New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-20
EXPLORATIONS IN ALASKA.
RESULT OF THE MT. ST. ELIAS EXPEDITION.

EAI IAORh AONO In AA<AOA6s
RESULT OF THE MT. ST. ELIAS EXPEDITION.
A MEMBER OF THE PARTY GIVING an ACCOUNT
OF THE WORK DONE AND THE Ex.
PERIENcEs UNDERGONE
Washington Oct. 1s.-The scientific expedition sens
ont last spring. under the Joint auspices Of te National
Geographic Society and the United states Geological
Survey for the purpose Of exploring the region about
Mount St. Elias Alaska has returned. Mr.. Russell
who organized the expedition and had charge OF the
work. Is now in Washington. and. at the request Of
the agent Of the Associated Press. has furnished ts
following sketch of the work:
The party consisted Of Israel c. Russell, Reolo8ist
Mark d. Kerr. topoRrspber. both members OF the
Geoog cal Survey; z. r. IIosmer, genera assistant
and seven camp hands hired at scstte. Owing to
uncertain hcalih. Mr. II"smer returned homo foom tho
first camp On June IL the expedition sailed fDr Sihs
and on arriving there the mclnbers Of the expedition
were transferred at to the United states steamer
Pnta which reached the month Of Yskutat ray on juno
"o The bay Is a broad. deep inlet extending moro
than thirty miles inland, and IL tho plan Of the
expedition 10 begin work near its head On the west
shore. The actual base Of operations was reached
on June es and the stndy Of the geology and geosrar
ply Of the region began at once. sour task" sasA
Mr. Russell. "was to explore and map the country
from the bay to St. Elias and far beyond q prsc
ticabc Excursions werc begun at once to tho neigh
boring mountains and glaciers and up Yakutst Bay
as far the floating ice would allow canoe TO travel
OF these excursions took us TO island near ths
head Of the bay. which We named Grand View Island
From its summit thousand fcot above
the water, magnificent view obtained
OF vast stretch Of snOwclad mountains, from
which glaciers Of great magnitude descended
10 tho and ended in cliffs OF Zoe several
hundred feet high. One Of these glaciers named
afnr hall fbo opcn yplnp NJ <RA pn0fon
other OF larger size at the ed OF the bay named
In honor Of Gardner Hubbard, the president Of tho
National Geographic Society. magnificent noun
tain peak rising some 10000 feet Immediately above
the Hubbard glacier received the same name. An
other towering peak on the same mountain crest td.
angular In shape and Of purest white, named
Mount Seattle.
while glacial and geological studies were being
pushed forward Mr.. Kerr measured q base limo with
considerable accuracy and began map OF the region.
The work carried forward until all the peaks TO
be seen from Inc OF march located and their
heights determined Sketches and photographs were
taken from many points CT view these together with
the tr!anguatIon. will furnish material for all accurate
map OF the region visited. The map will embrace up
ward OF a thousand square miles.
As a. Topographic work was we'll under ways
a line Of march toward ST. Elias decided upon
All of raons, bedding. tents ETC., had to be
carried packed by the men, the character OF the
country not allowing the use OF animals. Our limo
OF march toward the northwest, with the tr1'
angular summit OF St. Elias as our guide. Fortune
favored in many ways We found passes In tho
mountains leading In the direction we wished to travel,
and no nsurmountabe difficulties in the way. Prob
ably more than nine-tenths Of journey across
glaciers and snow fields
On the 1st OF August were midway between
Yakutat Bay and st. Elias. but still at the base OF tho
mountains. Our camp was In the last and highest
Grove Of trees that II was practicable to reach. From
there work In the high mountains beeAn. AZ
last, after twenty days hard work above snow Inc,
VIC found ourselves encamped at the base Of st. Elias
The weather had been clear for ten days, and We haa
every prospect Of good days climb on the morrow
Rising at in the morning we began what we believed
TO be the final ascent, but after few hours storm
clouds settled down around snow began to fA and
all landmarks lost TO view. Tie storm continued
for thirty hours without cessation, and 1t was with
difficulty that found our way through the binding
snow to lower camp where the necessary raons were
| to be had. second attempt made to reach tho
summit two days later but another snow-stOrm broke
over the mountains suddenly as the first This
! time was alone In the highest camp, where was
imprisoned for six days before being able to reoin my
party below, while Mr. Kerr similarly isolated at
the first camp lower down. My stay above the snow
| line lasted thirty live days. During that time We
lived in tents many times camping on the open glacier.
to be out of the reach Of avsanches Al OF our
-. An excursion was then made far out on the gr@est @
Piedmont Glacier which forms plateau about 200
|
St. Elias range This glacier Is the largest known In
the Northern Hemisphere with tire exception Of the
| icefeds OF Greenland -
ave returned to Yakutat Bay about September 20.
having bad stormy weather almost I'LL the time since
leaving the vicinity OF 81. Elias IN September q
our hearts were yaddened 10y seeing the Cnrw!n steam
Ing up the BAY IL conveyed the expedition to Port
| TUwneend where VIC arrived on October g
From the point Of view cf the scientist, II not OF
| the Alpnist out expedition was success. The
proposed before starting WAS carried out oLmoet
10 the letter, far the study Of glaciers geology
and topography concerned, but We did nos reach
| the top Of Mount st. Elias. The measurements msde
have determined that all the mountains IN this region
| are lower than was previously Supposed, ana that
St Elias instead Of beng the highest point in North
| America, is in reality second rte mountain. IS
elevation instead OF being 10. 500 feet as previously
considered, Is about l3 500 Mount Cook has an ele
| walton of 1920 and Vancouver 9,@OO. Many other
peaks in the same region elevated as Cook and
Vancouver but St. Elias is hightcr than a:y m ts I'm
| mediate neighbors The more important glaciers and
mountains IN the region explored were named prncl'
| pally In remembrance m distinguished American &C.
| oogists who are no longer living
| sThe results OF the expedition will be presented
to the National Geographic society some time IN Nc;
| ,cmber and as soon aftcrward as practicable Will
| be published BY the Society in The National Geo
| graphic Magazine"