The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-27


OF ridge 10 900 feet above the sea the wnOle
brozdside view OF grand Old Uncompahgre broke
for the nrst time upon Us. IL seemed but stones
throw from where we stoOd although IN reality
II was separated nom us by deep valley half a
mile IN width. The peak, standing more than
1000 feet over us, aid not give US the impression
OF being so LOFTY Tor. standing II does table
land 1000 feet high the peak proper 10 little more
than 1000 feet. Yetitis noble mass, and presents
MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
In a long line on either SIDE ana heaped and
piled back one on the other as far as the eye can
reach, lie countless OF rock all rearing their
heads among the fourteen thousands; but seem
ingly lar above the rest stands Uncompahgre, gaz-
/ ing proudly around all the country. The clouds
/ were last gathering around It's summit and rolling
into the lower valleys, SO that We must hurry our
preparations or else be too late TO photograph IL.
| The wind blew so stlfny acress the exposed point
! on which we wero stationed that although we
balasted the camera with heavy stones 10 VI
brated sufficiently 10 spon the first plate, ana BE-
/ lore the next could be prepared the storm was
upon u.s. Seeing that nothing more could be done
that day we made our way down the CHI by an old
| elk trail. and camped some 1850 feet Ia the edge
/ OF the timber, below, leaving the Photographic
utensils on the mountain. The afternoon and
! evening proved wet and dismal but we could
/ only SIT by tent lire ana wait for more favor
! able weather By sunrise the following morning
we were OF. Not a cloud 10 be seen In the
heavens and tine air perfectly still, so that
fortune seemed TO favor US at last. The bottom
which we had 20 cross In leaving our camp was
marshy and Doggy, ana several OF our mules
mlred ere they reached the other side; but our
steep $500 feet climb was more substantial, ana
we commenced the ascent with feelings almost
akin TO exulation that last dim Guilty had been
overcome and the rest OF eur trip would be com
paratively easy. But scarcely had we climbed a
fourth OF the way up, each OF us leading TWO ant
mails, tandem, when, just as we had mounted
sleeper bank than usual one Of tae packs,
which hitcned to saddle mule, fell over
backward ana the TWO went rolling and spinning
down fall OF nifty feet. alighting Unexpectedly
on a narrow shell OF rock, considerably skinned
and scratched, but not seriously injured. The
saddle almost demolished the bride burst
and the SADDLE bags lay crushed and torn among
the rocks. Little Mex was continually walking
out OF her pack and leaving 1t some distance be-
hind before ii was discovered, and the tighter she
was sinched the more easily she seemed 10 slide
through. But the train finally reached the sta
ton, where the gallery tent stood Just we had
left it the previous afternoon, roped down with
large rocks ia the absence OF any wood for stakes
Just as the first negative OF the peak was taken
the SKY became suddenly overcast ana
COLD HEAVY SNOW
pelted about US, and, as II at a given signal,
sound was heard far down in the valley OF Lake
City Ike the explosion OF piece of artillery. Then
we remembered II was the morning Of the Fourth
OF July and the shot salute at sunrise In the
valley. And still the sfted down upon US
and covered the mountains white. We packed up
hastily and DESCENDED the same way we had
come. but for hours enclrced with a
halo OF snow. Now the would shine out and
Col
Us persistently and we were more than half way
down before it gave up the pursuit and swept
back up the gulchss to circle again round the top
OF Uncompahgre. We reached our camp on
the banks OF san Crlstova little past
noon, very tired. sore and ravenous. But this
task was ended; we had satisfactorily photo |
graphed the peak and with old Uncompahgre we
had done forever. We had travelled rom It's
base nearly fifteen miles, descending $500 feet,
and now in the quiet shade OF the pines OF the
valley could gaze upon the results oil our work
with feelings OF satisfaction and relief.
On the morning or the stu OF July We lefs the
lake and crossed the divide again return
to Antelope PARK. Here We packed our entire
cargo and, with the wagon, proceeded In a west
srly direction on our way TO Bakers Park. The
road mere was the toughest we had yet travelled,
being very precipitous in many places and covered
with large rocks. Ii ascended one OF the peaks
OF the San Juan and suddenly wound down
the western slope in OF the steepest places.
so that we had TO lock the wheels Of the wagon
with q rope and stake. About twenty-five miles
west OF san Juan City and twenty east OF Bakers
Park we stopped to camp, near a rancho known
as Jennison's Cabin, fine stand for all the trade
passing in and out OF the mines. Here ths rain
SCI IN we unloa1ed, and all night long and all
the whole OF the next day and the following night
and hall OF the second day. without intermsson,
it descended steadily causing US to lsse much !
time ana feel exceedingly uncomfortable The /
hills around were soon covered with snow,
so that they appeared one unbrOken mass OF
white, and the heavy clouds rolleo down into the
valley OF the Rio Graude, In which we lay,
until we could see but lew hundreds OF feet /
around US. 1t was impossible TO stand out Dy the
fire without becoming thoroughly drenched In a /
Jew moments ana IL was almost too cold 20 he in /
our tents and watch the water drip, drip Gown /
upon and roll over in little rivulets on /
blankets. SO we nuctuated between the FIRE, our
tents and un0er the wagon, always wet. chilly /
and miserable, and deriving ne comfort from
either. But az meal times hunger conquered our
aversion to the rain, and we all hudded together
around tie mess boxes, dividing our attention
between the visuds Before US and the nameless
creeks which trlckled from our hat rims down
our backs. Our only partial consolation was IN
our army and rubber coats but tue ardity OF our
bodies only made the humidity OF our lower ex
tremities more apparent by contrast. And so the
day wore on, and we were continually In an at
mosphere or gloomy dampness, which communi-
Gated to all our surroundings oewy freshness.
One by one we would frequently make break from
the IRE 70 prospect the heavens, when invariably
would rise the welcome cry, ats clearing Oh %
Bu; it continued to clear on and never accom-
plished 1t for two nights and nearly two days
during the right the drops battered necessarily
against the canvas OF our tents, and Oozed
through 70 form little lakes all over u.s. In
shrinking from the top 10 keep our heads away
from the wall. our eet protruded through the
lower opening, rising In the morning we
were wet 70 our knees.
Just few niles below Jennlson our attention
was attracted by some beautiful rock formations
There Is graat mass OF VOLCANIC rock hitting ont