The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-21
ON FROZEN HEIGHTS.
Return of the Russell Party
From Mount st. Elias.
STUDYING THE GLACIERS.
Two Months Spent Above the Snow
Line-The Great Malaspina
Lake of Ice.


from his trip o. exploration around Mount 81.
Elias and is now AZ the Rainier hotel The
party left here May % by the revenue cutter
Bear 20 begin the third season of exploration
under the auspices of the National Geographic
Society and the United States geological survey.
Professor Russell took with him J. Fl. Crum-
back, Thomas P. Stamy, Thomas White, Neil
McCarty and Will C. Moore, of this state-rnen
who had done considerable explor ng in the
Oiymplcs-aud Frank G. Warner, OF Hartford,
Conn. The first four had accom- panied him on
previous expeditions.
They reached ley bay and when they at
tempted q landing on June the waves were so
high that one boat was swEmped, and Moore,
together with 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 had good health. some
OF the provisions and the instruments went
down with the ill-fated boat, but most OF them
were washed ashore later.
The surf was so high that il took three days
TO make the landing Having reached the
shore they started for the northern side OF Mount
81. Elias. One days marching brought them TO
the snow line For the two months following
they spent all 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 in
the rocks OF the glacial moraines. Their cloth
ing was wooden and they were often drenchei to
the skin and slept without change of garments,
yet in spite OF al that they never caught cold.
Their food was carried by the men in fifty
pound cases, and an oil stove was used above
the line of vegetation.
The first six weeks were spent crossing the
glaciers to the mountains northern side, which
offers the only possible route for ascent. Their
highest camp wac pitched 5000 feet above the
sea level and there they waited twelve days
hoping for an opportunity to reach the summit
They made several attempts but each time they
were driven back by the snow On one occasion
they reached point i,50j feet above the sea
level, but after twenty hours of inces-
SAINT climbing they had to take
refuge again in their camp, utterly exhausted,
for at that altitude and temperature il is impos-
slble to endure as much as elsewhere. At one
time storm came down when Professor Rus
sell was alone in the high camp, and for several
days he was cut of from the rest of his party.
From this point a fine view TO the north was
obtained over country upon which the human
eye had never before rested. They could see a
sweep 800 miles long from Mount Fairweather
$50 miles southeast to d point 50 miles to the
northwest. The belt in sight about
forty OF fifty miles wide at is scene OF utter
desolation," said Professor Russell, ga stretch
OF snow fields, glaciers and ice, broken only by
sixteen capped peaks. The general altitude of
the snow fields is some 500 feet above level,
and the mountains, which are innumerable,
break through to an altitude OF 10000, 1000 or
even 5000 feet One OF them, singular, table
topped peak, fifty miles TO the north, named
Bear mountain, in honor OF the government
cutter which took US TO Icy bay"
Professor Russell named several other peaks,
but he has not yet been able definitely to locate
them on map. He made surveys to ascertain
the height OF Mount st. Elias. From a three
mile base line at Icy bay he took angles TO all
the peaks in sight and ne places the height of
81. Elias at between $1,000 and 1900 feet. He
hos NOT rradn h oil m cyiv
exact figures.
Considerable time was devoted to the study
OF glaeiers-one of the main objects OF the trip.
Many observations were taken of the great
Nalaspina glacier, which covers a thousand
square miles southeast of 81. Elias, between Icy
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
gorges till they reach the snow line, where they
melt. Some OF the Elias glaciers separate into
smaller ones; but the great Malaspina is made
up BY the confluence OF four big glaciers and
thousand small ones. They flow into it as
water does into lake. These glacial streams
unite into this vast plain OF ice as hard and firm
and clear as that ever found in glacier The
Malaspina melts in the plain, part OF 1t break
ing into the ocean. The thickness of the ice is
estimated at from 1,510 10 1000 feet
A belt along the edge from five to eight
broken and decomposed rock and soil ground
out by the glacial action. The outer three or
four miles is overgrown with dense vegetation,
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 10 nourish
plant life of all kinds. The surface of this
glacier is about / 500 feet above sea level
The rocks were not sufficiently exposed to
allow much study, but nevertheless Professor
Russell made number of interesting observa-
tlons.
The party went inland thirty or forty miles,
and returned by much the same route. When
they reached Icy bay again they marched east
$50 miles along the shore to Disenchantment
bay. This they explored and found to run
thirty miles further than it is laid down on the
maps. Alter stretching inland il turns, and the
head is very near the ocean.
The government steamer Pinta then took
them to Sltka, where they took the City of
Topeka for this city. Professor Russell says that
the region is full of interest for the scientist,
and work Will undoubtedly be continued there.
He does not know, however, whether ne will go
again. He will remain in the city for day or
two and then start for Washington City.
GXSVE,nx