Creator
John Muir
Recipient
[Joseph] Le Conte
Transcription
[on letterhead: Pen Sentinel Hotel, A. C. BLACK, Proprietor.]
Yo Semite Valley, April 20 1872
Dear Le Conte, Yours of Jan 19th was duly re'cd I am glad to know that you hope to gather your thoughts concerning mountains into definite form & that you will certainly come here & glean facts in this magnificent region. Sometime last fall I sent you a letter made up of facts, hints, & guesses concerning mtn' structure wh you may not have rec'd. At least I have not had any answer to it. Therefore I will repeat a portion wh I hope may interest you
[drawing]
Cross Section of West Slope of Sierras through Merced basin with Slates reconstructed upon the [divided?] granite up to the present level of Summit Slates & those of foot of the ranges
In the grass between A & B where the slates are awanting they are always to be found upon the summits of speirs & peaks of sufficient height as on the Hoffman range & the highest peaks of the Merced group. In many places where slate is absent on comparatively high mtns the quality of the granite proves that the line of separation from the slate is nearly reached. - Damdation hs been greatest just where we would expect it to be viz between A & B for there glaciers would according to present data attain their greatest depth. Lower, they would gradually shallow by increasing warmth of temperature. Higher they would be gradually less accumulated until they curved unswedged up against sharp naked summits or against nearly motionless tablelands of ice Glaciers are removing Slates from the granite now I think that this piece of mtn restoration will please you It was you wh first directed my attention in this direction & I am delighted to find your suggest- ions bearing such glorious fruit. I will not at present guess concerning the depth of slate Strata wh have been removed nor of other strata still higher. but of this I am sure. The present Summits of the range are fragments wh have been cut down this (Section 2) from a height wh I will not regard at this time. Also, the present axis of the main range does not
[on letterhead: Pen Sentinel Hotel, A. C. BLACK, Proprietor.]
Yo Semite Valley ______________187
coincide with the present line of summits but lies to the East ward of them, because the range runs to the West of North & consequently the West side of the range received more heat & the west side glaciers were more wasted in summer & kept smaller than those of the more sheltered eastside, & were not able to do so much denudation work, therefore the main axis was overridden after being sharpened to a crest, & the summits gradually pushed westward to their present positions Section 2
[drawing]
Geological axis
CAD present outline of D The crest of every main cross section of summits & spur summit out of sun balance has been pushed thus to the warmer side
A B Line of successive glacier-made summits gradually driven from axis westward
[in margin: Besides these at 33° E lines there are others which we will see & study hereafter. I have a thought or two & some facts [illegible] glacial flora of this region [illegible] you call attention, come for writing is discouraging with such truths. Cordially yrs John Muir By summits I mean any mountain [wave?] sufficiently high for glacier fountains.]
Direction of vertical lines of cleavage at 34 points of observation scattered over the dome-plum[illegible] section below
North 35° E " 35 " Look upon Whitneys map & observe how all " 35 " East & West divides of glacier controlling height have " 35 " been bent Southward. I hope to see you " 30 " soon & will therefore wait my Mary says " 30 " etc. " 30 " " 30 " " 35 " " 35 " " 35 " [drawing] " 40 " " 35 " " 65 " " 45 " " 40 " " 45 " " 25 " " 25 " " 35 " Horizontal Section of Sierras Structure of granite with reference to " 35 " North 33° East lines of cleavage? --------- " 35 " This portion of the Sierra is made up of granite Slates " 20 " S N on edge in a nearly perpendicular position & with " 45 " horizontal direction of North 33.25° East " 35 " These cleavage lines must be of great significance " 30 " because of their universality & age. They swerve not " 30 " for any Dome or canon. Some are of clearer development " 30 " then others & in crossing [narrow Dome & brow forms of rock?] ( 5 W) & various canons these cleavage lines of supposed development yield grand " 20 " testimony concerning glacier " 25 " sculpture. I have never seen a dome so hard as to jostle " 35 " these cleavage seams, however homogeneous in appearance " 35 " all granite of this region in canon bottoms or on summits either " 35 " show or may be made to show these lines. Only a few seams are developed so as to be readily traceable for miles, but spray of a fall will develop them to any degree of dest[illegible] or abundance So I say that these mtns are made of slabs of indefinite thinness set on edge at right angles to the direction of the range.
[in margin: a block of mtn granite as sec 4 when sprayed by a fall developes to Sec 5 with regular & [measurable?] seams]
Location
Yosemite Valley
Date Original
1872 Apr 20
Source
Original letter dimensions unknown.
Recommended Citation
Muir, John, "Letter from John Muir to [Joseph] Le Conte, 1872 Apr 20." (1872). John Muir Correspondence (PDFs). 1445.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1445
Resource Identifier
muir02_0773-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 02, Image 0773
Collection Identifier
Online finding aid for the microform version of the John Muir Correspondence http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0w1031nc
Copyright Status
Copyrighted
Copyright Statement
The unpublished works of John Muir are copyrighted by the Muir-Hanna Trust. To purchase copies of images and/or obtain permission to publish or exhibit them, see http://www.pacific.edu/Library/Find/Holt-Atherton-Special-Collections/Fees-and-Forms-.html
Owning Institution
The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Copyright Holder
Muir-Hanna Trust
Copyright Date
1984
Pages
4 pages
Keywords
Environmentalist, naturalist, travel, conservation, national parks, John Muir, Yosemite, California, history, correspondence, letters
