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VAUX & VAUX

I I

ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS
ON GLACIERS
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

FROM THE PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES

OF PHILADELPHIA
DEC. 1899

9W~*^P

Additional Qt^servations on G^^ciers

/T3
\

'<(!

British Columbia.

George and William S. Vaux, Jr.

From the Proceedings of

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia,

December, 1899.

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1899.]

NATURAL 8CIf:NCES OF rillLAnELl'IIIA.

501

ADDITIONAL OBSEBVATIONS ON GLACIERS IN BRITISH COLUMBU.

•- r

BY CJKOUOK AM) WII-MAM H. VAl X, .IK.

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Excluding the territory which lies to the north of the Arctic
Circle, all the priucip<il glaciers of North America lie within the
great ranges of the llocky Mountain system. These ranges stretch-
ing aiong the Pacific Coast are peculiarly well situated for the
formation of glaciers, Avhich are found in places, probably not
inferior to the better known ice streams of Switzerland.

While one or two glaciers exist in the central part of California,
on the sides of Mt. Lyell, and further to the north in Oregon and
Washington on Mts. Hood and Ranier. it is not till the interna-
tional boundary is crossed that the scenery becomes truly Alpine
and glaciers are found of great size and striking characteristics.
As the ranges stretch northward they converge till at the narrow-
est portion they exceed but little a breadth of 400 miles. At this
point they are composed of parallel ranges, the outer ones being
nearly continuous, while the inner are more broken and cut by
deep valleys through which, in several instances, noble rivers find
their way. Beginning at the west, the most important of these
ranges are the Cascade, the Gold, the Selkirk and the Rocky; the
last two being the highest, the most Alpine and broken and the
most covered with glaciers. The reason for the greater glacier
activity in these eastern ranges is in part as follows:

If a map of the Pacific Ocean be examined on which the cur-
rents have been marked, it will be seen that the Japan current,
after flowing past the islands of Japan, divides into two unequal
parts. The smaller of these takes a northeast direction through
Bering Sea and Strait into the Arctic Ocean, while the larger
portion assumes an eastern and then a soutlieastern course, bathing
the west coast of British North America, and finally, being de-
flected to the south by the continent, and cooled, forms the North
Equatorial current, which is a feeder to the Japan current The
evaporation from this stream of warm water is very rapid, and

502

PROCKi: DINGS OF TUK ACADEMY OP

[1899,

the moi.st wi.ulg, the prevailing direction of which is eastward, soon
reacli tlie coust line and the nin-es of n.onntain.s hcyond. Xearly
at right angles to the path of the.«e moist win.ls lie the i)araliel
ranges of the Rocky Mountains. The Cascade and Gold lla.iges
not being high, the clouds pass over them with a com,)arati7ely
small precipitation on the western .slo|)es, but on reachii..' the
higher and more rugged ranges of the Selkirks an.l Iluckies. coolim^
takes place more .juickly, and the precii.itation is very rapid, h
IS for this reason that on the western slopes of the mountains the
snow IS always deeper than on the eastern. The clouds as they
rise to cross the individual ranges are cooled, and give up their
moisture, which is precipitated before the summits are ,-oached.

While the annual snowfall in the Rocky Mountains is always
heavy, the winter of 1898-99 was one of the most severe since the
construction of the Canadian Pacific Kailwav during the late seven
ties and early eighties. The record of snowfall, which is kept
with more or less regularity at Glacier House, shows an excess of
108 inches over the average of the three previous years, while the
rain, which unfortunately was not measured, must have added
materially to the total. At Field, in the Jtocky Mountain range
on the Kicking Horse river, the winter was no less rigorous than
the preceding ones, but the snowfall was much lighter than the
average of previous years, being twenty-three feet, as observed by
the watchman on the pass just above Field. The precipitation
from the winds as they blew eastward from the Pacific Ocean
took place earlier than usual, and while probably about the same
amount of rain and snow fell in both localities, the local fall in
the west was more and in the east less than the average. The
spring being late and the early summer cool, melting to'iik place
without much damage from freshets, and resulted in the mountains
retaining more snow during the summer months than for several
years.

