Evening star., 1921-07-31
History of Wesi
By Glacial Records

History of Wesi
By Glacial Records
IN the hope of finding glacial records
which will enable scientists TO read
the history of the West in much more
ancient days than they have been
able to do hitherto. +. +. Matthes OF
the United States geological survey
left Yosemite, Calf. recently. equipped
with a large pack train. to explore
the crest of the Sierra Nevada as far
south as Kings River Canyon.
So far scientists have been able 10
determine only that the Rocky noun
tain and Sierra Nevada country WAS
invaded twice by ice. In the Missis-
sippi valley, the Eastern states ano
Canada there are distinct records OF
at least five glacial Hoods. One re-
suit of Dr. Matthes' trip may be the
discovery of data which viii prove
that the earlier ice invasion in the
west in reality was two or more in
vasions. thereby establishing the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the glaciat
epochs over the entire North Amert-
can continent.
Few men are better equipped Tor
such study than the geologist who
started from Yosemite. He mapped
Yosemite valley for the geological
survey and did much work on Grand
Canyon. Rainier aud Glacier nationai
parks. when Albert of Belgium Wis
xv.tf h
Matthes was chosen to accompany
them and explain the geological MS
tory of this park. which is recoR
nized as one of the most fascinating
riddles ever solved by science. lie
was .made q 'chevalier of the order
OF Leopold II by King Albert. He
is best known. however, for formu-
Iating the accepted theory of the Tor
nation OF Yosemite valley, whirh ne
is going to test by his observation
on this trip. and which is efpresseu
in the non-technical language OF the
official government guide book as fol-
! lows:
AFTER the visitor has recovered
from his first shock Of astonishment-
| for it is no less-at the beauty OF me
| valley, inevitably he wonders now
nature made it. How did II happen
| that walls so enormous rose SO near
| ly perpendicularly from SO level
floor?
TT will not lessen wonder to learn
| that it was water which cut in tne
solid granite most of this deep valley
| Originally the Merced flowed prac-
| tically at the level OF the canyon top.
How long IL took it's waters. enormous
| in volume then, no doubt. and rushing
| swiftly down a steep-pitcheo course.
to scrape out this canyon with W.
tools of sand and rock, no man can
guess. And. as it cut the vallex ],
| left the, tributary streams sloping
| even more sharply from their levers
until eventually they poured over
Drinks as great waterfalls.
/! But biologists have determined.
BY unerrine fact. that the river did
by far the most Of the work. and that
the ereat glacier which followed the
| water ages afterward did little more
than square it's corners and steepeh
its cliffs. 1t may have increased the
depth from several hunorto 10
| Thousand feet. not more.
1t is to test out this theory that pr
Matthes is climbing the crest OF the
Jagged. Sierra Nevada range. reading
the story. Of the rocks as he goes.
II want to make a compaLa.ihse
study of the Yosemite. Hetch HetchH
and Tehepite valleys. and OF kings
river canyon" he said. "All OF them
are Yosemites in form, character anu
mode of origin. A secondary op9ert'
which it is more diffifhcult to explain
to the puDllC. Is tndl j "dut ~
the San JOAQUIN and Kings river
basins to verify my conclusions as 70
the successive stages OF erosion ~
the Merced and Tuolumne canyons
and Yosemite and Hetch Het"hy va
lleys prior to the advent OF the ice
/ "The southern mart OF the SIera
Nevada is the highest part. Conse.
ouently the streams there have cur
much deeper than they have in the
northern, part. and it should be pos
sibIe to read the erosial record on the
stream. wallis on a maRnfhed scale
thousands Of feet. perhaps. whers 'he
record here covers only hundreds.
ALSO I wish to look for evidence
of still earlier ice invasions in the
west than have been determined. oE
science up to- now. We know OF two
inyasieas. The later one left record
which is plain and unmistakaote. Ins
autograph Of the earlier one is mixeo
confused. It may be that the nrs'
record IL the work OF two glaciers
instead of one. perhaps more thar
two. and that they were cotem.
) poraneous with the glacial invasions
Of the other portions Of the CONT
nent Of which we know OF Ave. The
last glacial invasion was compare
lively recent. only about $4,000 years
ago.
going to find. ,of course. but II We
!,
than two glacial floods in the west
it opens many possibilities for read
ing. the geological history Of this psrI s
Of the world. For.instance. IT mtgrl
enable us to determine the Hpproxt.
mate epoch when, the last upward
thrust Of the Sierra Nevada range
gave US the magnificent peaks II
Il Yosemite ahd along the Muir trail.
. Or. Matthes and his party HEADED
for the little used Fernando pass
in the southeast corneE OF Yosemif'
National Park from where they vii
swing northward to the. Devils Pos
pile. thence sontheastward along th'
famous John Muir trail On the cres sn
Of the range. Returning ~ late sen
tember. the party will take a lowei
route via Tehepite valley and Hunt
ineton lake. not following, a trail
but lighting their way 'ov$ virgin
country.
/ Modern Carthage"