The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-21
BACK FROM RAINIER.
Two of the Party of Mountain
Climbers Return.
OTHERS cAMPEo ON The CRATER
story Of the Ascent OF the Giant Cone
by the Ingraham Party-ssill One
Maiden Peak.

Everett Smith and c. c. Maring. two of
the party Of sixteen Seattle people who
started 10 climb Mount Rainier, returned
home last evening. These two gentlemen
did not succeed in reaching the summit,
but the rest of the party, when last seen,
were climbing upward and passed from
view at Crater peak, the summit Of the
mountain. Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Maring
are very much sunburned as result oil
their weeks outing. but they report nay-
ing a splendid time aud left the rest OF the
party vel and enthusiastic. In speaking
Of his trip last evening, Mr.. Smith said:
Last Saturday evening Leo Daft, Ira
Bronson, Roger Greene. jr., and myself
left Seattle 20 join the rest of the party.
who we're 81 the Camp of the Clouds. We
went from here 10 Tacoma, and Sunday
morning left By steam motor cars for Lake
Park From the latter place we went 10
Longmire's springs by stage. distance oil
fifty miles. We reached the springs sun
day evening At 1 O'Clock and started on
foot Tor Camp of the Clouds. distance OF
seven miles, reaching there al O'Clock
the same evening. The rest Of the narty,
composed of Maj. +. ;. Ingraham, IL. Z.
Holmes, George L. Wright, W. III. Wright,
X. W. Hawkins, w. +. Strickland. y. A.
Carrie, l.. NJ. Lesley. Miss Helen Holmes,
Miss Hanna Hall aud Miss Bernice Parke,
was already there.
''On Monday We all rested in order to be
refreshed for the ascent on Tuesday. Tues
| day morning at 80 O'Clock We started out
| with our blankets and a supply OF light
| provisions. About 10 O'Clock we halted at
| Camp MAR at an altitude of 1880 feet,
and at O'Clock that afternoon we sent OH
one carrier pigeon. The message was
| wired to his tail. When set free the bird
| did not leave directly, but perched on
| rock pluming himself and finttering his
/ wings He had been kept for three days
| in a small box and evidently was bruised
| somewhat from knocking about. 1t was
/ fully an hour before he concluded TO start
/ and then he spread his wings and scared
| away. It is said that a pigeon ought to
/ be able to cover the distance in forty five
/ minutes. / see that the bird must have
! arrived the same evening. for the follow
| ing morning he was found IN the loft and
| the message was taken off his tail. This
| was the message which was published In
| Fridays PosT-IsTELLI6EScER.
| AT 4 O'Clock We went on to what is
| called the Camp of the Stars, an altitude
| of 1900 feet. 1t took us nearly two hours
10 climb the additional 1000 feet. The
| path is very steep, and the rocEs and snow
| make climbing difficult. We slept a. the
Camp OF the Stars that night. This point
| is away above the timber line, and We had
| decidedly cool night of il. Next morn
| ng-Wednesday-at 8 o'clock We put calks
| in our shoes and started upward for Gil
braltar, from which place the final ascent
| was 20 be made The passing OF Gibraltar,
which IS 400 feet above Camp Of the Stars.
| is attended with much danger. There is
much ice. and the falling rocks. which fire.
quently come from above make this point
the most dangerous of all for the
mountain-climber. Maring and myself
followed the party as Tar as
1 knf danftnaI IN No
farther | was cold and my experience the
night before at the Camp of the Stars I'M
fitted me for further climbing. We waited
and saw the rest of the party pass upward
with the aid of ropes toward the summit.
| Myself and Maring. concluding the ex-
pertinent was attended witt too much
risk, returned to the Camp OF the Clouds
from which point, with the aid of glasses,
We watched the others make the ascent.
The first of the party reached the crater at
| l o'clock in the afternoon and the last of
| them disappeared in the crater at o. clock
| We waited until o'clock about the camp
aud then, satisfied that the party would
spend the night on the summit, returned
| 10 Longmires springs. We stayed there
that night ana the next day. Thursday.
started for home. reaching here at 4
O'Clock this afternoon.
After the first pigeon was liberated,
Maj. Ingraham still had two left, a male
ana its mate. We could not ascertain
whether they were released or not, al
though il was the intention TO Iiberate
them from the summit. There was some
doubt, however whether il were possible
for a pigeon TO sustain itself in the air at
so great a height. The air at such an
altitude, nearly 1890 feet, is very light
and birds don't rise that high. Pigeons
especially usually soar low"
Mr. Smith says that the party in all
probability spent very pleasant night on
the mountain. II they camped on Crater
Peak, and they must have. the steam con-
stantly issuing from the crater would keep
them warm. On the summit there are
three distinct peaks-Crater peak, Success
peak, and Liberty cap. Success peak is a
crater, but IL is extinct Liberty cap is
not crater but distinct peak Both
Crater and Success peaks have been sur
mounted bat no one has ever been on ton
of Liberty cap. 1t was the intention Of
the mountain climbers TO make their
headquarters In Paradise Valley, but there
they found zen feet OF snow aud so they
bivouacked at Camp OF the Clouds The
snow in Paradise Valley is melting rapidly
aud in three weeks the snow will be gone
and tue valley will be covered With grass
and flowers.
TACOMA, July 2o.-lSpecial. l-Signaling
by Greek ire here and answered by wood
ires on Mount Rainier by the mountain
climbers was successfully carried on to-