The sun., 1897-07-31
DOWN A RAINIER CHASM.
THE LOFTY PEAK CLdIMs TWO
MORE VICTIMS.

George Rogers aud II. A. Ainslie Fall Forty
Feet AinsIie Saves Himself. but Rogers
IL Rescued while Ho IL sim Slipping
ne Is stiil Unconscious--Other Sufferers.
TACOMA, Wash, July 3o.-Three serious acci.
dents have befallen climbers on Mount Rainier
since the death of Prof Mcclure on Tuesday
night On "Wednesday night, at o'clock. an.
other party Of Mazama climbers left Gibraltar
Rock, at an elevation OF about 10000 feet for
Camp Mazama, in Paradise Valley, below. Two
hours later, or precisely twenty.four hours after
Mcclure fell, this party was lost in the same
place
Tho trail here Is very deceptive and the
climbers, benumbed with cold, started across
Cowlitz Glacier in straight limo for the camp
fires two miles below. Instead, they should
have crossed the moraine OF Cowlitz Glacier,
turned to the right, and resumed the trail
to the valley. Before they knew what had hap
pened George Rogers and H. A. Ainslie OF Port
land, Or, Y. NJ. G. A. members. had fallen over
forty feet into crevasse As they had become
separated from the party, no one heard them
fall. Both were rendered insensible.
Some time later Ainslie came to conscious
ness and pulled himself up over the 10y walls to
the surface. His hands were torn; blood was
flowing from q severe wound on his head and
freezing to his clothes. In this condition he
crawlod and walked to camp Mazama, arriving
at ! A. NJ.
Rogers was nearly stiff with cold and uncon-
scious when rescued. A party extricated him
six hours after his fall. He was slowly slipping
downward when found and would have died
in less than IN hour. 1t required great
exertions on the part Of his companions to
let one Of their number down with ropes over
the slippery walls and pull up Rogers and his
rescuer one after the other Rogers was car
ried to camp: he is still unconscious. Whether
he will recover is uncertain. but the physicians
in the party think he has a chance.
This year tho face Of Mount Rainier, from Glib
raltar Rock to the summit, distance of mile,
Is one immense sheet Of ice. and for the entire
distance climbers have had to cut steps with
Alpine axes and use life lines.
Returning climbers report that on Tuesday
afternoon William Pierce of Pendleton, Or.
who intended to accompany the party of
six, was Frustrated and rendered tempora-
rily insane by gazing down the preci.
pices where. for thousands of feet. there
are sheer perpendicular walls. His party left
him behind in safe place and picked him up
on the return trip. His wild look on returning
to camp showed plainly that his nervous sys-
tenn had been almost shattered. After being
restored to q fairly normal condition he de-
cihreu no "ouio ho'er again atteh'pt houhtaih
climbing
On Monday afternoon Prof. Brown OF Leland
Stanford University started out contrary to
the advice Of friends, to make the ascent alone.
| He was lost during storm. and he fell down
| exhausted. A party of six rescuers started up
| and found him more dead than alive.
| The ascent this year is more difficult than
usual, because OF the great quantity OF slippery
ice. With proper precautions there need be no
| accidents.
Tho accidents 70 Mcc,nre Ro0ers and A,ns,,o
! ihe ao'ioeh.s W hiooiufe' nosefs' aiiu nihsiio
were s aa. solely TO see.r attempts 70 descend in
mill morning Ne,r,y ali cIir,hers bavs .n,.
s, un.. tN.., .s. '.a a ~, no SUI. .n
mountain.
Mazamas has occurred on tho ice slopes of
Mannt p,,n;a, p.ot T,o no,nU0 'roo. ho os
hsa by na ianr @ fee, Tuesdsy %o
one Of the most prominent mountaineers of the
~as;a ONE "a 'ne a nus pfo. i".sa ,he vi .ne
He had an article in the frs, number of the so,
ciety's magazine. last year. ON the elevation OF
~, - ,yh;oh ha haa dotnrr,inod =,
12,4ol feet.
Inc society OF mountain climbers called 'he
Mazamas was organized on the summit OF
Mount Hood on July 10, 1894. The quaifca.
tim for membership ia the ascent Of an accent.
t,oi to' 70 'Hu aoeoA1 y. "n
abe shoW-cappeo peak. lnere Is great ueal
| Of enthusiasm for mountain climbing on the
Pacific coast. and 1872 persons climbed II .225
feet to the Top OF Mount Hood to attend their
first meeting and enroll their names as mem oers
In 1898 several parties from the MaZamas
were organized 10 ascend Mounts Baker, Rain
ier Adams Hood, and Jefferson. They made
the uscents simultaneously, and the purpose
was to establish communication, by hciotrop
my, between all these peaks. The ascents were
successful, but the other part OF the programme
WAS defeated by the dense smoke from burning
forests
Last year the Mazama excursion was to Crater
Lake. In Oregon, the most wonderful lake and
the only crater lake In the United States. The
excursion was a great success. and the latest
number OF the Mdrnma contains full accounts
OF the lake, both popular and scientific, from
variou, contrib ibutors.
This year tho Mazamas attacked Mount
, Rainier In force, and THE SUN has chronicled
the first misfort unes that the society has in
CURED.
Perhaps few people In the United States have
any idea Of the wonderful system Of glaciers tt
be found on the slopes OF Mount Rainier, II
Pierce county. Washington. In this place TIL
SUN calls the mountain Rainier TO mollify tn,
residents OF Seattle, having called it Tacomi
the other day for the express purpose OF crafty
ing the residents of Tacoma. 1t is grand ant
majestic summit. and in clear weather there II