In addition to this the summer was unusually cool. Snow was
noted frequently on the higher mountains and even down to the
lower levels. On August 15th a heavy snowstorm broke over the
mountains, which lasted for several hours. 8now lay thick on the
ground at Glac'er House, at an elevation of 4000 feet; at Field it
measured four inches on the platforms, while at Hector, the sum-
mit of the Kicking Horse Pass, there was a full foot. Clearing

//ss^^

18D0.]

NATiitM, sciicxcKS <»i' riiii,.\i)i;i,i'irrA.

)03

woatlior sDon nicltcMl this at the lower lovcls, hut on tlio inountanH
the fall WHS hoavior and lasted for a lonj^er [)eriod. It will be
intorci^tin},' to watch tho oHl-ct, if any, which this unusual season
will iiavo on tho ;,daoier!< of tho locality. Of the jrlaciei-.s observed,
b,)th last suniinor and this, a much smaller recession took place
durini; the twelve months than in jirevious years.

VrCTOIirA (iLACIKU,

The Vi(!toria (Hacier, at tlu; head of Lake Louise, Alberta, was
visited on the 2()th of July, 189!). Althoujjh seldom seen by trav-
elers, it is almost as accessible, ami probably more intcrestini,', than
the Tllecellewaet Glacier, in British Columbia. A row across the
beautiful Lake Louise, followed by a walk of about two miles
over a fairly good trail, brinies one to the tongue, which is deeply
buried in a large and high moraine. Following the northwest side
of tiie valley, which has evidently been (|uite recently abandoned
by the ice, the surface of the glacier is reached with case. Over
tho lower part crevasses arc almost entirely wanting, the drainage,
to a very large extent, taking place on the surface.

For a distance of nearly one and one-quarter miles from the
tongue the surface is thickly covered with moraine composed of
shales, sandstones of several colors and limestones. These fall
with the avalanches from the hanging glaciers above, and nniny of
them are of large size.

From indications which seem t(» be borne out by the ol)servations
of others,' the glacier is receding and contracting. The slope of
the surface is small, tho lower part l)eing nearly Hat, and the
motion is accordingly likely to be insigniiicant, though no observa-
tions have been made for its determination. For future reference,
a very large block of limest(M»e, near the centre of tho glacier,
and about otic mile from the tongue, \\as located l)y range lines and
marked " VX, '!)!)." The movement next vear can easily be
determined from this rock. The position of the ice on the north-
west side was also htcated, being twenty feet distant from the nearest
of three very prominent and nearly cubical blocks of red sandstone,
■which recently had l)ecu released from the 'wc.

1 T/if First Ascent of Mount Victoria, Prof. C. E. Fay, Appalachia, vol.
ix, p. 4.

504

I'ROCKKDINOH Ol' TJIi: ACADKMY OF

[i89y.

Many pretty examples of sfiuul cones an<l glacier tables wore to be
seen, while the avalanches, which at frecpient intervals thundered
down the almost perpendicular clitts of Mts. Lefroy and Victoria,
lent an awfulness to the scene truly in kec[)ing with the surround-
ings. The lower glacier is almost entirely fed from those hanging
on the steep slopes above.

ASUI-KAN GLACIKR.

The Asulkan Glacier was visited on the 12th of August, when
a picture was taken from the test rock of 1898, and three boul-
ders nuirked to determine in fixture the position of the tongue. A
search was made for the rocks marked bv ^Ir. H. W. Toplmm
without result. Changes in the deposits about the glacier have
evidently taken place rapidly, and it is probable the rocks marked
by him have been covered up by fresh material.

The tongue of ice seems to be slowly recading from the moraine,
as noted last year,'' and it was possible to locate the limit of the
ice quite accurately. In order to fix its position on the above
date, a line, passing through three rocks and the tongue, was chosen,
the magnetic bearing of which was 85° 35' E, The rocks mark-
ing the two ends of this line were situated, one on the small mo-
raine just to the left of the glacier, and the other on the high
and stable moraine to the right, while the third and smallest rock
lay just below and to the right of the tongue. Bearings were
taken to locate these rocks with other prominent objects.

The changes which have taken place in the glacier during the
year are not marked. A comparison of the test pictures of 1898
and 1899 shows a slight shrinkage in the height and a very slight
increase in the breadth, while the position of the tongue has U()t
changed to an appreciable extent. The ice fall about three-
eighths of a mile above the tongue, where a series of exquisite
seracs is to be seen, is visibly less than last year, and the neve
line is much lower. The hanging glaciers to the west, on the sides
of ^Its. Castor and Pollux, are more active, and we noted a
number of ])retty avalanches. These seemed to be very infre-
quent last year.

• Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1899, p. 124. Also Plate VI.

1899.]

NATiHAi- sni;x( i;!s oi' rmi.AUKMiiiA.

r>or>

ILl-i:Ci:i,LEWAKT GLAIIKR.

Owing to ita Bccessihility, this glncicr has bccn'more carefully
observed than any other ui the region. It niay.be reached by ii
good trail iu thirty ininuti'S from Glacier House, and wo visited it
almost daily between the 'JUth of July and the 20tli of August of
the present year. During this period, partly owing to the cold
and damp weather, but little melting or recession of the totiguc
was noted. This was in marked contrast to the rate of melting
observed last year.'

The observations on this glacier naturally divide themselves
under four principal heads, which will be taken up us follows:

1. Measurements of rate of flow.

2. Measurement of recession and other changes since |1 898.

3. Photographic record from test rock •* AV

4. Survey of tongue, and mapping moraines and titreams.

1. MeaBurements of rate of flow.

These were determined at nine points on the glacier, one a few
feet above the tongue, and eight on a straight line at right angles
to the flow and about 1500 feet above the tongue. Rev. Wni.
S. Green, in 1888,'' made a determination of tlie rate of flow by
driving stakes into the ice iu a direct line. Owing to the rapid
melting, however, these soon fell, and when he returned to
reraeasure, no accurate results could be obtained. Profiting by
his experience, wo decideii to employ plates of steel, six inches
wiuare and one-eighth inch thick, in the centres ui which holes
were bored and threaded to receive three-quarter-inch pipes, three
inches long. The origimxl purpost of the pipes was to supjwrt
small flags to facilitate observation. It was found, however, A\hen
the practical test came to be made, that if the plates were inverted,
Avith the pipes extending on the under side, they sank into the ice,
forming anchors, while the plates rested on the surface and could
be easily seen. The plates were given two coats of vermilion
paint, and lettered and numbered in white for identification.

The right moraine of the glacier being "high and secure, and

» Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philu., 1899, p. 123.
* Among the Selkirk Glaciers, p. 218.

PROCKEDrxos OF THE ACADEMY

[1899.

affording an excellent view of the surface of the ice, we deter-
nnned to use its ridge as tiie station for tiie transit. Observations
]iad l)een made to determine the moan direction of flow of the ice
and on the 31st of July, 1899. the transit was adjuste.l on the
ridge. A large tree was taken as a line mark on the left side of
th(! valley.

The plan of measuring a distance of 250 feet between the plate,
by means of a tape measure was proved to be impracticable on
going on the ice. While the surface was comparativelv smooth it
was rolling an,l broken by valleys running at right angles to the
direction in which the measurements were to be made. In nearly
ev^ry case it was not possible to see from one plate to the next
\ e accordingly decided to abandon the actual measurement, and
after a.ljusting the plates, to lay out a base line and take the
angles to the plates from each end. The results could then be
plotted on the map and the distances obtained. This plan worked
well, and on the second visit Ave were able to place a transit at
each end of the base line, and make readings of both andes at
tiie same time.

Eight steel plates were laid out on the line shown on the map
At t us point the total breadth of the glacier is 1720 feet Owin<.
to the roundel surface of the glacier the position for the ninth
plate was not visible from the ends of the base line, and as it was
quite Close to the left border it was omitted altogether.

On the 11th of August, or eleven days later, transits were set
up at each end of the base line and the bearings to each of the
plates taken. At the same time the exact movement of the plates
was accurately measured from the direct line in which they had
originally been placed. This will be found noted in the fourth
column of the tal)le.

18f»l».]

NATURAL HCIKXCKS OK PHILADELPHIA.

507

Table shoiciiui Motion of Line of Plates, across lUecellewnet Glacier,
British Columbia, Jitly 31st to September 5th, IS'JO.

Number of
Plate.

Feet tVoii
N. Border

1 Dales of
Observation,

( July 31

; Motion since
last Obs. (ins.).

Oil Hue.

1
)

veroRe diiih
notion (Ins.)

