The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-24
THE GREAT STAR
MOUNTAIN.
Probably the eliminating Point
of North America.
Measurements Made by Professor Heilprin Of
the Philadelphia Academy of
Sciences


INV Ledger to the remarkable accents
made among the giant volcanoes of the
Mexican tablelands by members of the Mex
lean expedition recently organized under
the auspices of the Academy of Natural
Sciences.
Among the results obtained by this ex-
petition is the determination of the highest
point of the Mexican republic, which, con-
trary to the opinions of Mexican geogra-
pliers, is the Citlaltepetl, or Star Mountain,
better known as the peak Of Orizaba, and
not Popocatepetl, as is generally assumed.
Orizaba is also thought. with little doubt,
to be the eliminating point of the entire
North American Continent, and thus the
Hottest peak in the long chain of eminences
which stretches between the Arctic Sea
and the volcanic knot Of the Equatorial
Andes.
In communication made to the Academy
of Natural Sciences at its meeting on Tues
day evening. Professor Helprin placed on
record his barometic determinations of the
heights OF the four Hottest SUBMITS Of the
Mexican Republic-Orizaba, Popocatepetl,
iXtaccihuatl, and the Nevada de Toluca.
The height of Popocatepetl, commonly ac-
cepted as the highest peak, was recorded by
Alexander Won Humboldt in 1904 as II, 720
feet. Several measurements have been
made since the date of the grlgonometrical
observations Of the distinguished German
traveller, and with results varying from H.,
go feet TO somewhat over $4,000 feet. Pro-
lessor Helprin's measurements give 1925
feet, or 200 feet less than the estimate of
Hum boldt, as corrected by his astronomical
associate, Oltmanns.
TO THE PEAK.
The ascent of the peak was made on the
10th and 18th of April by Professor He'll
prn and NJ Z. C.. Baker, the rim of the
crater being reached at II 80 o'clock on the
! morning of the 18th, and the eliminating
point In the afternoon OF the same day.
Little difficulty was encountered in the
ascent beyond that which is due to the in
convenience arising from the highly rare
fed atmosphere. The snow held was found
to be Of limited extent and not more than
from five to ten feet in depth and was
virtually absent from the apex Of the noun
tain. The surprisingly mild temperature
OF the summit 450 Fahrenheit, rendered
stay Of several hours in cloudiand very de-
| lightlul.
With regard to the elevation of what is
commonly supposed to be the second high
| est summit of the Mexican Republic, the
peak of Citlaltepetl, or OriSsba, the results
| of Professor Heilprin's determinations
| show more marked variations from those of
| most of the earlier investigators, ana more
| particularly from these of Humboldt Inc
| latter determined the height of the mountain
| by means of angles taken from near the
| town of Jalapa to be IL, 375 feet, while still
! earlier determination by Ferrer, IN 1875,
| and recorded in the transactions oil the
| American Philosophical Society, gave IL, 1913
| feet. The latter estimate has been gener-
| ally adopted by German geOgrapherS, and
| Humboldt himself has considered 1t more
nearly representing the truth than his own
| measurement. The Mexican geo1raphers,
| on the other hand, have adopted the meas
| urement of humboldt, or that which was
| obtained by the National Commissions OF
| 1877, aud which Indicated height OF 1861
| feet.
THE RIM OF THE CRATER.
Professor Heilprin, with three of his sci
entiie associates and eleven guides, made
the ascent of the mountain on the 9th and
TIN of April, or ten days before the ascent
Of Popocatepetl. The last camp, at height
of some 1900 feet, was left shortly before
o'clock in the morning OF the second day,
and, after a difficult and continuous strug-
| gle of twelve hours through loose powders.
| sand and much cut-up ice-cap, the party
| or rather, the fragment which succeeded in
| holding out-hnally reached the rim OIL the
| crater.
A photograph was here obtained of the
| depression which marks the summit of this
most symmetrical cone of the North Ameri-
can Continent. Professor Heilprin's meas
| urement, which was made at point about
/
Gates a total height Of the mountain OF
| is, 2O6 feet, or some 1926 feet in excess Of the
measurement of Ferrer aud upward of 500
more than that of Humboldt.
The equal conditions of the atmosphere
under which the measurements of both the
| peaks of OriZaba and POpocatepetl were
made, and the fact that the two measure
| meuts were made with the same nStru-
ments after an interval OF only ten days,
! appears to leave but little room for doubt
1 date oln.
| limits the correct one. There thus seems
no question but that the first place among
! Mexican volcanoes must be accorded to the
'Star Mountain"
| The sense of excessive fatigue which
marked the ascent of this mountain, as
compared with that of Popocatepetl. was
| considered in itself sufficient index of The
| much greater elevation. Messrs. Whitmer
! Stone and +. C. Baker. two of Profess or
! Heilprin'S associates, were compelled to
! desist from the final attack upon the noun
| tain when not more than some 500 feet be-
| low the summit. Mr.. lie Boutillier's
| strength failed him at an elevation of about
| 1000 feet.
UPON PoPOCATEPETL-
| AS upon Popocatepet, the snow cap upon
! OriZaba, although arising 2400 feet, or
nearly half a mile, above the summit OF the
| highest peak of the Alps, was compare
| lively Insignificant development. Only a
| quarter of an hour was passed on the crest
| of the mountain when the difficult descent
! through the numerous seracs of the ice
| was made. The camp was reached at a
| little after O'clock in the evening, thus
| completing remarkable round of mountain
| climbing of fifteen successive hours.
The views from the slopes of the noun
tain are described as being surprisingly
| grand, far exceeding anything that Pro
| fessor Heilprin had hitherto seen in his
| travels. Far off to the west the giants Po-
! pocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl were clearly
outlined against the sky at distance of
about 100 miles. while to the east and
| south the eye wandered over seemingly
endless expanse of plateaus and lowlands,
penetrating through a series of successive
cloud planes.
In regard to the position which the peak
of Orizaba holds to the mountains of the
North American Continent generally, it
may be said that its only rival without the
Mexican domain is Mount st. Elias, stu
ated on approximately the one hundred and
| forty-first parallel of latitude, and whose
summit is claimed both by Great Britain
and the United States alaska as their pos
session. SO broadly divergent, however,
are the results of the measurements of this
mountain that as yet it has been impossible
| to obtain even remote concurrence IN the
! views of geographers.
! ---=
L nv IN