The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-27
LOFTY MOUNT LOGAN.

was assumed that a splendid mountain
living near the sea, where the one hun
dred and forty-first meridian cuts the
southern coast of Alaska. was the
highest on the continent OF North
America. The first civilized man 70
see this was Vitus herring. after whom
she great sea recently involved in in
ternational controversy was named.
Bering first saw il on July 20, i7ii.
and as st. Elias was the patron saint
of that day the mountain received his
name. It's summit is thirty or forty
miles from the sea and at its foot is the
famous Malispina glacier, the greatest
of its species in all the world
Mount st. Elias stanls nearly upon
the l4ist meridian of longitude west Of
Greenwich, which meridian forms the
boundary between the great British
Alaskan peninsula and the British pos
sessions In the execution of u survey
for the determination Of this boundary
line it became desirable. therefore. TO
determine the location of this meridian
at its southern extremity. ard this in
cluded an accurate determination of
the geographical position OF the sum
nit of Mount St. Elias. Accordingly
the United States coast and geodetic
survey in 1892 sent party. under the
direction of j. T. McGrath to the foot
of the mountain for this work An ex-
tcnsive series Of observations was ear
ried ont. including numerous measure
ments of the angular elevation OF the
mountain as observed from various
points. The distance of the summit
from these points of observation was
determined with an accuracy far ex-
ceeding any previous work and the al
titude of the summit was determined
with precision that leaves nothing to
be desired. The mean Of results OBJ
tanned from five or six Independent
stations was ls,0i0 feet. and no single
result differs from this by more than
ten feet 4 variation in height in diff
fereut seasons fully as great as this
might occur through the varying depth
of the snow which rests perpetualiy
upon the greater part of the mountain.
The announcement of this definite
value for the height Of Monnt ST. Elias
made IL necessary TO revise conclusions
which had long been accepted as TO its
position among the greet mountains Of
North America. II happened that just
at that time-ls9l-' new deter
nination Of the altitude Of a famous
mountain in Mexico was undertaken
By DR.. J. T. Scovell. and was 50 sue
eessfully carried out that the height OF
this mountain C1i1ah1 became known
with degree or tourney exceeding
anv previous determination. Dr.. SEQ
Wells measurement gave for the height
Of Orizaba 1880 feet. thus putting it
nearly 300 feet above Mount St Elias.
Only for brief year or two, how
ever, was Crizaba destined thus O. out
rank its fellows Of the far north. for
in one Of the companions of St Elias
mountain has been discovered which.
in altitude, 80 far exceeds either of the
two recent disputants as TO leave little
probability that the glory OF the first
place win ever again 20 20 the south.
The story IS briefly this. says the
Chicago News: While Mr. McGrath's
party was at Yakutat bay and else
where in the neighborhood of Mount
st. Elias. in addition to taking hori-
zontal and verdical angles on that
peak, all other prominent peaks in
that vicinity were observed upon. thus
accommodating material for the ealcula-
ton Of their heights and distances.
| Among these was group of three
SUBMITS, possibly belonging to the
same mountain, which had been seen
! by most explorers IN that quarter, and
the great height of which had cspeci-
1 ally attracted the attention of Russell
| Concerning it he said: The clouds
parting toward the northeast revealed
several giant peaks not before seen.
some Of which seem to rival l.. i-c..r,.t
St Elias itself. One stranger, rising
in three white domcs far above the
clouds, was especially magnificent"
In honor Of the founder of the geo
logical survey of Canada Russell
named this Mount Logan. Tor some
months Mr.. McGrath has been en-
! gagged in she reduction Of all obscrva-
tions made by his party in the St
| Elias region On computing the dis
tance and height of Mount Logan his
| astonishment was grea; to end that the
/ altitude of the mountains was 1880
| feet. At first he was inclined to at
tribute the result to erroneous compu-
tation, but careful revision disproved
this theory. Fortunately there were
two entirely independent stations
from which this mountain had been
| observed. the distances and vertical
angles being quite different. The re
sulting heights from these two widely
| separated stations differ by less than
| twenty feet, being l9,49T feet and TO-
5I4 feet respectively. An observation
was also made on another Of the three
| peaks somewhat lower than the first
| giving for its height lo.3j5 feet Il
| thus appears that there can be little
! doubt that Mount Logan is $50 feet
/ higher than Mount St Elias. The fact
! that it is about twelve miles nearer the
| points from which they are usually OF
served has enabled the latter 70 main
tain superiority. which was only ap
/ parent for so many years Mount
Logan Is about / 200 feet higher t'ian
/ Orizaba. and. whatever discoveries
may be made in the future. il seems
likely that the credit of possessing the
highest peak on the continent mast
henceforth remain with the far north