Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-04
FROZEN ON MOUNT ARAFAT.
Legend That 1t Cannot BE Climbed
Falsified by an Explorers Death.

Falsthed by an Explorers Death.
From the London Standard.
Ararat, we learn, must now be reckoned
among the mountains which have exacted
a toll Of life from explorers. Some of the
biologists who attended the congress at
st. Petersburg during the summer appear
to have extended their trip to the Caucasus
(Which was among the attractions of the
gathering) as far as Ararat, and to have
attempted the ascent, but, according to a.
telegram, one of the party, Prof Stoeber
from Vladikavas, has been frozen TO death
This misfortune will add to the awe with
which the mountain is generally regarded
in its immediate neighborhood For CEN
turtles it was considered lnaccessible; not,
because it presented any special difficulties
but because 1t was deemed to be a sacred
place. From very early time it has been
ffrmly believed that portions Of the ark still
remained on the summit. This is affirmed
by, at least, one Greek Father of carly
date. Adventurous climbers are said to
have been overpowered- by o1n- irresistible
inclina ton to slumber, which, by delaying
their advance has frustrated their hopes
or reaching the summit. This was consid-
cred clear proof of some supernatural
guardianship though more skeptical age
would PROFOUND another explanation. But
there was yet legend in reserve to con-
1utS Tie uOuDteTS "A IlOnk IN the mOnaS-
terry at its foot desired SO ardently to gaze
on the sacred relics that he returned again
and again to the attack. always to fall
asleep. But. at last, an angelic form stood
by him as he slumbered and told him that
man might not tread on such holy ground,
but that his faith should be rewarded with
fragment from the timbers of the ark
When he awoke. it lay by his side, and is
monastery.
So strong is this belief that not many
years ago an eminent Armenian ecclesi-
astic. when told by an Englshman that he
had just returned from the summit of Ara
rat, beamed upon him with a benevolent
smile of superior knowledge and gravely
replied. That is impossible; no one can s.
c s,saa-, Ararat. But of late years-not-
the questionable summit has been several
times reached. The first to make the as
cent was Parrot, professor at Dorpat in
1929. Doubts have been thrown upon his
story, but there Is not the slightest reason
for questioning it's accuracy As he re-
iates in his well-kn6Wn book, "a Journey
to Ararat," he twice failed but was sue
cessful at his third attempt He WAS fol-
lowed at rather long intervals by other ex
plorers. among whom was the eminent
geologist Abich. in 1S45 and in that year
the frs Englishman. Mr.. Dlgny Seymour,
arrived on the summit An ascent was
made in 1876 by Professor Bryce. This
was certainly not the least memorable, for
MS companions became exhausted and
were obliged to halt; while he made his
way up for rather more Than four hours
quite alone. Fortuna tely Of the two routes
by which the summit generally { has been
reached-the northwestern ami the south
easterr-he had selected the latter, where
the snow Is less steep and is not 80 likely
to make much step-cutting necessary. The
ascent has been repeated several times
since then, but the climb Is undoubtedly
long and tohsome, and thef cold. may he MS
1t. has been. on this occaaioa, /. serious
danger, .,,-,9 -
We do not yet know whether Professor
Stober became EXHAUSTED, Or whether the
party We're caught IN storm. Alpine
climbers kppWf that the cold can be / form
liable foe, even on a bright day, on the up
per part Of Mont Blanc, and the sad fate
of travellers who were lost in the mists
ana oied OF exhaustion IS still among recent
memories But Ararat is considerably
higher than Mont Blanc, ior - summit
only just falls short Of 17.LOO feet, and the
severity of the cold Is doubtless increased
by the fact that its rocks on the upper part
offer hardly any shelter, and the whole
mountain Is remarkably isolated. 1t crowns
the Armenian plateau. rising from the
plain OF the Aras. about 5000 fee. above
sea level, a huge, almost solitary, elongat-
ed mass. which eliminates in two peaks
Little Ararat, rather more than T. 500 feet
high, and the vast Joined Great Ararat
Both these-indeed, the whole massacre of
Voleanlc origin. but no trace of q crater re-
mains The summit Is dome Of snow,
but the last rocks which crop out are indu-
bitably volcanic, reddish and grayish scoria.
In fact, lava or ash is met with everywhere
during the ascent. The materials. so far
as they have been examined, do not exhibit |
any great variety. They belong to a species |
or rock which is named andesite by geolo- |
s1sts, because 1t abounds in the South |
American chain. Doubtless The desire Of !
studying this remarkable massif, and the |
nope OF enjoying a marvellous panorama
prompted the ascent-undertaken. perhaps, |
little too late In the year-which has end
ed so disastrously. ...a.,--5