The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-06-16

auS'f@'i"s ~ale trees this season IL bo
- =. va va a.: u = have been much al
the journey, which has jast.s.'., 49, seel @
in London. be advanced several d. ~
dred miles inland, and about midway
between the north and south coasts
discovered a mountain 52,1S3 feet
high, which be named Mount Hercu-
les.
The height Of this mountain-over
six miles-is not the only rema- kable
thing about it. It's apparent eleva-
ton is but little less than its actual
elevation for, instaed Of rising from
lofty table land like the plateau Of
central Asia, it stands in compare
lively low plain only about 2, 600 feet
above the ocean, and this gives a
clear rise of more than 10000 feet
above the surrounding country. The
traveller, standing at its base, could
look up and see its snowy peak tow
ering 81, 900 feet skyward from where
be stood Under such circumstances
the altitude Of a mountain is apre-
ciated.
Captain Lawson tells us that he
undertook the ascent, formidable as
it appeared. He did net reach the top,
but we believe the achievement
which he relates is unparalleled in
the records Of mountaineering Ac-
cOmpanied by one servant, he set
Out from the foot at four o'clock in
the morning. They passed through
dense forests in the FIRST two thous-
and feet Of perpendicular progress,
found the limit oftree growth at elev-
en- thousand feet, and by nine O'Clock
bad reached point fourteen thous-
and feet above the sea level-slmOst
as high as the famous Matter
horn A thousand feet higher was
the snow line, and they began to
suffer from the cold As they passed
on drowziucss began to overcome
them. Nothing was to be seen but
snow Of the most dazzling whiteness.
Every peak and crag was covered
with it, and it hung over the edges
Of the cliffs in long feeey masses
Their eyes were affected by the glare,
and they felt themselves growing
more and mere lethargic.
"At length blood began to flow
from our noses and ears, says Cap
tain Lawson, "and my head sched in
a distracting manner. Isaw that our
chance Of preserving lie was to re-
treat without delay; for we were in
a pitiful plight Our lips and gums
and the skin Of our hands and faces
were cracked and bleeding, and our
eyes were blOodshot and swollen to
an alarming extent The thermome-
ter had sunk to twenty-five degrees
below the freezing point, and the
air was so rallied that we were gasp
ing rather than breathing Our
slaves fell from our grasp, and We
could not pick them up again, SO be-
numbed were our arms and bands
It was now one o'clock, and the
greatest elevation we had attained
was 1884 feet"
They then turned back, descended
to the limit of the snow in three
hours, and arrived at their camp at
the base Of the mountain about half
past seven in the evening. Thus, in
fifteen hours and a half, they had as
cended an absolute height Of $4,000
feet, to an elevation which we be-
lieve is greater than any ever before
attained by man uphn the surface Of
the earth, although ballOonists have
occasionally gone higher.
These are wonderful stories, and
the reader may desire to know wheth-
er we altogether trust in their au-
thenticity and accuracy. The fresh,
spirited, and interesting narrative in
which we have found them is publish
ed by one of the most respectable
firms in London, and is put forth as
a genuine book Of travels The su-
thor's account Of the fora, the fauna,
and the inhabitants Of New Guinea,
contains much that is marvellous, and
that certainly has hitherto been IN
known and unsuspected. Some Of
the statements, also, are difficult to
reconcile with our previously acquir-
ed knowledge concerning the island.
Under these circumstances, his mar
ratiye is likely to be regarded much
as we should view the testimony Of
single, strange witness to startling
fact we do not believe it, but we
should like to hear some corobora-
tive evidence This will probably
be afforded by subsequent explora-
tions