The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-07-18
MAUNA KEA SHOWS
signs OF ANCIENT
GLACIAL SECURING
: Professor Bryan Returns To Hilo
With Story, Of Discovery %
: AT Summit <., !.

DotHlls OF the discovery of traces q
ancient glacial action on Mauna Ike
by Prof. William A. Bryan Of the Co
lege Of Hawaii have been received her
BY mail from Hilo, experimenting radi
reports. Wgs ,.ts q. 3, GsE-a i
Professor Bryan ,ygas. accompanied b
Lieut. George r. Meyer. u. S. Al. Foi
Kamehameha, who returned TO Homo
lulu in the. Mauna Kea Saturday NOR
ing. The professor and Mrs. Bryan vii
remain on Hawaii for about two weeks
making collections of marine shells.
Having started from Kukaiau plat
tation on the Hamakua coast, July, Z
with Hawaiian guide and four horse,
the Bryan party reached Waiau Lake
near the l3,825.foot summit of Mann
Kea, at six o clock that evening, an.
made camp there. They went all tn
way on horseback, which is more diff
cult on Mauna Loa and altogether i'm
possible by the new Mauna Lon trai
by way Of the Pun Uloula resthouse.
Climbers Almost Exhausted E NE,
At this tremendous height on Maun
Kea il was very cold, and there wa
difficulty in breathing in the rarifed ii
mosphere, SO that the least exertion lef
the climbers almost exhausted. But b,
Saturday morning they had become ne
oustomed to the air and started on thei
explorations. y ~ T.. -s,.
When Professor Bryan reached Hill,
last Monday he was sunburned an,
frostbitten, for where they camped an
wandered for two days there are
this time, in July, great banks Of snow
five feet thick, as well as ice ridges am
ice caves. Speaking of his trip Prof
Bryan said, in an interview to the Hill
Tribune: ..ats. ,..s@as -...,.., -
"Although the. northeast side of Ma
una Kea is the hardest side on which Il
make the ascent, we chose that side fol-
the reason that no competent observer
as far as can find out, has ever gon,
up that way to make reliable report
and it is only. owing to this fact that
can attribute to other geologist the fail
ure to record that practically the en-
tire summit of the mountain, and es
pecially on the northeast and northern
sides, shows abundant and unmistakabE
evidence, of erosion by extensive gla
>ciers. IS
IT should estimate that altogethe'
there are at least fifty square miles o,
land secured by glaciers THERE, leavin'
everywhere the characteristic marking
left by mountain glaciers. secured al
abundance of geological specimens prov
ing the glacial action there. 49,.
So far as is known this is the frs
report of .glaciation. on the Island Of
Hawaii, or the territory, and probably
in the Pacific. 1t appears that ,onc,.
there was a glacial ice-eap from which
the glacier flowed, even as far down, or
III" north. as the line of vegetation.
Bedrock Secured in Lines
"There are q number of places where
the bedrock is secured in parallel lines
for more than 100 feet. In some places
the hard hasaltic rocks, with which thu
glacier was shod, have been left in place
mounted on the secured bed of the an
Gent ice-stream when the glacier dis,
appeared, showing the instruments useS
by the glacier in gouging out these cha
ructeNstic grooves and scratches left
by all moving glaciers. ..
"When did this happen3 Well, tho
geological and Topographic ievidence in,
dicates that the period Of glaciation nm
t"dPtes the eruption Of the ma iority OF
the larger cinder cones that form tn
summit of Mauna Kea, for in places
these cinder cones cover the bed of thu
ancient glacier.
"This geological proof is an evidence
of the great antiquity of this mountain
and also presupposes a difference in the
then and now, although now, il
July, the ice and snow up there is thick
and in January, 1909, the snow came
down to the 6.000 feet elevation. " s.
One Of Worlds Sights
Professor Bryan and his companion
not only brought down many geological
specimens Of great value. but obtained
n splendid collection of photographs
Professor Bryan describes the sigh
from the top of Mauna Ken as one of
The most wonderful in the world.
Standing on the summit of this high
est mountain in the Pacific Ocean tho
whole world seems TO lie at one 3 feet
The ocean appears to be solid plain
Of dark turquOis, while distant Hale
akaia on Maui stands out with dis
.inctness which is striking. Directly be-
low extends the miles on, miles of the
SASNh ouSci SohNi uhu III rum
are other mountains, those only 5000
feet or a. little more in height, looking
almost like ant hills ."
But to the south looms majestic Ma,
ma Loa, the sister mountain to Maunr
Kea, and only a few feet lower, where
s still an active crater, Mokoweoweo
hat occasionally bursts forth. Then past
he buttresses Of Mauna Loa is seen the
Ow-lying Kilauea, the evet-active Vol
,ano, and above the fiery pit of Hale
naumau the fumes and smoke can be
distinctly seen.
While crossing snow and ice field
near the crest Of Mauna Kea The horse
IN which Lieutenant Meyer was riding
ell and began sliding down hill. 1t was
narrow escape for him, but his only
lurt was when the horse threw back
Is head and struck the officer in the
lace, bruising him somewhat.
Professor Bryan says he Is convinced
hat this northern part of the Island
If Hawaii, especially in Kohala. is az
ancient part of the group as Kauai.
He is delighted with his trip and hist
discoveries. The party went up the
northeast flank of the moultain and de
'Cepded by the northern side over what
IS known as the Nau trail.