THE' WEST SHORE.
191
storm. Countless num
bers of these broken pieces
of ice, varying from a few
pounds in weight to hun
dreds and even thousands
of tons, float in the waters
adjacent to the glaciers,
and often make their way
far out to sea, gradually
melting and disintegrating '
until they disappear.
The greatest care has
to be exercised by naviga
tors when in the vicinity
ol these icebergs, whose
presence can be detected,
even at night, by the low
ering of the temperature
of the atmosphere. About
two-thirds of an iceberg
are beneath the water, and
as it gradually melts from
below the center of grav
ity changes and the berg
suddenly rolls over. This,
with the habit they have
of letting huge pieces of
ice break off and fall into
the sea, renders their immediate proximity undesirable to a navigator. To be
in their midst in a storm would be almost certain destruction. Tourists to
Alaska are taken by the steamer into Glacier bay, right in the midst of this
" vast armada of the snow," when the weather is such as to render the bay a
safe place for a vessel to enter, and are given an opportunity to land and climb
upon the froien river, where they can investigate its mysteries and peculiar
ities and see the whole process of iceberg making.
SPRING PROPHECIES.
After one of the mildest and fairest winters ever experienced, the Pacific
northwest has now fairly entered the vernal season, with promises of abun
dance. " Every prospect pleases," and the vileness of man is not sufficient
to darken the horoscope. Although there is a deficiency in the average quan
tity of rainfall, there is not such a shortness as would indicate lack of moisture
,t
GENERAL VIEW OF THE DAVIDSON GLACIER, ALASKA.
F
C'' . f
V;
A TOURIST STEAMER AMONG THE ICEIIERUS.
for growing crops. The rain we have had has come gently and gone into the
ground, instead of rolling off its surface in muddy torrents, while a fair
amount of snow has fallen in those localities where snow falls at all, and has
added its vivifying and fertilizing properties to the soil. Snow lies in the
mountains in sufficient quantity to keep the streams well supplied during the
growing season. All this, taken in connection with the excellent opportunities
that have been offered for plowing and seeding, give promise of abundant har
vests of cereals everywhere in the northwest. The cattle and sheep men have
come through the winter with practically no losses whatever, and with their
stock in prime condition. Grass has been fresh and growing all the winter,
and is now in the best possible condition for stock. The dairy interests have
profited by this circumstance to add to their prosperity. It is a marvelous
thing that in a region where such climatic conditions prevail, the quantity of
butter and cheese made should fall so short of the imperative demnnds of the
home market that prices should remain at the very top notch continually.
Eastern dairymen can not always be kept in ignorance of the opening here
for their industry. Iowa and Illinois
send us Ions of butter every year, but
we would prrfer to have them send us
men and women to make the butter in
our own beautiful and grassy valleys.
The orchardisls could not have selected
better weather for llir ir fruit industry
than that which prevailed the last six
weeks of the winter season. The
weather was continuously cold enough
to prevent the trees from budding un
til all danger of a killing frost was
past, and now they can put on their
scented robes of while and pink with
out the least fear. There ought to be
such a crop of fruit nf all kinds this
season as w ill bring millions of dollars
into the northwest and stimulate fruit
growing to a higher degree than ever
before. Undoubtedly there will be
such an outouring of nature's gifts
this year as will completely swamp all
lransKrtation lines and it is to this
question of increased transportation
facilities for marketing the products of
the country that the people should
turn llieir attention lealously, esieci
ally to the owning of the Columbia
river,
. .A
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