265

\ Auf,nist 1 1

42.5

2.56

( Heiilenibcr 5

31.5

( July 31

On line.

)

500

\ August 11

3.90

( Scj)ton)l)t'r 5

\VX

f 1 July :!1

On line.

605

< ! Augu.st 11

5.51

( j Septi mher 5

105

r July 31

On line.

)

7r>o

j August 11
( Septeuiber 5

74.5
Lost.

}

6.77

f July 31
I August 11

On line.

)

845

71.5

6.06

1 September 5 ,

140.5

)

f July 31 '
\ .August 11
( September 5

On line.

(

980

76.5

6.79

165.5

f July 31

On line.

1040

i \ August 11

6.16

I September 5

172

)

1310

f July 31
■j August 11

On line.

6.00

• September 5

Lo.st.

Again, on September o, tlirougli the kinrlne.-s of Ur. E. J.
Duchesnay, of TIevelstoke, B. C, another measuninient wa.s niaile
by ^[es.<rs. H. B. Muckle.ston and C. IC. Cartwright. The po.si-
tions of the plates on July 31.st and .September 5111 only are sliown
on the map, as the motion which had taken place iij) to Augu.st
11th was .so small as to bo liardly noticeable on that scale.

These determinations show a marked decrease in the rate of flow
as compared with the observations of Kev. William S. Green in
1888. They demonstrate the more rapid motion of the central
portion of the glacier, and also that the ice on the convex side of
the line of flow moves faster than on the concave side.

Two of the pliites, Xos. 4 and 8, could not be found on Septem-
ber 5th. All the plates were left on the ice, and it will be interest-
ing to detenuino the amount of flow during an entire year if they
can be found aj;- lin next summer.

Besides the row of eight plates acro.^s the glacier, an addi-
tional plate (No. ;)) was placed a few feet above the tongue and
uieasured at frequent intervals. The slope of the ice at this point

508

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF

[1899.

wag about 40°, and as the reference point was located at the level
of the ground moraine below, the vertical height of the plate and the
diagonal distance were noted, from which the horizontal motion
was calculated. The vertical distance from the ground moraine
was ol)tained through a crevasse near by, while the direct distance
from the marked boulder was readily measured with the tape line.
Unfortunately, after these measurements had been made for sev-
eral days, and very satisfactory results obtained, a great mass of
the tongue on which the plate had been located broke away from
the main glacier. Immediately the daily rate of flow changed
from a little over five inches to a fraction under three, and
remained almost constant. Whether this apparent motion was due
to the melting of the plate in the ice, or \o the reduced flow of
the smaller mass when not urged on by the parent glacier, was not
determined. The crevasses seemed to widen from day to day in
spite of the fact that the motion of the ice alone wouhl cause them
to become narrower.

Table of Motion of Plate No. 9, on Tongue of lUecellewaet Glacier, Brit-
ish Columbia, August 1st to 20tli, 1899.

a. Number of Observation | 1

b. Date of Observation I 8/1

2 I 3 I 4 ! 5
8/2 8/6 I 8/15 ,8/20

c. Interval since last measurement (days). ; 1.24 | 3.75 } 9.25

d. Actual horizontal motioa of plate (ins.) 7.:5 18.5 26.1

e. Motion of plate per day (inches) j 5.9

5.1 2.8

5.1
13.5

2.7

2. Measurement of recession and other changes since 1898.
After the rapid changes of the last few years we were surprised
that very little alteration had taken placv. in the form of the
glacier since last summer. In the fall of 1898 the average daily
recession was nearly eight and one-tenth inches, while the average
annual recession was fifty-six feet.' Measurements showed that
on July 29th, 1899, the tongue was seventy-one feet above the
marked rock " C," (see map, Plate XX) and on August 20th,
seventy-six feet. These indicate a recession of but sixteen feet

*Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1899, pp. 123, 124.

1899.]

NATURAL SCIKNCKS OF rHILADELPIIIA.

509

for the year as compared with fifty-.ix feet, the average of the
past eight years; and an average daily recession of but two and
Ihree-tenths inches as con.pared with eight and one-tenth inches
in the same month of the previous year. On the right side, where
the ice has a much steeper slope, practically no change from the
position noted last year could be observed.

