New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-21
FIRST RECORDED ASCENT Of NOJNT 81.
HELENS ~ OREGON

Our progress through the dense forest necessarily
slow aud tedious. At orc point one of our pack horses
roli,d down sleep precil icr several rods where Il
would seem impossible Tor animal in dom. 20 escape
instant DEATH But upon releasing h.n from h. burden
ard assisting him to rise, found thai 10 was not SER
ouslv INIT; camp and cooking utensils epeared 70
suffer ~, 'hin the horse.
o. the second day further progress with horses was
found TO he mlractcable Upon looking around we tor
tura'clv -mal patch OF grass AID canlped HE
next at break of day, hessrs. Wilson, smith Dew
and ny-eli took three day. Ta"ns with such things AZ
were &c orfed necessary 10 cR Us N e ciceA ana ie
d amp for the summit q dstance oI i"r Nlrs 'h an
i,-,ire We fpnd the route continued stocp Gscent
with the exception Of sona' descent oyer precip-
fcu- der OF rocks. About two mics from our camp we
G.,ctn!,G heh ledge 10 the bed small stream, winch
We fO aed until sirUck nj ihe FOOT 81 "a" bare noun
tain wrc vegetation ceased % make az appearance
The portion o this which Travelled has tall Of
1T oUi houfand feet 10 he nile and mach greater
orc Lirhc- NJ.
is sublime Grand, ard impossible tpd3scrhe Inc bicK
er,d y.l,s ot lava which were thrown INTO ridges nun
eds 81 h-h in every maginabie shape, Nh an 0c
casional high c 81 primitive formation seeming To i
ns LesG aud struggle 10 be released from is comprised
POSITION mpIossos the mind of the beholder VIA lh3
uover of Omnpotonce and the iGs,uiacgnce OF hua n
power when compared with NGurcs Cob Above MI
suuds tower OF eie,nal rock aad snow, apparently
s ching is head far above the clouds and looking down
vnh dsdain upon all beneath Tine giar,ug sun-boaus
III on the OF thousand winters servo by c)l-
iust make The immense pics Of lava appear bae<er
tim DIZZY otherwise would he. .
We commenced tho ascent at once on the south de
h, Climbing up the cliffs of lava toward small cluster 81
- rucc trees which stand sh0r, distance rom The hn3 Of
~ tul snow After several hours hard toll 80 reaeed
iLis pom, and finding few sucks % dry wood knaiel
ire .ngdc camp for the night We mere shpphed
ourselves with water by melting sn0w. We io@hu me
Ii. III cold and extremely uncomfortable. Our plrIy dl
moi ind much epose and AZ the eastern SKY commenced
10 show approach Of day eIt orr camp ana puf-
sued our way upward The higher assembled the more
diff u our progress. Sufnce It - say thG ~
al yeTing effort enabled TO reach the g-
est r.rnacle Of he mountain after meridian.
lie atmosphere produced singular effect upon al the
party each face looked pale and oalo", an an On
Ilaiu'd c strange ringing On hcf ems l., tPP5i IS
If there were hundreds OF fue-on'd bells ynsiis Az
around Blood siar ell from our noses, anu Ill ' Us
,onrJ r.spirnfiou uiiicut With tins exception all
Gtwoi. 1t would be- futile 10 attempt 20 gy3 our ron
d,rs correct idea Of the appearance ~ the F- VAeu
OF country visible from the top OF tho mountain me
ocean one hundred mues, was plainly seen
The hole 'ohst and cascade ranges OF mountains couI
b. I-aAly traced with The naked eye Inc sn0|-coVcred
!, ais o Mounts Hood, Raiuef and so others, sc med
close ~. Thee form sort OF anlpiihcater On large
scale. ., en- 4, - with hills ana valleys
has been represented to be on the south wcs
sil a. h mountain which is the We took the
arin fon the top with compass, aud found 70 be on
m, uo1i east side The smoke continually issuing LON
iis month giving unmisakable evidence that the hie was
Hshcd. There Is much more snow ON me north
than on tie south side; the latter II Is bare ~ spots
while f'c former II is hundreds OF fee, ncep We eN
AHMED Esurcs III the snow sveri rods across Whch cN
tended great length along the Sdc ID tho mountain ana
ihr wing stone down, heard 4 striking along distance
turr stcnd;nr sufficient time 70 zee what was be
seer pd building pyramid Of loose stones on de highest
sIot icyc earth and ashes. commenced our descent
aid rc,tl our camp ocock in the eiterIoon, tired
ana v, ia body and in boots. At dark sc reached
tic timber and caIaI cd for the night The next morning
We lit cncoInent the mountain lof home, which W.
rCa,Lcl IN four days.
IL was hui little good tlage land on the route
iraytr.d. We passed two good prar OF sufficient ex-
ten: r NJ claims each wh these two exceptions,
and n &C., soual small tract 90 rld nothing Ill
wiling un gcIiC uturs.. The timber - large AMI stands
very tic', urii near the mountain where il becomes
nor, thy. Ia cutting upon tree near the
snow Ar We found he bark The spruce fully m inch
,k h.e ia the low lands it is scarcely one fourth a.
q *.
" 'aKs ony 10 add that folly gt.shea with our
rp al willing hereafter iet 0tnefs explore noun
is while devote time 10 matters requiring less
labor ard ircucht with Of the comforts oi life, Than
have experienced in this trip 10 az; top ,i Mount ~