The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-01
ST. ELIAS'S HIGH TOP.
EFFORTS THAT NAVE BEEN MADE
TO REACH IT.
General characteristics or the H1ouutein-tm-
mense Snow CoverinE-HtEhest Feint nero
tororo Rsached-Ths Relentless Avninncho.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
The recent adyices received from Alaska to
the effect that the Philadelphia expedition for
the exploration Of the Mt. st. Elias region, I'M
der the leadership of Mr.. Henry @. Bryant,
Vice President of the Geographical Society OF
this city, has arrived at Yakutat, on tho
eouthern foot Of the giant northern colossus,
and 10 now In the actual course OF ascent Oh
one of the most, il not tho most, heavily snow
driftod mountains OF the globe, mako timely a
few remarks upon the central hut" Of the ex-
petition. For those who may not be fully Ia
miliar with the position Of Mt St ELIAS IL
might be stated that the mountain Lief approx
matoly on tho 14lst meridian OF western longi-
tude. and just beyond the siHteth parallel OF
latitude-so CLOSE TO the boundary line which
separates Alaska from the British North Ameri-
can possessions as to mako somewhat doubt
ful the actual ownership OF the highest point OF
the mountain, the joint claims OF England and
the United States being under examination at
the present time.
Until within a comparatively fow years It
was generally assumed that 81. Elias was a
volcano, and this condition Of the mountain 10
still taught in many school Biographies, and
even in some Of the moro advanced works on
geography. Its great height, as contrasted
with by far the greater number Of the noun
tain elevations which connect the United States
Canada boundary with Alaska, and its occu-
pancy OF q %littoral position similar to that occu-
pied by the lofty volcanic cones of the United
States. shasta, Hood, Tacoma, or Ieainier, &C.
have: led to this not absolutely unreasonable
supposition, a superstition, however, which re,
cent researches have shown not 70 o ne LOUNGES nnaassl
sion indicate. the great bulk OF me mountein
IL Of sedimentary origin, being built ug OF a
pose tho heart and surface OF the main noun
tain baokbones Of the western part Of the Amsrl-
covered about 1t. Instead Of lava. scorie, oil
volcanic cinders and ashes, examination has
only brought, out rocks partly noni3soiiitorG m
evidence OF an uplift from an oeoan-S3versd
great Alpine peaks Of Switzerland, and any one
who has made u comparative study OF noun
tain sslnn forms sisii Mi1 ei, N eontour Which Exists be-.
| tween it as presented In the race that Is turne9
to the observer on the Malespine glacier ana
that Of Kunchinjlnsa, Of, the HImalayas,, as
seen from Darseeiing. II has Its long medium
eIndod %cossyoiTs and hying buttresses; In fact
everything that belongs to q mountain OF It's
In ono respect, and that q very important ono
as affecting the chances OF SUCCESS IN the en-,
deavor of the mouantaineer. 1t S a1hess r from sas
position Of Mount St. Elias in a region Of low
cessive precipitation, has helped It to an un.
usually heavy mantle Of snow: the leo lower Limit II
of whichh-the so.called snow me me d oven , n
ing to within about 1000 feet Of sea level or
still lower. With an altitude, therefore, OF some
covering extends over a vertical face of some
10000 feet, or. in round figures, three miles:
EVEN en- none Sn 0 ap pp r @rine to P tSis. Mont Blanc, WITH
its crown fitted 1874 feet above the Mediter.
T noe sn.n oa onatsal { Of G' ils fuii h shGE % and een sSr
Quently far less than half the height which
marks possession, by the snow on St Elias. On
s sSst i thesfrae . SHss Of snow snow, oT sHimaiaSs;."
Even on the highest SUBMITS Of the El9benM N,
E k"sFss' P 5Sgs181 f Kun;ch ihG psas 3c o. ali GG Tisins
rocks and "ae;do. crowd the s, SHOWS t to above the i6s
touch only $4,000 feet AT the outside.
it is hardly necessary to emphasize what this
mountain 5000 feet high need not be a work
Of any real magnitude or even Of hazard. It
h hns sssn a aSa' IN IN M AsaH; IN it A has BEEN y .S Saa1v
outdone In such ascents as those of the lbigamin
COMPLEMENTARY S7a{SsssIy, q e Is soc Pi6 6ss.; p Yea Ike Of s sSe Raps;
6t SESm h'" Of chi ri; aS2 reef ta!o p S, tess. S b1
by zurbriggen, on Jan. IA Of the present year
but 1t may be doubted. although fact' might
ditiiculty or danger in any Of these ascents il
equal that which Is embodied in the mastery Of
the 10000 feet OF snow OF 81. Elias. G.
Elias lies somewhat above the divide which
connects that mountain, with Mount Newton,
fui venturer to this domain q ice. at approx
mately IA 1900 feet: Not unlikely, the correo-
ton for the aneroid barometer VIII reduce thit
mile between 1t and the point which 1t is now
Mr.: Bryant's ambition, and the bore Of Prince
The experience at this altitude is thus described
by Prof. Russell: Owing % the ~lishtness of t1t
snow, II required some time before, we couio
get water enough 10 QucnCn our 1ntOlerhDlt
thirst. This allowed time to rest and eat q
light lunch, while We studied the strange scene
beautiful. Not q cloud obscured the sky. In
the lower world it must have been an exceed
phere with which we were surrounded the sun!
rays poured down with dazzling splendor and
glasses to protect our eyes, but our faces, al
though tanned and weather beaten by nearl,
two months constant exposure, were bllsteret
blistering beneath the intensity Of the sun
rays, our shoes. immersed N the light snow
the shale was l6' Fahrenheit. The snow wa
light and dry, and showed no INDICATIONS o
s s3ft.fsn about e us xli tt sas ike ile'f hoar h frost IN mn IL
Some notion OF the stupendous nature OF tn,
northern giant can be gathered from the fol
lowing account OF the base OF the 1nal slope
I'VE slowly cut. our way onward, having
US all the time. Tho breaking away Of a foot
hold or the loss OF an ,alpenstock might ct apl
time have preClpltated us down tnose 1earfu
cliffs, where not even the crevasses would hay,
stopped us before reaching the bottom Of thu
amphitneatre in which our tent was placed"
1t would seem that the actual thickness o
the snow covering, up to an elevation of som,
$4,000 or ii, 600 feet, Is much less on st. Ella
than it is on the principal of the Alpine sum
mits. Just why this is 30 is not absolutel!
clear at this moment, nor Is it by any mean
certain that this thickness for one year Is ever
approximately that for another year. Tn,
snow on the Jungfrau, measured in an EXPOSED
place or cornice, has been found to be about 25t
feet; that Of the Silycrhorn and of the Piz Ber
nina about the same or somewhat more; yet 1t l
perfectly well known that in;one of the year
Of the "hfties" most Of the Alpine summit;
most completely denuded of their SHOWS
consequence Of diminished precipitation ant
of nm excess Of summer heat.
Despite its seemingly feeble snows-doubtles
much more developed in some parts-M Noun
st. Elias appears TO BIO sufficiently well pre-
tected by its circle OF avalanches. One is thus d.
scribed by Prot. Russell: "A great avalanche
starting far above US in the side OF Mount 81
Elias, cane rushing down the roof-like slop
with the speed of an express train. From tn
foot of this descending mass tongue-likc pre-
tru5ions OF snow shot out in advance, while a
above whs ono vast rolling cloud OF snow
Nh. 1E 1EIi-l IL