Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-20
Difficulties Encountered by the Expedi-
ton Sent to the Mt Elias Regions


WASHINGTON, October 19th.-The scientific
expedition sent last spring under the joint au
spices of the National Geographical Society and
the United States Geological survey for the pur
pose of exploring the region about Mount ST
Elias Alaska, has returned. Mr.. Russell, who
organized the expedition and had charge of the
work has furnished the Associated Press with a
picturesque skeIcn OF the work OF his party.
The sctual base of operation, at the head oi
Yukatat Bay, was reached June 2Sth, and a
study of the geo ogy and geography of the re-
gion begun at once They found an island near
the head OF the bay which they named Grand
View Island From its summit which rises
boldly loo feet above the water, magniti-
cent view was obtained of the vast stretch OF
snoW-clad mountains, from which glaciers of q
great magnitude descended TO the sea, and
ended in cliffs several hundred feet high.
From there the icebergs crowding the bay
were derived. One of these glaciers we named
after Dalton, the pioneer exp orer OF the region;
another of larger size at the head OF the bay
was named in honor of Gardner Hubbard, Presi-
dent of The National Geographical Society. A
magnificent mountain peak rising some 10 ,0G0
feet immediately above the Hubbard glacier re-
ceived the same name. Another towering peak
shape and always of the purest white, was
named Mount Seattle.
AS soon as the topographic work was well
under way a line of march toward Mount st.
Elias was decided upon, All OF cur ratlons;
be dding, tents etc. had to be carried or packed
by men, the character of the country not allow.
ing the use of animals. We found passes in the
mountains leading in the direction we wished
to travel and no insCrmountable difficulties
were in the way, although great patience and
Judgment were required in threading the net
work of crevasses in the ice fields. P.obabiy
more than nine tenths of our journey was across
glaciers and snow-helds.
on the 1stpf August we were midway he
tween Yukatat Bay and st. Elias, but still at
the base of the mountains. The timber line is
there about 500 feet high, and all the trees dis.
,lzr ftan oct Cln and Nf
rock, sur ounded by huge glaciers but clothed
with beautiful flowers, rank ferns and dense
spruce trees, furnished a delightful spot for
our base camp. We named this lovely oasis in
the desert of ice, Blossom Island" From there
our work III the high mountains began.
After twenty days of hard w'rk above the
snow line, we found ourselves at the base of
st. Elias The weather had been clear Tor ten
days and we had every prospect of a coed day S
Climb on the morrow. Rising at in the morn
ing we began at what we believed TO be the
final ascent, but after few hours storm clouds
settled down around us. The snow began to
fall and all land marks were lost to view. The
storm continued for thirty hours without cessa-
ton and it was with difficulty that we found
our way through the binding snow to the camp,
where necessary rations were to be had
Several attempts were made to reach the sum
nit two days later but another storm broke
over the mountains as suddenly as the first.
This time l was alone in the highest camp,
where l was imprisoned for six days before
able to rejoin the party below. When started
down there was SIX feet feet OF SLOW which re-
fused to harden and rendered it impossible to
do more work among the peaks On descend
ing to the lower level, ! started an excursion
up the glacier, between the ST. Elias range and
Mt. Cook which gave promise OF leading to a
low pass ACROSS the main ridge, but a third
snOw-stOrm coming up, was Obliged 10 re-
turn to Blossom Island, and was there reloined
by Mr.. Kerr, the topographer, who had de-
scended few days p evlous.
My stay above the snow line lasted thirty
five days. During that time we lived in tents,
many times camping on the open glacier, so as
to be out of reach of avalanches.
After returning to Blossom Island an excur-
sion was made lar out on the great Piedmont
glacier, which forms plateau about 800 feet
high, stretching along the southern base OF the
st. Elias range. This glacier is of a continental
type, in distinction from the Alpine glaciers,
and has an area, by estimate, of about l 900
square miles 1t is the largest glacier known
in the northern hemisphere, with the exception
of the ice fields of Greenland.
We returned to Yukatat Bay about the Goth
of September, having had stormy weather al
most all the time, and on the I'D our hear
were gladdened by seeing the steamer Corwin
coming up the bay, Captain Hooper having
made cruise from Sitka especially for our re-
lief, and conveyed the expedition to Port
Townsend.
From a point of view of a scientist, if not of
an Alpinist, the expedition was success. The
plan proposed in starting was carried out al
most TO lettsr. SO far as study of the glaciers
geology and topography was concerned, but we
did not reach the top of Mount st. Elias. Meas
urements made have determined that all the
mountains in this region are lower than pre-
viously supposed. and that ST. Elias, instead OF
being the highest point in North America, is in
reality second-rate mountain. Its elevation,
instead of being 1880 feet, as previously con-
sidered, is about 1880. Mount Cook has an
elevation of 10, $50 feet and Vancouver 400.