200 mature'* Miracles, 



curves upward or preserves the straight line 

 for a considerable distance, these crevasses will 

 close at the top and perhaps open at the bot- 

 tom, and the blocks of ice will freeze together 

 to such an extent that the water caused by the 

 melting ice will flow on top until it comes to 

 another crevasse, where it runs through to the 

 bottom or underflow, which is always an at- 

 tendant of a glacier. 



The glacier continues its flow down the 

 mountain side till in some cases it reaches 

 quite to the valley below, and in others it stops 

 short, as the action of the sun is so great that 

 it melts entirely away at this point as fast as 

 it moves down. In the winter time, however, 

 the glacier may flow far down into the valley 

 and will accumulate greatly in bulk, owing to 

 the fact that the ice forms from the precipita- 

 tion of snow on top faster than it melts away 

 underneath. If it were not for the fact that 

 in summer the glaciers melt faster than they 

 form, the whole valley would in time become a 

 great river of ice. It is the case in Switzer- 

 land that some years the accumulation is 

 greater from snowfall than diminution from 

 melting. If this condition should continue 

 it would become a serious matter. 



In the downward flow of a glacier slow as 

 it is there is an exhibition of wonderful 

 power ; great bowlders are torn from their beds 

 and either ground to powder or carried down 



