The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-08

faces, although tanned and weather beat
en- by nearly two months constant expos
ure were blistered by the heat; yet, while
our faces were actually blistering beneath
the intensity Of the suns rays, our shoes,
immersed in the light snow, were frozen
stiff. At noon the temperature in the
shade was 16 degrees Fahrenheit. The
snow was light and dry, and showed no in
dications Of softening, even at the surface.
The white cliffs about US glittered like
hoar frost in the intense light"
Some notion of the stupendous nature Of
the northern giant can be gathered from
the following account Of the base of the
final slope: I'VE slowly cut our way on
ward having a sheer descent of from 5000
to 5000 feet below US all the time. The
breaking away of a foOthold or the loss
of an alpenstOck might at any time have
precipitated US down those fearful cliffs,
where not even the crevasses would have
stopped us before reaching the bottom of
the amphitheater in which our tent was
placed"
1t would seem that the actual thickness
of the snow covering, up to an elevation of
some 1900 or 1900 feet is much less on
st. Elias than it is on the principal of the
Alpin submits. Just why this is so is
not absolutely clear at this moment, nor
is it by any means certain that this thick
ness for one year is even approximately
that for another year The snow on the
Jungfrau, measured in an exposed place
or cornice, has been found to be about $50
feet; that of the Silverhorn and of the Piz
Bernina about the same or somewhat
more; yet it is perfectly well known that
in one Of the years of the "fifties" most Of
the Alpine SUBMITS, despite their ordinary
heavy coating, were almost completely
denuded of their snows-a consequence of
diminished precipitation and of an excess
of summer heat.
Despite its seemingly feeble SHOWS
doubtless much more developed in some
parts-Mount st. Elias appears to be suf-
ficiently well protected by it's circle of
avalanches. One is thus described by Prof
Russell: "A great avalanche, starting far
above US in in the side of Mount St. Elias,
came rushing down the roof-like slope
with the speed of an express train. From
the foot OF this descending mass tongue
like protrusions of snow shot out in ad-
vance, while all above was one vast roll
ing cloud of snow-spray. Blue crevasses,
which seemed wide enough to engulf the
falling snow, We're crossed without making
the slightest change in its course On
reaching the upper lip of a crevasse the
base of the moving mass would shoot over
into the air, and seemingly not curve
downward at all until it struck the slope
below, and rush on with accelerated
speed. The roaring mass was irresistible.
The rushing monster came directly toward
us until it poured down on the border of
the slope we were ascending; then, chang
| ing it's course, Numbered on to the floor
| of the amphitheater far below. The cloud
of spray rolled on down the valley and
| hung in the air long after the avalanche
| had ceased. When il did drift away we saw
| the fan-shaped mass of broken snow in
which the avalanche ended looking like
| the delta of a stream, extending out half
| a mile into the valley"
| st. Elias, like so many American noun
| tains, has had its ups and downs" in
| the scale of elevation to which it aspires.
| La Perouse, the distinguished navigator,
| measured the mountain in 1876 and at
| tanned a value for il of somewhat less
! than 10 900 feet. Malespina, a few years
| later Q79D, determined its elevation to be
II, S51 feet, or the better part of a mile
! higher. Again the British admiralty
| charts as late as 1872 give for the noun
| tain only 1870 feet. Two years later DR..
| Dali of the United States coast survey ac-
cepted for the mountain, as a result of his
| own measurements, approximately 1880
! feet, which would place it first among all
! the North American SUBMITS. The United
| States expedition of 1890 obtained as a re-
suit of their measurement 1850 to 1900
| feet, but a careful examination of the re-
| turned data proved these to be Of very
| uncertain value, and it was determined to
| make a new measurement in the follow
! ing year. This has been done by Prof.
! Russell, and a result obtained Of some
! Is, 100 feet, which is probably not far from
the true hight. As such it leaves the star
mountain of Mexico, the Citlaltepetl. or
! Nevada de Orzaba, its supporter in eleva-
| ton by some 100 feet. 1t will be one of
| the aims of Mr.. Bryants expedition to
! verify this result, and he will doubtless
| turn his eyes also in the direction of
Mount Logan a mountain some twenty
five miles from st. Elias which is said to
overtop its much better known neighbor