The Colorado statesman., 1924-05-31


carved and colored, Is one of the natural wonders
of the world
Curiously enough, Mrs. Rinehart omitted mention
of the one feature that, in the opinion of many
does entltle Glacier to place among the unique
national parks-its Lewis Overthrust" and the
gorgeous cooraton of Its mountains. Zion Ma
tional Park in Utah, Bryce Canyon in Utah, likely
to be made the Utah National Park, and Grand
Canyon probably surpass Glacier in eoloration, but
their coors are down in the depths, while Ga-
cers are flung up into the sky.
Now, don't be scared by the Lewis Overthrust.
Here's briefly what the geologists mean by the
term The rock nearest the center of the earth
Is called Archean and the geologsts know very lit
tie about it. The next oldest strata the Algon
khan, which were laid ocean bottom sedi-
ment something like SOOO0,OOO years ago. 1t Is
this Agonkian group that exposed in Glacier ;
nowhere in the world are they displayed IN such
area, profusion and variety and in such magnif-
of coorng.
These Algonkian rocks lie In four differently col
ored strata. all of which the Glacier visitor may
for himself. The lowest is the Allyn limestone,
about 1,600 feet thick. 1t weathers pale buff.
There whole yellow mountains of this on the
eastern edge of Glacier Next above lies
stratum of Appekunny arglte, green shale,
about 340O feet thick. 1t weathers every possible
shade of dull green. Next above that lie about
2200 feet of Grinnell argte red shale. 1t
weathers every possible shade of deep red and pur
pie. On top is about 1000 feet of Siyeh limestone
gray and running in places to yellow. Horizontally
through the middle of this limestone is a broad
dark band called the dlorite intrusion.
Now, when these brilliantly colored strata were
thrust up from the bottom of the sea- they were
practically level Then there came gigantic
squeeze The strata yielded in long irregular,
wave-like folds Finally they crackeu and then
broke. One broken edge, the western, was thrust
upward and the other. This western edge
was thousands of feet thick. 1t overlapped the
eastern edge ten to fifteen miles.
This Is the Lewis (Range) OyerthruSt. 1t is this
oyerthrust that accounts for the inconcevably
tunbled character Of the vast rocky masses. There
is a sag where the park lies horizontal line
drawn straight across Glacier would pass through
the bottom of the Allyn limestone on the east and
west boundaries and in the middle of the park
through the top of the Siyeh limestone. 1t would
cut dagonally through the green and red shaes
on both sides of the Continental Divide.
The unfaformed tourist doubtless says to HIM
self as he heads the fivver west, "rhree fine
tional parks in a row-Rocky Mountain, Yellow
stone and Glacier All three in the Rockies and
on the Continental Divide. Probably all much
alike See one and I've seen them ALL"
That shows the pecessity of the campaign of ed
ucation that the federal government and the Ma
tional Parks association and many out-of-door or
ganizations waging to get the American peo-
pie their national parks with understand
ing. as well emotionally.
For Rocky Mountain Yellowstone and Glacier
are essentially different. Rocky Mountain is solid
granite a most astonishing aggregation of lofty
peaks and beautiful valleys perched on the top
of the Continental Divide. Yellowstone is volcanic,
with volcanic activities everywhere in evidence.
Glacier is sedimentary rock, twisted and jumbled
and gorgeously coored.
Congress has just passed an act authorizing the
making of a budget for road building purposes In
the national parks, carrying total Of S7,500O00
over three years If funds appropriated Gla-
cier's tentative allotment is 81 100000 This would
doubtless hurry the Transmountain Road to COM
pletion. Speed the day!