Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1869-06-04
ELIZABETH, N. j.. FRIDAY. JUNE A. 1869.
SIisnbsts 2niIp aleonitor,
PUBLISHED AT 1856 BROAD STREET, BY
J. MADISON DRAKE.
THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN THE
UNITED STATES.

UNITED STATES.
The progress of exploration among
the high mountain ranges of Western
America is narrowing down the ques.
ton as to where is the highest noun
tain peak in the republic. The Rocky
Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, the
latter's extentior through Oregon, the
Cascades and their further extensions
into British America--and Alaska,
have all been contestants for this dis
tinction and very wild statements
have been made of the heights of the
representative peaks of each of these
sections. Several peaks need yet to
be more accurately measured before
the contest is fully closed but at
present California, with her Mount
Whitney, carries off the palm. Thi}
mountain, which lies in the Sierra Ne
vada range, in the southern part Of the
state, was assembled by Mr.. King, QUE
of the State geological survey, in the
summer of 1866, to point 14,740 feet
in height, where he took accurate
measurements. Beyond that point,
the peak was inaccessible; but his
skilled judgment was, that the summit
rose from three to four hundred feet
above him and he therefore reports
ETount Whitney as Is, 900 feet high-a
claim which may be held to be sub
stantially correct. In the neighbor-
hood of Mount Whitney are lIount
Lyeel, 1927 feet high, Dana Is, 227.
Brewer 1886, and Tyndall 1886
feet
But next to Mount Whitney in Cali
fornia stands Mount Shasta in the
northern part of the State, and perhaps
the most magnificent snow-covered
mountain in the United States. It is
IA, 440 feet high, and is apparently
destined, more than any other noun
tain in the republic, to become the OBJ
ject of curious interest and pleasure
seeking for travellers. Mount Hood,
its Oregon rival, and nearly its equal in
beauty of shape and extent of snow
fields, is but II, 225 feet high. Mounts
Baker and Rainier, still farther north
in Washington Territory, are respec-
lively 10, $50 feet and Il, 800 feet high.
They are also distinguished for the ex-
tent and lnagnifcencc of their perpe-
tllal snow fields. The encyclopedia
puts down two mountains (still farther
north in British Columbia) Brown and
Hooker-as being 1880 and 1900
feet high respectively; but they prove
never to have been accurately measur-
ed, and these figures are but the wild
est guesses Of superficial travellers, no
more to be depended upon than the
claim of the Oregonians to y height of
over II, 900 feet for Mount Hood, which
has only been overthrown within the
last three years. 1t is not probable
that either of these peaks in British
America ascend so high as either Shas.
ia or Whitney in California j; but still
they need to be accurately measured
before the question can be held to be
finally closed against them.
So, too, of Mount st. Elias in our
new territory of Alaska. Heights of
1000 and II, 900 feet have been claim
ed by travellers, and soberly put down
in books for this grand volcano. But
the measurement of Sir j.. Belcher,
which is the highest put forth by any
one of respectable authority, claims
only 1910 feet for it, and other OBJ
servers make it much lower. The
mountain has really never been accu.
rately measured.
Thus stands:th case in the Pacific
coast States and Territories. OF the
coast mountains in California no one
rises above 5000 feet, that being the
figure for Panache Grande, Mount
Diabolo, SO conspicuous an object in
the country about San Francisco, is
but 1857 feet high.
Coming east to the Rocky Mountains
Colorado, which holds the highest
peak of that range, has four mountains
which are pretty certainly between IA,
900 and IA, 500 feet each. These are
Longs, iGray's and Pixies peaks, ant
Mount Lincoln. DR.. Parry, of st Lou
is, has made the most reliable measure
ments of the Coloradian heights but
since one of the barometers which hi
depended upon for the calculations was
stationed in st. Louis, there was some
liability to error in even the most &C
curate of his figures. He measured
the lower of the two Gray's peaks, anG
made it IA, PSI feet. The other, t.
which he endeavored to give the name
of Torrey's Peak. but which the PEG
pie of Colorado joie with its twain il
the same name of Gray, is evidently
from one to two hundred feet higher
but has not been accurately measured
Pixies Peak is reported by DIR. Parry