Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-16

to mark IL TO the eye. tut tfiS ic"o'"
the operator at the indefinite point nrst
brings his glass to bear upon the better
defined one and leaves his shutter open.
When the distant operator catcnes the
fash he sights his instruments upon IL,
and the two are thus brought into align
ment ard are ready for business. III both
points are indefinite. II may require
great deal OF feeling around before one
catches a flash from the other, but as
soon as that Is done the alignment 10
speedily made. In operating between
Portland and the summis Of Hood the
Portland operator brings his instrument
TO bear on the summit and leaves MS
shutter open. When the GREATNESS climb
ers reach the top Of that mighty pie,
they find the steady CLEAN of the distant
star awaiting them. and can get right
down to business in a few minutes.
The time set for the instruments 10 DE
in Mace on the various mountains was
at noon on the 10Th OF July. The Baker
Adams. and Hood parties went from
Portland, the first allowing wnoie "seh,
the next one four days. ana the last
three DAYS. The Rainier party went from
Seattle and allowed itself four days. IL
was under the command OF Major II. .;
Ingraham OF the Washington Nauonai
Guard, a veteran mountaineer' Inc Dia
Jefferson party from Monmouth, each al
lowing four DAYS to reach the mountain.
The outcome of the effort was that IN
struments were in place on Adams anu
Hood at 80 A. NJ, on Rainier az I,o
p NJ. and on Jefferson at 4. NJ. me
Baker party, after foundering lot tWo
DAVIS In a mountain wilderness unuer the
leadership of guide" were leu INTO a
maze of canons from which they din not
emerge in time to ascend the mountain.
II IS not known whether the party ina.
went to Diamond had their instruments
ON the mountain in time or not, as IL
was TOO smoky to see them, and they are
snendlng the summer in that almost
trackless wilderness. However, four sta-
tions were established within limit OF
two and one-half hours on four OF ine
highest mountains I'm the west, tnus
showing that knowledge OF mountaiheer-
ING was the chief element OF success In
the enterprise.
ARMY SIGNAL CORPS.
Hood and Adams. being early airsneo
their instruments and began to talk' put
snon a great veil of smoke interposed
between them and shut them OF, ana
nv the time the Rainier and Jefferson
narties were in place the smoke obscured
evarvthing. Messages between Adams
and Hood were the only ones actually
exchanged, though, but for the smoke
Rainier and jefferson would nave been
added TO the list This smoke had been
blown in by heavy east wind ana hlied
the entire mountain regions. PROBABLY
AT no other time during the entire sea-
son Will such atmospheric conditions eN-
ist A few days later IT cleared up, ana
the Adams party on its way home ascend
ed Hood and held a long conversation
with Portland. in which the mammoth
instrument at the latter place was useu
successfully. The army signals corps
is now at work among the high points
OF the Rockies i'm Colorado; but, while
II win be more certain OF a clear sky
and can establish it's various stations at
leisure. and maintain them, 1t cannot
find so many high ones as exist on the
Cascades and Sierras, nor will 1t rival
the record OF the Mazamas in establish
ing four stations so far apart at SiVen
hour selected long in advance.
Although there were six mountains IN
the chain, chief interest centred In
Adams. which was the mountain select
ed officially by the society for Its an
nual outing. and when night came on
the 9th there were found to be just
efghty-two persons camped amid the
scrubby timber at the snow-line, some
500 feet below the summit OF that
mighty peak. Reveille was sounded at
2 o'clock in the morning, and. notwith-
standing the terrific gale that was blow
ing down the mountain and howlinS
through the forest, half hundred OF
them arose prepared their packs.
lunches, canteens, etc, had a substantial
breakfast, and by 4 o'clock the first party
with alpenstocks and spiked shoes Tor
walking on the hard snow, started up
the mountain, and in half an hour were
clear Of the trees and upon the open
snow-feld.
Adams is a tremendous mountain. its
base covering great area. IL does not
run to a. point, like Hood. but its sum
nit is a long ridge extending several
miles, with four separate summit ere
vations upon II, the highest being near
its centre, and consisting OF rounded
dome OF snow, many acres in area. Its
sides are gashed With tremendous preci-
pices and canons. and in the latter are
enormous living glaciers. Down Its sides,
from apex to base, run huge ridges or
lava. like the verte5rae Of gigantic ami
mails. and between these lies vast FIELDS
OF perpetual snow, subjected daily In
the summer season to the process Of al
ternate freezing and thawing, the loss
being made up in the winter season by
the deposits OF the great storm CLOUDS
that hang almost constantly over it, IL
was I'D these fields of snow and along
the smaller patch IS that lie In depresslons
in the lava ridges, as well as along the
moraines, where the broken lavi-rooks
have become so tightly wedged together
that they afford n saie footing. TIA. The
Mazamas made their slow way. despite
II. laNu
their feet, and made progress one slow
| and continuous struggle.
LAVA BACKBONE.
The last 1900 feet 10 the east summit
were made I'D the lava backbone, and
consum d two hours. and IN returning
the same distance down was made on the
open snow-ield in two minutes, by the
widest and most exciting coasting II Is
possible to imagine. Twice they reached
| what appeared TO be the summit, only 70
see another mountain rearing itself uf
still higher: but, at last, the first ones
reached the top. after seven hours oil
climbing, and the remainder stragslld IN
for the next five hours. The photographs
were used, carrier-piseons were re.east
| with messages to Portland. observations
for ascertaining the height CT the nc I'M
tain were taken With q merciriai Ia
rometer and "A boiling-point Thermometer
the Stars and Stripes were unfuried, Z
coppsr box, containing a record-rook, ant
the names Of forty-one SUCCESSFUL cImD
ers. six OF them ladies'. was oemfntet
to a rock near the summit, with an IN
vitation for all visitors In the future U
record their trips, and, ate. several h"ar'
spent I'm exploring the summit and en-
| toying the wonderful sights TO be Nie"e'
| from that high altitude, the uesCtEt began