The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-09-23
The Highest Mountains in the
United States.

America is narrowing down the ques
ton as to where is the highest mount
ain peak in the republic. The Rock.
Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, tn
latter's extention through Oregon
the Cascades and their further exten
sion into British America and Alaska
have all been contestants for thu!
distinction; and very wild state
ments have been made Of the nights
of the representative peaks of each o.
these sections. 10 Several peaks neeo
yet to be more accurately measured
before the contest is fully closed /; but
at present California, with her Mount
Whitney, carries off the palm. = This
mountain, which lies in the Sierra
Nevada range, in theG Southern part
of the State, was assembled by Mr.,
King, one of the State geological
survey, in the summer of 1866, to a
point 14,74O feet in height, where
he took more accurate measurements.
Beyond that point the peak was in
accessible but his settled judgment
was that the summit rose from three
to four Kindred feet above him; he
therefore reports Mount Whitney as
$1,000 feet high, claim which
must be held to be substantially cor
rect. In the neighborhood Of Mount
Whitney are Mount Lyel, 1927.
feet high; Dana, 1927; Brewer,
1886; and Tyndall, 1883 feet.
But next to mount Whitney, in
California, stands Mount Shasta in
the northern part Of the state, and
perhaps the most magnificent snow
covered mountain in the United
States, 1t is 14,440 feet high, and
is apparently destined, more than
any other mountain in the Republic,
TO become the object Of curious inter-
est for pleasure seeking travellers.
Mount Hood, its Oregon rival, and
nearly its equal in beauty Of shape
and extent of snow-felds, is but 1 L.,
225 feet high. Mounts Baker, Rainier,
still further north in Washington
Territory are respectively 1O,780
and 1880 feet high. They are
also distinguished for the extent and
magnifcence of their perpetual snow
fields. The encyclopedia puts down
two mountains (still farther north in
British Columbia Brown and
Hooker-as being 1890 and 15.-
700 feet respectively but they prove
never to have been actually meas
:, mo-, 81. and these figures are but the
m;ldast onesses ef superficial travel
e q no 2 more TO be depended upon
than the claim of the Oregonians to
a height ofover II 900 feet for Mount
Hood, which has only been over
thrown within the last three years
It is not probable that other OF these
peaks in British America ascend SO
high as either Shasta or Whitney, IN
California; but still they need to be
accurately measured before the ques
ton can be held to be finally closed
against them.
So, too, Mount St Elias, in oul
new territory ofAlaska. Heights Of
10000 and 1900 feet have beer
claimed by travellers, and soberly put
down in books, for this grand ole
volcano. But the measurement O
Sir E. Belcher, which is the highest
put forth by any one of respectable
authority, claims only 1870 fee
for it, and other observers make
much lower. The mountain has
really never been accurately meas
ured.
Thus in the case Of the Pacifi
coast States and Territories. 9th
coast mountains in California no on
rises above 5000 feet, THAT bein
the figures for Panache Grande
Mount Diable, SO conspicuous an oh
iect around San Francisco, is abou
1857 feet high. rs
Coming east to the Rock Noun
tains, Colorado, which holds tn
highest peaks of that range, has fou
mountains which are pretty certain
ly between $4,000 and 14,500 fee
each. These are Long's,-Gray's an
Pixies Peaks, and Mount Lincoln
Dr. Parry, of St. Louis, has mad
the most reliable measurement of I'll
rolorad dian heiobts: but since one