A few local changes in the ice and moraines have occurred.
The gi eat moraine on the left being supported on the ice foot is
constantly slipping down upon the glacier below. I he right
moraine is much more stable, and no material change can be noted
in it On the extreme left of the glacier local shrinkage and reces-
sion have taken place, uncovering a mass of be.l rock, over which
the principal stream issuing from the glacier tumbles in a cascade
This fall has existed for a long time, and it i. probable that
before another year it may be covered again by the g acier. 1 he
cascade will form an easily identified point for the hunt of the

ice in 1899. , ,

Vftera careful examination of the test pictures of 1898 and
1899, taken from identical positions, it appears that the doptli of
the ice in the upper regions of the glacier just below the ncv^ le
increasing. This fact was also noted by a number of persons who
have been in the region for some time.

3 Photographic record from test rook "W."
The taking of the test picture from the rock " W," ^'-^-f^'^'
point the others had been taken, was acoomplished on tlve IJth day
of August, 1899-the same day of the year as the 1898 picture.
4 Survey of tongue and mapping moraines and streams.
The accompanving map. Plate XX, the basis of which was a
tric^onometric and photographic survey, may in future years prove
of interest in tracing the changes of the glacier and locating the ino-
ralne« and marked rocks. The first records of the position of the
Macier are in 1887, when it followed closely the narrow moraine in
which rocks " E," " K " and " A " are located. One year later
on the visit of Rev. William S. Green, a marked shnnkage and
recession had taken place, as shown by his photograi^hs, and the
position of his tarred rocks, still plainly visible ("parked T
"T" on map). « It is probable that each year since 188 < has
~~^Amon(j the Sdkirk Glaciers, p. 219.

510

I'KOCICEDIXGS OF TIIK ACADEMY OK

[1899.

witnessed some rijeession of tlie ice. Before that time there are
indications that the glacier was either stationary or advancing.
Tiio alder bushes and scrub evergreens which grow in places on this
moraine show, from their leaves and annual rings, an average age
of from twenty-two to thirty years. Taking the smallest uiunbei
noted — twenty-two years — and subtracting from it the twelve
years wdiich have elapsed since 1887, there still remains an inter-
val of ten years, during which the glacier did not cover a greater
area tlian it did at the time we first observed it. We have no
means of knowing whether, daring this period, the glacier was
advancing or retreating, but there is proof that in 1887 the tongue
occupied as low a position as at any time during the past twenty-
two yeai-s.

This border moraine of 1887 oHers several interesting featui-es.
A large part of it is composed of two distinct moraines of nearly
equal size. The same (tharacteristic is noted on the great left
moraine which, at a certain point, has a marked deprer«sion in the
ridge. As the amount of morainal material carried down by the
glacier is insignificant, these double moraines may mark the limit-
ing ])ositions of two periods of advance, one of which took place
not far from 1 887.

The average of all the moven onts of the glaciers of this region
has l)een a marked recession, which is amply proved by the lines
of moraines abandoned in the vallevs below. At one time, the
Illeeellewaet and Asulkan Glaciers, which now terminate near the
heads of the valleys, extended till they joined and flowed as a
common ice stream. To estimate the time at which this took
place, or rather to fix a date since which the glaciers mui^t have
been separate, the rings of a number of trees in both the Illeeel-
lewaet and Asulkan Valleys were counted. In the Illeeellewaet
Valley, at the Second Bridge, several examples were so counted,
the oldest of Avhich showed 250 rings. In the Asulkan Valley, a
tree with 2!)6 rings was noted, whiie one splendid exampKo of
white spruce was thirteen feet five and one-half inches in circum-
ference. Allowing one ring to a year, this would indicate that
the recession of the two glaciers took a nuieh longer time than has
been sup[)osed by some. It is probable many hundreds of years
have elapsed since they were united and covered the ground now
occupied by the railway and the Glacier House.

1899.]

?VATrRAL i«(IKNCKS OF rillLADKLrillA.

511

In closini;, ii('knowle<lginent is particularly due for the thought-
ful cociperation and interest of Mr. E, J. Duche^inay, Division
Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Ilevelstoke, B. C,
and of his assistant, ]\Ir. C. E. Cartwright, for valuable aiisist-
anee in connection with the surveys. Also to Edouard Feuz, of
Interlaken, whose untiring interest, and skill on ice and, rock,
contributed largely to the success of the results.