The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-11-05

Two symbols Of unfading bliss
Upon my finger glows ring,
Upon my lips-a kiss
AMONG ALASKA'S SNOWY PEAKS.
Experiences and Discoveries of the Rus
sci Expedition-A Panorama of Ice New
er Seen by Man Before
Professor Israel c. Russell, as announc-
ed in the Telegraph last evening. has
returned safely from a tour of eXplora
ton around St. Elias The party left
Seattle May Both by the revenue cutter
Bear, to begin the third seasons eXplor>
alton under the auspices of the National
Geographical Society and the United
States theological Survey. Prof Russeil
took with him ]. III. Crumback, Thomas
G, Stamv. Thomas White. Neal McCarty
and Will G. Moor, of the State of WASH
ington, men who had done considerable
exploring in Olympia; and Frank g.
Warner of Hartford, Conn. The first
four had accompanied him on previous
expeditions They reached ley Bay.
and when they attempted landing June
9Th, the waves were SO high that one
boat was swamped, and Moore, and
Lieutenant Robinson and four members
OF the Bears crew were drowned. With
the exception of this mishap, all has
gone well, and every one has bad good
health. Some of the provisions ana ins
struments went down with the Inflated
boat, but most OF them were washed
ashore later. The surf was SO high that
it took three days to make q landing
Having reached shore, they started
for the northern side of Mount ST. Elias
One days marching brought them to
the snow line. For two months follow
ing they spent their time in the snow
and ice, and for at least thirty nights
they slept in the snow. The rest of the
time they found beds on rocks of glacial
moraines. Their clothing was woolen
and they were often drenched to the
skin and slept without change of gar
ments. Yet, in spite of all that, they
never caught cold. Their food was ear
ried by men in fifty pound cases, and an
oil stove was used above the line of veg
citation
The first six weeks were spent crossing
glaciers on the mountain northern side,
which offers the only possible route for
ascent. Their highest camp was pitched
5000 feet above sea level, and there they
waited twelve days, hoping for an OBJ
portunity to reach the summit. They
made several attempts, but each time
were driven back by the snow On one
occasion they reached a point IA 800 feet
above sea level, but after twenty hours
of incessant climbing they had to take
refuge again in camp, utterly exhausted
AT one time q storm came down when
Professor Russell was alone on the high
est point, and for four days he was cut
of from the rest of the party.
From this point grand view to the
north was obtained, over q country ups
on which human eye had never rested
Ehey could see a sweep 800 miles from
Mount Falrweather 100 miles southeast
to point 100 miles northeast. The belt
in sight was about forty or fifty miles
wide. ut is a scene of utter desoiation, y
said Professor Russell, "a stretch of snow
fields, glaciers, and ice, broken only by
ice-capped peaks. The general altitude
OF the snow fields is some eight feet
above sea level, and the mountains
which are innumerable, break through
to an altitude of 10000, $4,000. and even
$4,000 feet. One of them, a singular ia
BILE topped peak, fifty miles TO the north
is named Bear Mountain, in honor OF
the Government cutter which took us to
Icy Bay.''
Professor Russell named several other
peaks. but has not yet been able definite
ly to locate them on the map. He made
surveys to ascertain the height of Mount
at Icy Bay he took angles to all the
peaks in sight, and he placed the height
of st. Elias at between $4,000 and $4,000
feet. He has not yet reduced his calcu-
latIonS SO as to give exact figures.
Considerable time was given to study
OF the glaciers, one of the main objects
of the trip. Many observations were
taken Of the great Matas>Pina glacier,
which covers 1000 square miles south
east OF st. Elias, between ley Bay and
Yakutat Bay. The Elias glaciers are
much larger than any in Switzerland,
indeed, this one alone is larger than all
the Alpine glaciers put together. The
latter flow down through the gorges till
they reach the snow line, where they
melt. Some of the Elias glaciers sepa-
rate into smaller ones, but the great
Matas Pima is made up by the conin-
ence of four big glaciers and thousands
of small ones. They flow into it as water
into lake. These glacial streams unite
IN vast plain of ice, as hard, firm, and
clear as ever found in a glacier.
Matas-PIna melts on the plain, part
breaking into the ocean The thickness
of the ice is estimated at from 800 to
1900 feet The belt along the edge
from five to eight miles in width is COW
cred with mOraine of broken and de-
composed rocks and soil ground out by
glacial action. The other three or four
miles is overgrown with dense yegeta-
ton, in which are found trees three feet
in diameter. Though the soil is not
more than two or three feet thick, there
is plenty of moisture to furnish plant
life of all kinds
The surface Of the glacier is about
1900 feet above sea level The rocks
were not sufficiently exposed to allow of
much study, but nevertheless Professor
Russell made a number of interesting
observations. The party went inland
thirty or forty miles, and returned by
the same route. When they reached
Icy Bay again they marched east 100
miles, along shore, to Disenchantment
Bay. This they explored and found to
run thirty miles further than it is laid
down on the MAPS After stretchin in
land it turns, and it's head is very near
the ocean.
The Government steamer Pinta took
them to Sitka. where they took the City
of Topeka for Seattle. Professor Russell
says the region is full of interest for sci
entists, and work will undoubtedly be
continued there. He does not know
whether he will go again. He will res
main in the city for a week or two and
then start for Washington.
A Woman's Awful Leap.
The mauu1ad romans of a vnupo uo,,,