, 1892-08-15
ON THE NORTH PEAK
The Great Mountain is More Than
I4444 Feet High.

from Mount Rainier-Tacoma succeeded in
reaching a point on which no human be-
ing has ever before stood, and in satisfy
ing themselves that the mountain is high
er above the sea level than the 14,444 feet
allotted to it.
The doctor and his companion left Olym-
pia on July 10, driving to Ealonville, 25
miles east of Yelm, where the Tacoma and
Yelm roads intersect. From Olympia to
the mountain the distance is 70 miles in a
straight line and before reaching the base
the traveller passes over two small ranges,
the Ohop and the Meshel mountains.
These ranges have become of great i'm
pOrtance recently owing to the discovery
of gold and silver mines on the Big and
Little Meshel rivers and futher on in
Round Top valley, just east of the Nesqual-
ly, are located the still more important
mines Of Silver creek and Gold hill.
Dr. Rileys trip, which is his second one,
was for the purpose of exploring the north
peak, believing that if there was any min
eral on the mountain at all, it was at that
point. His outfit consisted of four horses.
the doctor and George Jones each using
one to ride and the other to pack. 1t was
contemplated that the journey would cover
four weeks, but provisions enough for five
weeks were taken. The travellers wore
leather coats, heavily cOrked boots thick
woollen underwear and strong, thick gloves.
In addition, they carried an alpine staff
seven feet long furnished with sharp steel
point, an ordinary hatchet and a rope.
The latter was used in
CROSSING CANoNs.
1t being often necessary to lasso a rock
on the opposite side, drop down, and draw
ones self up and across. The long leather
coats rendered particularly good service.
not only as protector, but in descending
over broad fields of ice. The tail of the
coat was drawn through the legs and served
as a seat, or a sort of toboggan, which en-
abled the men to slide with comparative
comfort.
Travel to the mountain has been greatly
facilitated by the building during the past
year, of county road from EatOnVille
nine miles east to Elba post office, on the
Nesqually river. This lessons the distance
to Longmire's springs at the head of the
Nesqually to 20 miles, and the distance to
the western slope, to about % miles, Along
the road to the springs which are about
3OOOfeet above the sea level, all conVeniences
for travel, may be found.
The springs are located on the south
forks of the Nesqually, and the Indian
Henry trail, goes up the north, or Rainier
fork. The latter trail extends along tbe
Nesqually for a distance of miles. and
from there the real mountain climbing
commences. 1t Is very steep and some
times a horse has all he can do to get up.
AT the base of the mountain proper is
the most delightful place on earth for
camping purposes and has been named
The Meadows" from the beauty and
richness ofits flowers. Coming out on the
western slope, which is most travelled, YOU
ind ftrll llvrin rf,Fk1 /, /,
ly glaciers and one of the Puyallup glaciers
The glaciers here extend out and around
for distance of a mile into the woods
placing you in the center of an
IMMENSE ICE FIELD,
and across these glaciers is the only prac-
tical route to the north side of the mount
ain, which brings in view the other two
Puyallup glaciers and the Carbon glacier
This north side seems to be the natural
home of the mountain goat, and he NAV
be seen in large herds. In the early morn
ing he generally wanders to the top of the
snowy peaks to escape the pest of horse
flies and gnats, which abound on the gla-
ciers in such numbers as to make life al
most unbearable to man and beast. In the
cool OF the evening he again makes his
way down to the meadows and foothills to
enjoy the green grass and verdure.
DR.. RileY's route was by the great south
Puyallup glacier, the same one he fol-
lowed last year, and in crossing it. fell in
with Frank Taggart and Frank Lowe of
Orting, whom he urged to accompany him.
They consented, and the party COM
menced the perilous climb to the hitherto
unexplored north peak. Their prospect
i've point for the first days journey was a
camp established last year, IL 600 feet
above the sea level. They failed to reach
it, however, until after dark, owing to the
fall of an immense ledge of rock on which
DIR Rilau stood nd vub u.
COST HIM HIS LIFE.
While crossing a moraine, several hun
dred tons of rock gave way and tumbled
over. DR., Riley was the only one on it at
the time, and fortunately he escaped with
only severe bruises after going down with
it a distance OF sixty feet.
The party started on the tramp again at
O'Clock the following morning and at
sundown entered the Little Crater on the
southeast peak, all too much exhausted to
pay any attention to the preparation of a
meal. A hole was dug in the hot sand
around which a wind-break of rocks was
constructed, and the tired travellers slum-
bered on the highest peak of the mount
ain.
They found it impossible to remain in
the crater for any length of time, owing to
the steam which whistled up from the
crevices in the rocks. This steam is yerv
disagreeable and nauseating, being impreg-
mated with sulphurated hydrogen. So in
tense was the heat in these creYices, that a
pot full of ice melted and reached the boil.
ing point in twenty minutes.
In 1882, 2. ID. Van Trump, the first ex-
plorer, placed in this crater a plate of sheet
lead containing the names of his partv
This was found, but the action of the sui
phuric acid, as generated by the steam, had
so eaten away the surface of the plate that
the names were scarcely legibe
Owing to the ightness of the atmOs-
phere in the crater, physical changes to
man are very great, and the slightest effort
will raise the heart action from 75 to 40.
In perfectly quiet state, no great incon-
Yenience was suffered.
The small crater is situated at the high
est portion of the mountain, and has
diameter Of $50 feet, depth Of 70 feet, and
resembles an immense pot. The greater
crater is about 300 feet below, and faces
the south and east. Ii is 100 feet across.
100 feet deep, and is always filled with
snow Unlike the small crater it contains
no steam jets.
Again at in the morning, the party con-
tinued the journey to the north peak
which is one and seven-eighth miles dis
tance across a valley 100 feet deep. 1t re-
quired three and One-half hours continu-
GUS walking over smooth field of snow.
with a crust thick enough to readily bear
the weight of man. The most unfaVOr-
able encounter was
THE FIERCE WIND
which blew at the rate of 121 miles an hour
with the thermometer at o. The TOP of the
north peak was covered with snow 70 feet
deep, and the party passed around 1t and
over the top. The western face ofthe peak
is ledge of stone, dropping down perpen-
dicularly for distance of 2200 feet. Here
DR.. Riley found the most interesting and
peculiar rock formation. 1t differs in
character and quality from any other
point on the mountain, and is partially
chlorides and sulphates, which leads a
person to believe that gold and silver
might be found in its immediate neighbor-
hood.
This peak, he thinks, is an extinct crater
which has been split directly in two, leav-