, 1890-10-23
ALASKAN MOUNTAINS
ST. Elias Is Only a Second
Rate Hill.
RETURN OF THE RUSSELL PARTY
Successful Explorations Around
st. Elias and the Great
Ioe Fields.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20. Tho scientific
expedition sent out last spring und er
the Joint auspices of the National
Geographical 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 has charge of the work, has fur
nished the Associated Press a picturesque
sketch of the work Of his party.
The actual base of operations, at th Q
head OF Iukatat bay, was reached June
Is, and the study of the geology and
geography OF the region began at once.
They found an island near the head of
the bay, which they named Grand View
island. From its summit, which rises
boldly thousand feet above the water,
a magnificent view was obtained of tho
vast stretch of snow clad mountains,
from which glaciers of great magnitude
descended to tho sea and ended in cliffs
several hundred feet high. From there
the icebergs crowding the bay were de.
rived. One of these glaciers was named
after Dalton, the pioneer explorer of the
region. Another, of large size, at the
bay, was named in honor of Gardner
Hubbard, president of the National Geo
graphical Society. A magnificent mount
ain peak, rising some ten thousand feet
i'm mmediately above Hubbard glacier, re.
ceived the same name. Another tower.
ing peak on the same mountain crest,
triangular In shape and always of the
purest white, was named Seattle.
As soon as the Topographic was well
under way the line of march toward Mt.
st. Elias was decided upon. "All OF our
rations. bedding. tents, ETC., had to be
carried or packed by men, the char
| acter OF the country not al
lowing the use of animals. We
found passes in the mountains leading
in the direction we wished to travel, and
no insurmountable difficulties in tho
way, although great patience and judg-
ment we're required in tresding the net
work of crevasses in the ice field Proba.
bly, more than niue-tenths of our Jour.
ney was across glaciers and snow.tields.
On the lst of August we were midway
between Tukatat bay and ST. Elias,
but still at the base of the mountains.
The timber line is there, about 1000
feet high, and all trees disappear few
miles to tho west. An island of rock,
surrounded by vast glaciers, but clothed
with beautiful flowers, rank ferns and
dense spruce trees, furnished delight
ful spot tor our base camp. We named
this lovely oasis in the desert of ice
Blossom island.
From there our work in the high
mountains began. After twenty days of
hard work above the snow line We found
ourselves enCamped at the base of st.
Elias. The weather had been clear for
the past ten days and we had every
prospect OF good days climb on the
morrow. Rising at 3 O'clock in the
morning We began what we believed to
be the final ascent but after few hours
storm clouds settled down around US,
the snow began to TALL and all landmarks
were lost to view. The storm continued
for thirty hours without cessation and 1t
was with difficulty that We found our
way through the binding snow to camp,
where the necessary rations were to be
had.
THE second attempt to reach the sum
NIT was made two days later, but auoth-
er storm broke over the mountains as
suddenly as the first. This time | was
alone in the highest camp, whore | was
imprisoned for six days before | was
able to rejoin the party below. When |
started down there were six feet of new
snow, which refused to harden, and rem
dered II impossible to do more work in
tho peaks On descending to the lower
level started on an excursion up the
glacier between st. Elias range and
Mount Cook, which gave promise of
leading to lower pass across the main
range, buta third snow storm coming
i xpa al, m Of fttr 20
island and there rejoined Mr.. Kerr, the
topographer, who had descended few
days previously. My stay above the
snow line lasted thirty-fve days. Dur
ing that time we lived in tents so as to
be out of reach of avalanches.
AFTER returning to Blossom island an
excursion was made far out on the gre at
Piedmont glacier. which forms n pla ateau
about 800 feet high, stretching along
the southern base OF the st. Elias range
This glacier is OF continental type in dis
tinction from Alpine glaciers, and has
an area, by estimate, of about 1000
square miles. 1t is the largest glacier
known in the Northern hemisphere, with
the exception of the ice fields of Green
land. We returned to Yukatat bay
about the Goth oi Scptemb having had
stormy weather almost all the time since
leaving the vicinity of st. Elias, and on
the 22d our hearts were gladdened by
seeing he steamer Corwin coming up the
bay. Robert Hooper had made u cruise
from Sttka especially Tor our relief anu
to convey the expedition to Port Town
send.
"From the point OF view of scientist,
the expedition was success. The plan
proposed in starting was carried ont al
most TO the letter, so fnr as a study of
the glaciers, geology anu topography was
concerned, but We Ili not reach tile top
of Mount ST. Elias. Measurements
made have determined that all the
mountains in this region nre lower than
previously supposed aud that ST. Elias,
instead OF being the highest point in
North America, IS in reality n second-
rate mountain. it, elevation. instead of
being 1880 feet, as previously con-
sidered, is about l3 800. Mount Cook
has an elevation of l025o and Van
couver 9,400."