The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-08
ETRANGE ALASKA
Experiences Of ProE nsssell, Just Dssl
fron A ExplorinE Expediti0a.

Experiences OF ErOE Aosoeus JuDt Doek
from A Exploring Expeditioa.
WARRINGTON. Nov. 7.-strawberrtes and NOS
quitoes seem to be equally plentiful In the
neighborhood Of Mount st. Elias. according to
the testimony OF Mr. Israel @ Russell who
has lust returned to washington nom that
region Of eternal Ice and snow In Alaska.
where the highest peak In North America rises
to an altitude Of 10000 feet from glacier
1000 square miles In area and - big - al
those Of tho Alps put together.
Along the edge Of the glacier. al the way
from 10y Bay to Yakutat Bay. there extends .
strip Of green coast which IL covered with lux
urisnt vegetation Strawberry vines cover the
ground for miles. and the verdant fields are
Redeemed a. far as the eye can reach with lus.
cious fruit. which compares favorably In point
Of size and flavor with the finest grown In tenn
perate latitudes. There are huckleberr1es. too.
and salmon berries" which arc something
between blackberries and raspberries. but Of
giant size. measuring nearly two inches In d..
ameter. All the lowlands are osrpeted with
violets. buttercupR yellow monkey flowers.
and other wild blossoms. Here and there. In
the midst Of the vast Toe fields. are the lowell
est gardens watered by the melting snow.
There are plenty Of grizzly bears in the VI.
cinity of Mount St Elias. but Mr.. Russell did
not find them very dangerous He says that
his encounters with them reminded him Of
killing pigs. OF brown and black bears he
saw and shot great many. The expedition
met with enough perils. however. to satisfy
the most adventurous geographical explorera
Nearly all OF the climbing had to be done up
steep walls Of ice and snow BY outing steps.
At almost any time Q slip would have pre-
cipitated the party down the frozen
precipices thousands OF feet On one
occasion they were descending whom they
found that an avalanche had carried away the
steps which they had made In going up. The
impromptu staircase was destroyed for 800
feet, and they had to lower man by rope to
chop out another. there being no other way Of
getting down. Such accidents IS this were
not uncommon. Avslanchss were continually
falling. rushing down tho slopes with tho
speed of railway trains and with roar like
thunder that could be heard twenty miles away.
One night about IL o'clock tho party was
passing over bad place In the Aeassis glacier.
Two men were In the lead. drawing sled.
Suddenly they disappeared from sight. having
fallen into assure in the lie Luckily they be-.
hauled out with ropes, The next day. in The
look behind him and saw that the lee held
%s sss b s ss SssS nts
srsyasss. any, was only saved By ths paaslI
nj thos had ya avnt Tor ! him. '' i'A'n 'u
Ths AgassS glacier 4 ons s, Of the t9pr great
Ing their streams r. Ice continually Into this
from ssA 2o66 est thiek
MT Tsry ~ OF it, tnt szs ply
one now in existence OF the same type as tho
ss$ss Ts" rs sth g ipSn.Isasph sSa
Where ths land ID that region is bare Q, zoe
aH and the Arctic gsi a6
impassabie to tho explorer. Ons Of the chief
ostfces sneoantsFsed IN thEssding them e
grows to . height 81 10 Or Is feet. its, stems
s@aIing along tho ground tGr some aistsnfs
osnds and srsf6lYs "a tHs Gssh cause
glacial river Which comes out from mann noun ~
s @s IN a.i pam View NJ Ind Ssn 4
streaa smerges ilnaliy Is antnown." 10 OK OK.
tie tans and Gt fhrossh ster tie fas stsn
Of Allan Quqtermnin and Umslopogaas. ,Yhe
k b 10 a Sa TS u The
tunnel there are always confused noises and
rsyhc yHIs.0H to be 4 r. from hs dssE
Hons like doep organ notes. and II requires but
little imIa az 70 transform these strange
posed chat Mount ST. Elias was s Volcano eG aud
seq CAPTIONS sailing on the Pacific have often
from its summi3 but this Is nissafs and
svssashs dust BOW Upward II liz wv Wind