The new North-west., 1869-10-29
OF MOUNTALW

z - e y
Ia the most uodest menlkr In the woEld,
ws''wish to .Szppress our dissent from ne
gsaerslly received opinion tbaa the prinepa)
peaks of the mounts1ps Of, this Terr1lcry
range In altitude from 10. .ooo to 1880 feet.
Speaking from considerable experience, We
give il o. our opinion that there u not peak
in the Territory of Montana exceeding ID
height 10000, or 1t the greatest, l0doo feet
We know of nothing more likely to be over
estimated than the hight of mountain.
The tall peaks of the Rocky Mountain chain
fur away to the south of US, In Colorado
and New Mexico, and all Of the grand old
landmarks of the Pacific coast, have all been
greatly reduced in altitude when Submitted
to the test Of careful and accurate measure
mont. Shasta Butte, tho lonely monarch of
Northern California, and plainly visible for
q distance of two hundred and 1fty miles.
was for years estimated to bc ut least Il, 900
feet in height, and no one who ever contcm.
plated Its grand proportions, ever doubted
the fact, until about five years since. when,
by long series of careful measurements
and observations, its exact altitude was ~
ccrtaincd to bc but IA, 40 feet. ~.
Mount Hood, which for years put in IN
undispuled claim for height OF more than
1900 feet. has been reduced by measure
mcnts made within the past three years, to
little more than IS, 900 feet.
M..unt Baker, the great landmark for the
mariners of Puget's Sound, formerly be-
licvcd to be at least IL, 800 feet nearer the
stars than the sea at its base, has now been
determined, as VIC learn from Ilorper's
Aonktly, for November. to bc 1908 feet
high-just one foot higher than Pilot Peak
tho tallcst mountain of the Great Basin.
Granville Stuart, who has been such q
close and careful observer Of natural phcn-
omcna and has taken such commcndablc
interest in everything relating to the pl,ys:c.
a geography Of our beautiful Territory, COM
plains of the seorkh!cssness of . thermometer,
which, upon recent occasion, rose to 10S .
In boiling water upon the summit Of one of
our tallcst mountains. thus Indicating an
altitude of only 40 feet, whilst he estimates
tho same to he at least IL, 400 feet above the
sea. We have never stood upon the noun
tain upon which Mr.. 8. took this unsatisfac-
tory observation, nor have we ever had .
very near view of it, but If our judgment in
such matters be not greatly st fault. Mr..
Stuart's estimate 10 greatly too large, and
the altitude indicated by his worthless
thermometer, will eventually bc found much
nearer correct than he now believes. Our
belief Is not based upon any measurements
or instrumental observations, but chiefly
upon the height Of the snow-linc, as eom-
pared with that upon the mountains of Cali
fornia, Oregon and Nevada. 1t seems to Us
that in this latitude, Z mountain of given
height, say 900 feet, should show more Of
its summit above the now.line than would
. mountain of the same altitude 500 miles
further south; whilst in point of fact Star
Peak, 10000 high, and Pilot Peak, 1858
fest high, and sitnated between the 10th
and 4lst parallels, both show more Of their
tops above the snow. line than do any of the
peaks Of this Territory We have yet seen.
But fortunately VIC shall not remain lsng
in doubt In these nattcrs All controversies
will doubtless be soon and satisfactorily set.
tled-proLably the coming summcr-by the
exploring engineers of the Northern Pacific
RailrOad.