Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-10-15
The Ascent of ChimbOraZO.


Quito, who arrived here recently il
the steamer Colon from South Amer
lea, has been in Ecuador for the las
three years, and before going there hat
been for many years prominently con
nected with the Catholic Protectoratt
of New York city, now under the pres
idency of Mr.. Hoguet. Brothe
fellow, who left the Ecuadorian capita
on the 14th Of May last, took consid
cradle interest in the published &C
counts OF Mr.. Edward Whymer's as
cent OF Chimborazo. He says that af
ter having made many inquiries anC
heard the opinions of various credible
people in Quito and elsea here he ha,
been unable to find any one who be
lieves that Mr.. Whymper really die
reach the summit of the great Aadear
peak, excepting the British Minister il
Quito, Mr.. Hamilton, to whom the
traveller had sent letter describing
his ascent. No doubt it is entertained
that the Englishman did get q good
way'up the mountain. Brother fellow
stopped on his way down to Guayaquil
at the Hotel Chucapullo, at the foot O.
Chimborazo, from which Mr.. Whympel
started to make his ascent and stopped
when he came down. At this hotel
Brother fellow took pains to make
special inquiry, both from the manager
of the establishment and tho most in
telligent among the guests and ser
wants. but none Of them believed tina,
Mi. Whymper or any other person lad
been to the summit of Chimborazo to
place flag there. Tue hotel is only q
few miles from the top OF the noun
tain, and from the house q good view
can be had of the snow.capped peak.
1t does not present the idea of great
height or immense size, but the reason
OF this seems to DO that the house at
Chucapull0 is at an elevation of about
thirteen thousand feet above sea level
but there are parts Of the road on
which it is situated that are $4,000
feet above the ocean. Viewed from
parts of this road there does not appear
to be any great difficulty in the way OF
making TIE ascent, and it is only when
the attempt is made that the difficult
ties of the undertaking can be realized
MIR. Whymper had with him two
Swiss guides who accompanied tue AL
pine climber in all his European ex-
cursions, to whom, it is said, he paid u
salary of $125 month each. Besides
these, he hired two Eng iishmen, both
OF whom were recommended by the
British Minister at Quito. These in
dividuals wero not in the travellers ser.
vice at the same time; and at one
period he was anxious to engage u
young German who was employed un-
der Brother fellow, in the Christian
Brothers Schools. The name of the
first knglishman engaged was PAIRING,
and he is the one who accompanied
the explorer and his guides when the
ascent was accomplished. He was af-
terward paid off, and the second man,
whose name is Verify, engaged him
self in the perilous service. Brother
fellow doea not look upon either of
these parties as trustworthy, and says
their modes of life were anything but
satisfactory. The Eoglish Minister
made statement to the effect that
young American, whose name was not
sscertained, had gone with Whympers
party and lost his life on the mountai in.
Mr.. Hamilton is reported as saying
ta1t WhAlo d1hhAuS VIC uoCCuI VIZ lHsi ~
tied themselves together, with cer.ain
intervals between each one. for mutual
support, and that the American cut the
rope, fell down the mountain and was
lost. At the ChucafttHinAo Hotel brother
fellow made strict inquiries with q
view to ascertaining something about
the young man, but he was assured
that no one had seen any such person
start out with Mr.. Whymper or his
guides.
Captain S. P. Griffin, OF tbs steamer
Colon, has received the following note
from Mr.. Whymper:
QuIro. May %, 1880.
MY DEAR SIR just o line to say
that l have succeeded as we'll as |
hoped and better than expected. We
have been to the top of Chimborazo,
Antisana, Cotopaxi, Cayambe, Sarawen,
Sincholagua, Corazon, Pichinche and
Cotocuchi. So much success has never
fallen to the lot of any mountaineer
before on single journey. The
weather has been abominable during
the whole time and my health has suf-
fered much, but hope to get into con-
dition again before arriving ut Colon,
where l shall hope to meet you.
shall probably be there in the earliest
part of July. Believe me faithfully
yours, EDWARD WHYMPER.
Captain Griffin, who knows the gen
tleman, believes that the President OF
the Alpine Club has accomplished all
he claims.
1t is Amazing what an influence upon
the people at the Summer resorts the
storm OF Sunday night had. The fact
that twenty nine trains of ten cars each,
averaging seventy passengers to car,
an aggregate Of more than 20, 600 poo
pie, left Long Branch during Monday.
conveys an idea Of the rush for the
city the storm produced. 1t would
have been worth hundreds of thousands
of dollars to hotel-keepers to have had
the storm delayed for week. In spite
OF the heat of Sunday, one stormy night
made the guests ut the resorts sigh for
home, and when Monday morning
brought the promise of cold, all-dsy's
rain, y great army of them packed their
trunks and started for the city. The
city was blockaded with baggage yes.