Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-03

mace hTste to descend. First, how
ever, they deposited the brass plate
inscribed with their names (having
erased Coleman's name with the point
of . knife in cleft in a large bowlder
on the highest summit, which was q
huge mound Of rocks on the east side
Of this crater of refuge, placed the
canteen alongside, and covered it with
a large stone.
AT halfrast eight they left their
shelter. after exercising violently to
start the blood through their chilled
and numbed limbs ; and, in attempt.
ing to pass around the rdcky summit
on which was deposited the plate and
canteen, they discovered a second
crater, larger than the first, perhaps
300 yards in diameter. Iti circular,
filled with a bed of snow, with
rocky rim all around, and numerous
jets Of steam issued from among the
rocks. 1t is separated from the first
by a ledge of rocks. Both craters
are inclined, the first to the west and
the second with a much sleeper in
clination, 80 >. to the east. The rim
of the second crater is much higher,
or the snow field inside lower, than
that Of the first, and on the east side
rises in rocky wall thirty feet high
above the snow within. The ridge
between them, OH which was deposit
cd the brass plate and canteen, is the
highest summit of the mountain. 1t
was named "Crater Peak" The
northern peak they named Peak
Tah-ho-ma," to perpetnate the Indian
name Of the mountain.
The route in returning was the same
as in the ascent, and they were until
half-past one in reaching the foot of
the rocky ridge where tile real diff.
culties Of the ascent commenced.
About five hours were consumed in
descending; seven and half were
occupied in ascending.
They now struck out joyfully and
rapidly down tie wide snow fields for
their camp. When nearly there, Mr..
Van Trump clipped, slid down steep
snow bank forty feet, and struck upon
the rocks. His face and hands were
badly skinned; he received several
severe bruises, and a deep and wide
cash in his thigh. With much pain
he managed to limp to camp. Once
there, our tired and tamished noun
taineers were soon RECALLING themselves
OH coffee, slapjacks and marmots, or
badgers, four Of which had been killed
by the Indian.
The next day they descended the
long slope to its foot, where, leaving
Mr.: Van Trump in camp, Gen. Stevens
with the Indian pushed on to Bear
Prairie. Thinking. from the lay Of
the country, that the mountain route
by which tile Indian had guided them
was unnecessarily circnitous, and
knowing that it was out Of the ques-
tion for Mr.. Van Trump to retrace it,
he determined to seek a new and better
route by following down the tributary
Of the Nisqually to the point where
the party had left that river for Bear
Prairie. He did soagainst the urgent
remonstrance of the Indian. and found
a route so much better that he reached
Bear Prairie in 81 hours instead of IA
hours by the mountains.
Mr.. Coleman was found at their
old camp here. He said that, in at
tempting to climb up the face Of a
precipice in ascending the mountain,
up which the Indian guide led them
when they started for Bear Prairie,
he found it necessary to throw off his
pack. 1t rolled to the very foot Of
the mountain, and was lost; and as
he could not make the ascent of Raj
nier without the Alpine paraphernalia
contained therein, he was obliged to
return to camp. Having, however,
found some cricketer's spikes among
his remaining effects, he had deter
mined to make the ascent by himself,
and with that view had spent the
past five days in surveying route
and in establishing a cache. or stock
of provisions on the top Of a noun.
tain. The following day the Indian
was sent with horse for Mr.. Van
Trump. who succeeded in coming
down by the Nisqually river with but
three miles of walking, and the 9th
ers moved over from Bear Prairie to
the Nisqually, when the party was
once more reunited. They remained
here three days, during tue rain storm
Of the goth. 2lst and 22d, and then
returned to Olympia in. four days by
the same trail by which they ad-
vanced.
The journey back was without spe-
cial incident, and they reached the
settlements last Friday, after march
of 24O miles in II days. somewhat
tired, thoroughly hungry, and quite
willing to submit to bath (not a sui.
phur one, this time) and clean suits.
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