The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-09
IS ORIGINAL IDIOCY
TOMORROW A NEW FORM OF CRANK
MESS WILL APPEAR
Attempt viii be Made to FIaAh Measags
by the Light of the sun from Nounsnia
Peak to Mountain Peak. Clear frea
Vancouver tn the Borders Of Aexseo-
People who Call Themscive. By . Lssan
Another--Detsils of the Plan and the
Men who viii Attempt It.

San Francisco. June S.-Next Monday
day after tomorrow. one Of the queer
est schemes ever proposed in this coun-
try will be attempted On that day
the organization Of mountain climb
ers known as "Mazamas." named af-
ter the mountain goat. will attempt
the feat OF sending a sunlight message
across the breadth Of this whole coun-
try. The organization Of this society
was effected a year ago at the sumit
OF Mount Hood. only those who climb
10 the very top Of the mountain were
eligible TO mebership.
Not satisfied with merely climbing
Lofty, lonesome ard snowcapped peaks.
eating annual dinners at astonishing
Naltitudes and then climbing down again
the enterprising fraternity OF Maxa-
mas proposes on the 10th day of this
month 10 perform a feat which shall
open the eyes Of scientists and savants
and demonstrate conclusively that
amateur mountaineering may be put to
an extremely valuable use In case OF
emergency. What the Mazamas pro-
poses 70 do is this: To send a message
or series Of messages all the way
from Vancouver or Ntcrorid TO the
Mexican border and back again with
cut the use OF the telegraph or tele-
phone. The agency by which they ex-
pet TO accomplish this remarkable
feat is a reliable one. viz: the sun.
The Mazamas propose. In short. on
June 10, to have members OF their socie-
ty stationed on the Hottest peaks OF
the great Rocky mountain range all
the way from the Canadian line on the
north 10 the Mexican line on the south.
each party equipped with heliograrh-
&c OUTFIT and a camera The heliogra-
chic outfit is TO fash the message from
peak TO peak. and the camera Is to
photograph the amateur signal corps
operators at each station.
The range Of the Photograph IL con-
siderable. messages having been ex.
changed between army detachments
separated from each other by 1s3 miles
of broken country. But up to the pres
ent time no service requiring such an
elaborate and complicated system OF
relaying as Is involved in the sending
of a message the entire length OF thO
United States has ever been requires
Of the "sun-telegraph-" Hence the In
terest attached to the experiment or
the Mazamas in all Quarters-interese
which has been manifested In an order
from General Greeley. chief OF the Unit
ed States signal service. TO all signal
officers on the Pacific coast To aid the
enterprising amateurs In every way
possible.
An ideal handspring for any active
society with q purpose In view In found
| in the person OF w. q. Steele. president
| of the mountain-climbing fraternity
| and the best informed man on the Pa
! cific slope mountain geography. soenery
resources and requirements OF the Unit
| ed States.
Mr.. Steele has long been interested
! in military signal science. particularly
as applied to mountain work. He was
for several years signal sergeant In
the Second regiment Of Oregon militia.
and has undertaken at times some move
Ell and picturesque experiments In the
line Of night signaling over long dis
tances by means or Illuminating noun.
tain peaks. ,. =