The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-17
BACK FROM RAINIER.
Mountain Climbers Back From
the Icy Summit.
WINTER ERUPTION EXPLAINED
Snow Can Much Lower Than Usual
Its Gave-in Probably Caused
Explosion of steam.

Mai z 6 Tngraham. the veteran noun
tain-cIimber accompanied by II. E.
Holmes Van Smith and Roy Backus. the
remainder OF the party OF nine who went
TO the summit OF Mount Rainier July n.
returned 20 the city by the O'Clock Flyer
last evening. having left Camp OF the
Clouds Sunday afternoon Al 5 O'Clock.
Mai. Ingraham looks rugged and will be
ready 20 start on his return next Monday
In reference to the trip, Maj. Ingraham
said:
During the ascent July 10 we followed
the tran by Gibraltar, and every time l
stopped 10 rest / turned my eyes toward
Adams and looked for photographic flashes.
At 1:33. on reaching the summit. took
the glasses and for half an hour watched
the distant peak. Then l got the heiio-
graph and kept the fash trained on the
mountain top for fully an hour. All this
time the peak was clearly visible. but
there was no response. II may have been
that while we were climbing the mountain
side the flashes from Adams were not
trained upon u.s. and that they were not
sent TO the summit after we reached it.
We found the ascent somewhat harder
than usual. on account Of the ice. On
Thursday morning we climbed the north
peak and at the highest point found I'M
der a little pyramid of stones the copper
plate referred 10 in Mondays Pcst-Tntelli-
gencer. 1t contained the inscription
George r. Bagley and p. Il. Van Trump,
August q. 1892 On a slip of paper in
closed in q pocket comb care was this
writing: w. Riley. NJ. D.; f. Lowe and
+. p. Taggart, July so 1892 To the above
lists We're added the names of our party,
as follows: II. r. Holmes. Van Smith,
Roy Backus r. ". Hawkins Frank Fred
erick, -. s. Ingraham.
I'VE were in the crater from Wednesday
noon until Friday morning. and during
that time made a thorough examination.
The snow this year. as has already been
stated. is fully 100 feet lower than on any
previous visit. The change was very no
ticeable. and was at once remarked by
Holmes and Hawkins, who were with me
last year. / am inclined TO account for the
supposed disturbances OF last winter on
the theory that the pillars of ice holding
up the snow suddenly gave way, and that
the vast weight thereupon fell upon the
bed OF the crater. Such an occurrence
might not only have caused the depres-
sion In the summit noticeable from this
city. but IL would also have closed tenn
porarily the steam vents. In that respect
The vast load of snow and ice may be COM
pared to coal mine, in which nothing
has been left but the supporting pillars.
When these have been removed Of course
the entire roof falls in. The excess of
capes, would fall In a cloud down the
mountain side. Steam caves radiate from
the center of the crater like the spokes Of
a wheel and the entire mass of ice and
snow is perforated by the escaping steam
like a honeycomb.
MY intention now is to leave for the
mountain next Monday. Ny party will be
composed of Mrs. Ingraham and our two
boys. Miss Howard and Prof. Waller, Of
the agricultural college There may be
number of others, increasing the party
perhaps 10 fifteen. In few days we will
be followed by Prof. Piper"
On the way from the mountain Maj. In
graham met three parties going up. two
of them from Tacoma and one from Olym-
pia. Walter j. Thompson, Mrs Thompson
and Prof. Fiett. with three Of his botany
class from the Tacoma high school. .se at
present on the mountain. Last year 200
people were registered at Longmire's, and
this year IL is expected there will be 1000.
The visit just completed is Mai. Tngra-
hams eighth trip, and his fourth into the
crater. The crater he reports as elliptical
in form, with major and minor axes re-
spectively 1900 and !, 200 feet.