Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-27
BACK FROM MOUNT sr. xI1As.
'oI Russell Returned 60 wsshi.gsss IRE.
the Land Of GlscierN

'o- h"sseii Returned 60 Weaknesses Truo
the Land Of GlsciersL
frof Israel c. Russell has rot bach 20 Ws.h-
inston from regions Of eternal ice and snow.
ms trip TO Alaska has established finally ana
inoontesnbly the claims Of Mt ST. Eiias 20 b
vac highest peak in North America There ere
'ai'er mountains In the world, Of course TLs
one measures somewhere between IL ono ana
iSo" ieet or pretty nearly four miles Of siti-
tnae. But there are peaks OF the Ande, Am
south America which rise TO 1900 feet ~hiis
the himalAyas tower aloft 20 the beirht of
zs'ooo feet at their maximum elevation. How
ever, Mornt 81 Elias is the biggest hill her,-
about as cannot in future be disputed.
A STAR reporter found Prof Russell Al h,s
mouse on Riggs place last evening looking she
picture OF health. Months Of erpcsure smers
The glaciers. wading icy streams and camping
IN the snow had produced no had esere
upon his iron constitution. Often he
and the members of his party,
OF ice and fordinH one river OF ice wster sfses
another, were drenehed 90 the skin for DAYS to-
gether. Most OF the streams we're very rupid
and biilowy. 50 that the little expedition was
frequently Obliged 20 make it's way across them
IN body with joined alpenstocks. Sometimes
they were compelled 10 swim.
DISASTER AT THr START.
The expedition started out with disaster.
which was sufficiently appalling TO have discon-
eerted any but the most determined Of geogra-
Pliers Upon reaching Icy bay and attempting
70 4and. van G Moore. one OF the party, to-
sether with Lieut. Robinson OF the Bear
ana four Of the Bears crew, Mas
drowned by the swapping OF a boat
~ tne hAgh sea that wac running. 80 tire
hnnlly effect a landing. Some 81 the pro-
visions and instruments we're lost with the
boat, although most of them were washed
ashore and recovered.
THE ICY rIarS.
Along the coast Prof. Russell said. Ia green
country, covered with a profuse vegetation.
but days march inland brings the adventure
GUS traveller TO the snow line There COM
Inehces the vast ICY plain formed by eternal
i i've OF Ice Moving southwark from the mount
ans al the north. For two months the
expectation Journeyed through that frozen
realm, carrying cornmeal and bacon for
1000 and oil TO cheer with lchts
the arctic nights Two o'clock in the morning
was the time usually chosen for starting 10
chmo the mountain, because then Il was cold
est and the avalanches were not 80 Frequently
iaiiing. ioosened by the melting rays Of the SUM-
or SIX weeks the party Travelled over the
glaciers ON the north side of Mount St Elins,
ton because it's heights are not accessible from
any other side.
DANGEROUS CLIMBING.
Even thus the climbing had ali 70 be done nm
steep activities and even precipices of snow
and Ice, by cutting steps for each foothold.
Al any time slip would have meant death.
Ihe highest camp was pitched at 8, 900 feet above
sea level, and from that point the professor and
MS men made tremendous effort TO reach
the summit. After twenty hours OF climbing
they got up 20 a. $40 feet. but snow finally
drove them back and they were compelled to
abandon further attempts The great obstacle
TO climbing was always the snow. which fell
almost necessarily, rendering progress i'm
practicable. At one time a snow storm came
on when Prof. Russell WAS alone at the highest
point, and for four entire days he was cut on
from has companions.
SUPERB VIEWS.
From this point the view was superb, the
professor says, covering landscape which. for
hundreds Of miles in every direction, In one
vas. dHcoiation Of snow fields, glaciers and ice.
broken only by innumerable ice-capped peaks
uPlifted TO heights of two and even three miles.
Although the top of Mount ST. Elias was
not reached, angles were taken which
will determine its altitude with accurac,
when the necessary computations have been
made. The great Malaspina glacier, to the
south OF Mount ST. Elfss, covers loo square
miles and is larger than all the Alpine glaciers
put together Ii is made by the confluence OF
four big glaciers and thousands Of little ones.
which flow into the mighty ice plain a.
water does into lake. The ice of the
glacier is from 500 TO 1000 feet thick
Prof. Russell says that the most curious and
surprising thing that he saw in the region de-
scribed was the reflection of himself in his
climbing clothes, mirrored in pools of glacial
icewater. Mrs. Russell does not entertain q
favorable opinion OF Mount St. Elias aud the
glaciers.