New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-22
A TOPOGRAPHICAL BLUNDER.

pFAK-MR. CLARENCE KING AlslbD-tu0hl Of
TIE REAL MOUNT WHITNEY NEARLY 1900 FEET
Jame, D. Hague me Overland Monthly Jor Nore0oer
Porsop BrOwnlow. In some of mis- political
speeches made during the used 10 refer with pleas
ure TO the fact that than 1900 years ago the dis
tngushed founder Of the Democratic party led our Lord
and Savior up exceeding high mountain To those
who believe that nisehevous influence Of this tricky
and decefu leader has survived the party referred TO-
ght appear that be had more or less TO do IN direct
ing the steps OF Mr. Clarence King about two years ago.
10 the top of OF our own high mountains 80 COM
petey was that clever mOuntaDeer mistaken as 10 MS
Whereabouts when he got there. 80.
In his very entertaining BOOK, entlued hOunaneeI-
ing iu the sierra Nevada" Mr. King, among many eapl
tai variations OF mountain climbing and adventure mas
given graphic description OF his accent OF MOUNT mht
new in 1871 The mountain to which this name belongs
has regarded with special interest among all at
home and abroad who pay attention 10 geOgrdph-
zeal exploration In this country since In 1864 u was re-
ported " be the highest known point oil land WITHIN he
boundaries Of the United States. Among the personal
friends California State Geological Survey, anu
especially OF MI KING, the mountain mas moreover pos
eessed an additional account OF the unsuc
cesSful sttempt made by that gentleman IN 1861 10 elmo
the peak On tBat occasion MI King VINO was hen nen
Der OF the Geological survey COps aIbdchc1 ~ ,
tain from tho southern SIDE ana alter nara Climb lui
Of adventure, when DROUGHT Dlh ~ ne tne es.ndSu;
within 800 or 400 eeI Of the crest ne was compee
TO abandon the hope OF reaching the summit on account
OF s inaccessiOy from the side he had chosen When,
therefore, renewed the attempt from the eastern SIDE
in 1871 there were many friends VINO Wated lnpdley
10 near the result and Who aftervard read win eager
interest the story OF TIE chmp' as Ieeordeu III n'S
MOuDtnineering."
The misnamod peak rises in fu view from Lone Pine,
and as by MI Goodyear. appears from tbat
point the prominent peak IN the whole sierra AS
seen from Lone Pine, lie prominence when e1mpsrrd
with what known 10 be the real Mount whitney,
several miles more remote lie quite marked impressed
by the imposing appearance OF the mountain, non
Whitney; and although its position did not accord Win
that determined in 1854 he wac led TO misrrst the cor
rectness OF the earlier observation especially az III that
had OUtalucd the bearing Oh VIC peak rom oy
a single point tMcunt Brewerl Had Mt Hoffman been
able 20 test ais work 1rom the summit Oh INC
the error could hardly have been made put acting
under the impression produced Dy the view rom owen
Valley hC changed the former location on me map ana
thus enormously applied sue name OF Mount LlneS ~
quite "A different peak from that 10 which II was hrst
given; and since that Suminer'Iho mistaken mountain
known by tnat name TO all lhOse VINO dWeh or
vino have 1ourley0d within sight of It,
And now IL turns Ou5 that the mountain he climbed
then though clearly designated on the maps OF the state
Geological survey Mount whitney, was not tho mou1-
tain which ne tried 70 Climb seven years before 10 Whch
the of Mount Whitney wah originally gwen; ana
Soos tinay reached The samlsit be had long
gaiO and planting ms foot Ia supposed triumph upon
its topmOst rock surveyed the Of cloud whose pillows
rolled aud surgcd below ana around him, he was IN
realty anont an mile from where lie thought he WAS
Tue discovery tins fact recently made by Mr. w.
A. GO0dy ear formerly member OF the Geological sur
gentlemen Oh the 27th day Of last July, assembled the
peak which described ON the maps oI the STATE survey
1871. They rode mules without difficulty TO the
top; and having gained tho summit observed PEAK
bearing Go FROM Their point OF observation
and distant five miles, which was un4uosuonaby
several hundred feet higher than the on which they
stood That tnIs higher peak is the veritable Mount
Whitney was made obvious not emily by It's greater a
Tude nat by It's relations Ia other Typographical features
oi the country since the observations
corded By Mr. King the occasion Of his climb III 1884,
aud printed III the first volume OF the Survey report
couia according to Mr. Goodyearl DC reaaly verified
to Apply to vicinity OF the peak which ~ now shown
90 m Inc lower one Mr. Goodyear mas set forth these
observations IN o paper presented 70 the California
Academy Of sciences, with degree OF detall Wlnch
leaves no doubt that the name Of Mount Whitney has
Uaen enormously applied another mountain than that
to which il WAS originally gwen.
