Evening star., 1923-10-07
DECLARES NORTH
GROWING. WARMER
Dr.. WaIcott's View Based on
Protracted Study of Ca
madam Rockies.
The north is growing warmer.

The north is growing warmer.
That is the word brought back 70
Washington by DIR. Charles ID; Wal
cott, secretary of the Smithsonian IN
etitution, and Mrs. Walcott after a
summer of geological exploration In
the Canadian Rockies.
Although the proc ss Is very SLOW,
IL may prove of considerable economic
Importance eventually to Alaska ana
the klondike. -,
The great glaciers by almost inn
perceptible degrees are retreatlns
nprthward. For the past seven years
Mrs. Walcott has taken exact aniar Meas
urements of the great Selkirk giacler
on the Canadian PACING ralitoau.
During that time 1t has gone pack
1,07O feet and has thinned down over
400 feet. 1t is now mere skeleieh ss
81 what It was when first scientin-
cally measured in 1898. This retreat
ing of the ice occurs not only IN Sne
Selikirk mountains, according 70 ".
Walcott, but all the way to the great
Alaskan glaciers. tho
wears grow warmer the snowfail De
comes less. This results in less press.
,lre exerted on the ice. The retreat oI
the glaciers becomes more rapid IIol.
wear to year, but it still Is matteI
of a few feet each year, so tnat IL
will be a good many centuries TO
come before any noticeable transforma-
tion of the frozen north Is likely
However, DR.. Walcott points OUT
that an increase In the mean TEN
perature of two or three degrees WOULD
be of considerable importance In the
history of these regions. The warm
ing process, it is estimated, mas peeh
going on eor the past twenty years
The country visited by DR.. ana MRS
walcott Is one of North Americas
fairyIands, still uninvaded by tour
lists. Perhaps it's most striking nat
ural feature is the Lake OF the Hang
ing Glaciers. in the Selk1rk noun
tains forty miles west of Lake VIM
demere. in the Columbia river valley
This now can be reached only by a
very rough trail on horseback. There
Is no road. 1t is little body of blue
water out of which rise sharp cliffs
on all sides. Over the cliffs hang the
glaciers. sending down great ice pill
water. A silence suggesting the
supernatural hangs over the lake. 1t
Is one OF the natural wonders of the
world.
Brings Geological Exhibits.
DR.. Walcott brought back with him
large geological collections, which
will be added to those on exhibit at
in addition, sketched thirty varieties
of wild flowers which blanket the
mountain sides. These will be added
to her already large collection at
tne Smithsonian institution.
Driven out of their last camp. north
of Lake Louise, in the Canadian
Rockies. by binding snowstoru. DR..
and Mrs. Walcott returned to Wash
1ngton the past week.
Winter hit the lonesome mountain
passes early after a summer of un-
comfortable heat. The storm lasted
for several days, burying the trails
In snow. The Washington party
made a difficult descent to the rail-
road station. 1000 feet below.
With them. DR.. Walcott reports,
came the wild life of the region.
Through the snow the goats and
mountain sheep were working their
way slowly down to seek winter quar-
ters in the protected valleys. This
region, DR.. Walcott says, is one Of the
most populous and varied natural
game regions in North America He
and his party were able to make some
minute observations of the habits of
the creatures in their native ranges
during the summer. They left behind
them one large grizzly bear and her
cub, who have lived just behind their
CAM th~0r"ho~t the season