIII per-
init. up the giant slopes. These flowery
spots are called parks-spray park, 81.
Andrews park, Henry's Hunting Ground.
Paradise. summerland and many others.
Above the forests" wrote John Muir.
there Is a zone Of the loveliest flowers
fifty miles in circuit and nearly two miles
wide. 30 closely planted and luxurious
that 4 seems as II nature. glad 10 make
an even space between woods 50 dense
and Ice 80 deep. were eoonomizing the
precious ground and trying TO see how
many Of her darlings she can set to-
gether In one mountain wreath--daiaies.
anemones. eoiumbine. erythroniums. lark
spurs. etc. among which we wade knee
deep and waist deep, the bright oorollas
IN myriads touching petal 10 petal. Al
together this is the richest sun-aipine
garden ] have ever found. q perfect
flower Elysium. - Boston Transcript