Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-14

the terminal moraine of tho glacier,
which is made up OF rocks Of all sizes
down to pebbles as big as q pea.
The vegetation had now disappeared
and wo stood OH the bank of river.
whose glacial waters looked like skim
milk. Wo were right under a mighty
leo wall that assembled straight UP from
the water to Il greater height than that
OF the dome of our Capitol at Wash
inGton. This wall is washed by tho
river. IT extends along the banks of
the stream for Il length Of four miles
and runs backward for more than
ten miles up the valley. 1t Is COM
posed of broken and uneven cliffs OF
palo green Ice. from which leo masses
arc continually falling. II is csti-
mated that more than 100000 900
pounds Of ice break off from il every
year. That would he enough to load
4 train OF cars 500 miles long, or
enough to give eighty pounds to every
man, woman and child in the Cuitcd
States. and leave some to spare
PASSENGERS ARl.E TO SEE
ICE BLOCKS BREAklNE
We could sec the ice blocks break
ing of as we stood under tho wall on
the opposite bank OF the milky river.
First came II cracking, which sounded
like u, battery OF heavy artillery Then
y mass OF pure white. weighing thou
sands of tons. broke loose from the
glacier. II seemed 70 hang In midair
Tor an instant. 1t then plunged down
into the stream with u thunierous
roar. sending up high cloud OF spray
~ moment later the mist had cleared
away, and the ice block or berg could
he seen rising and falling, Sending
waves in pillows almost 10 our feet
The breaking OF the ice is caused
by the melting and also by the force OF
the great ice river as II flows slowly
down from the heights. The move
lncnt of the glacier varies in speed
from time to time. During the years
1906. 1907 and 1905. 1t came forward
only two or three feet day. but in
1909 its motion increased to five or six
feet. and i'll August. 1910 il was ad-
rancing at the rate OF thirty or forty
feet daily. After that it began to sub
side. and in June 1911. 1t was NOV
ing 1T less than two feet per day
When the motion was at its height
the movement, of the glacier was OBJ
served by some of the scientists OF the
National Geographic Society. who were
scribe Its wonderful glaciers. The in
vestiEations covered three years and
they were made at cost OF about
$1,000. paid by that society Their
work has thrown q new light upon
tho ice age of America and 1t has
boen recently embodied IN a book en- =
titled Alaskan Glacier Studies"
which is OF the greatest value
q ,,nr ef M oh
tons Of the Childs Glacier and photo
Eraphed it from time to time when II
was moving along at the rate of
thirty or forty fee, daily. One of
them describes the changes from day
to day. They would come out in the
morning to find tons of ice resting
where their cameras had stood tho da V
previous and to see a great tree per-
haps Il hundred years old prone on
| the ground with its butt beneath the
glacier. The night before the same
tree had been upright and the ice
some distance away. In this movement
the Ice tore trees out by the roots. 1t
| acted like so many mighty plows,
| ripping up the earth To bed rock, and
| carrying the turf and bushes along
| level ten or fifteen feet higher than
| that OF the plain
II was this movement of the Childs
Glacier that was advanced as one of
the reasons why the United States
| government should not choose the Cop
| per River and Northwestern Railway
| route rs the best entrance 10 the in
| terror of Alaska. The opponents OF
| that route claimed that the glacier
would some time advance 80 as to
cover the railroad and wipe out the
tracks. One end OF the glacier is now
not more than 1900 feet from the
bridge. and | am told that the Ice has
advanced that much in single sea
! son. II this is so the glacier will
some day swallow the bridge. On the
other hand, the advocates of the Con-
per River Valley route claim there
is little danger of such an event. and
| that It could easily be remedied
should it occur
| Copyright, 1915. by Frank G. Car.
| Denter.)