IL the summer following inns tS'lJ, that fif
King then no longer connected with The Geological Sur
yey OF California made the ascent OF which he has gwen
an account For tnat purpose ne determined
no 90 10 Lone Pine In Overs Valley, which lies al the
eastern base OF the range. knowing me dlhculty OF
recoyliziDg a mountain peak from an uDaccustOned
polnI Of Siew aud aware OF the fact that the tOpOg
rsphers OF the State Geological Survey had located
Mount Whitney OF their map the previous summer ne
called az the 0bce OF the Survey before setting out, III
order 10 information necessary for Identifying
the mountain alter reaching Lone Plne tor THIS pur
nose be traced copy OF the map ana ali outline sketch
Of the peak itself Guided by these data, no NATURALLY
accented Us Mount Whitney the nountaIo thus deslg
nstea and nothing in its appearance or surroundings
gave Tor any suspicion tst IL was NOT the same
Taxing companion from the neighborhood, lie climbed
tho peak gaining the summit without tne dimcuty
SItch his former experience had od hin 10 expect.
nat he did then discover the error III the location
OF tho peas would be indeed remarkable, we're not Tor
the facts set forth in narration. written soon
after and published ia Mountaineering" On reaching
the snmnll, he found himself CLOSED III Dy DENSE liD
efrabe clouds" through winch straning OF the
of brief inIerva-when Tor moment There appeared
snots of blue sy and the streaming through Zone
~ tbose windows the Storm" lighted M the range Of
,geseyn peaks from Kaweah Mount Brewer, aud re-
yeaed tie OF the struggles OF seven years before
the whole region was Obscured =, -, .,.-..,
The barometreal measurement Of the peak indicated
an altitude OF 1867 Ieet-cousideiaby ,ess even iqan
mat obtained 1904, at the point reached On TIE real
Mou, whitney but tDerc was no NolDt or question
fen xsiug as to identity Of the peak This discre
o, ,as n,1ra readily attrbuted TO some Explained
@nndiou of Inc air vi irregury III the instrument or
tunvyn 10 ne tie real Que and for this reason he
fraIged from lblsh Dg tho figures IL viii mus appear
m no way due 10 Mr. King; but that. under The
eondons just described lie aI.d 10 discover 'he erfor
" snce 1sS tbe same mountain has been assembled by
number Of persons Dcuding ladies' who have iound no
difficulty Ia riding ~ the top; but none ol these ptvI 10
the visit OF Messfs Goodyear and Belshaw, reported ie
existence OF the higher peak TINS last announcement
has stimulated the ambition OF mountain climbers 10
that vicinity and where and several parties have al
ready climbed 70 the summit OF the oliginai ana Ser
cent was by Mr. Carl soe. an nttaehe of the state
sS0sla Mr. crspo The altitude Of the PEAK
according TO a statement pub shed o.. DAT "ood, ear
nearly II geo teet aDo;s ,, oIe sdng AM. little snort
of the repued 1890 feet still the greatest auoe oi
which trustworthy neasu 5e h"S '"' "oH AD
Itsr in point OF time than all these sspirents Tor
mountaineering honcrs bat WIN zea T I'M lad as
miles tho starr OF him, Is MT hinR hlinse, VIZ -,
Newly ori when lac heard OF Nj. Govyear S
Nv t,us ounceInent, the toPmosl one OF ue oea
,,en Iier ms attempt reach it IN lstb. hnd stoop
like CHIP upon the cont seh' snq',uei os ,i,
leuge 10 I. geological hammer, unlu lie suppOheu Wa,
he lad s,rctssfuly knocRed 1t of IN lsi-now suddenly
appeared In "a fresh place Recognizing ars s , sns
tness of Mr. Goedyears observation put sisns
10 verify IL with hs own eyes, as wen az " ~ ,
beyond any question HE longchsrised pnposs ne re.
out tInrnedinIey across the coAptry, passing 'hso
Ban Francisco ana visslis without moments ueay;
hsNng provided for the simultaneous oDsa n'a =,
two baronlsters-One 81 Visalia, ana ibe sSoonu
STATION on Kern River about 10000 feet hlghbe Pasnu
On WITH third 10 the mountain. detained Few aay,
sudden Illness lac afterward reachco INC suh'n,s
niou. dmculty. choosing the western siopF iol VIZ
poaus " MA ATTACK. The day nnei ana Tue VPpv
hoy iof baromettical exoeiient Inc ioad'
, ~. barometer are not yet computed, but AeIeo
no".S VIII muse made by Mr. Rabe indicating, vow
w. al ~ooe greater by about TO- or perhaps 100
ioos ,"a I'VE. aSose quoted. Tne In details o ma
- M VIM a -.