The record-union., 1898-01-17
UPON MOUNT ARAFAT.
The Legend That It Cannot be
Climbed IL Ealsifled.

Ararat. we learn, must now be reck-
oned among the mountains which have
exacted q 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 gather
ng) as far as Ararat, and to have at
tempted. the ascent, but, according to
a telegram, one Of the party, Professor
Stoeber, from Vladikavas, has been
frozen to death. This misfortune will
add to the awe with which the noun
tain is generally regarded in its imme-
date neighborhood. For centuries il
was considered inaccessible, not be-
cause it presented any special dimcul-
ties, but because it was deemed to be a
sacred place. From very early time
it has been firmly believed that por-
tfons Of the Ark still remained on the
summit. This is affirmed by at least
one Greek father OF early date. Ad-
venturous climbers are said to have
been overpowered by an irresistible IN
clination to slunlber, which by delaying
their advance, has frustrated their
hopes Of reaching the summit. This
was considered a clear proof OF some
supernatural guardianship. though
more skeptical age would PROFOUND an
other explanation. But there was yet
legend in reserve to confute the doubt
ers. A monk in the monastery 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 men might not tread on such
holy ground, but that his faith should
be rewarded with a fragment from the
timbers of the Ark. When he awoke
it lay by his side, and is still preserved,
SO the story runs, in the monastery.
So strong is the belief that not many
years ago an eminent American eccie-
sIastic, when told by an Englishman
that he had just returned from the
summit of Ararat, beamed upon him
with a benevolent smile OF superior
knowledge and gravely replied: That
is impossible; no one can ascend Ara
rat" But Of late Observation-Disclosures
ing this simple way Of settling the ques-
tion-the summit has been several times
reached. The first to make the ascent
was Parrot, a professor at Dorpat, in
1920. Doubts have been thrown upon
his story, but there Is not the slightest
reason for questioning its accuracy. AS
he relates in his well-known book, "A
Journey to Ararat," he twice failed, but
was successful at his third attempt.
He was followed at rather long intervals
by other explorers, among whom was
the eminent geologst, Abich, in lSl5,
and in that year the first Englishman.
Digby Seymour, arrived on the sum-
NIT. An ascent was made in 1916 by
Professor Bryce. This was certainly
not the least memorable, for his COM
panions became exhausted, and were
obliged to halt, while he made his
way I'D for rather more than four
hours quite alone. Fortunately, OF the
two routes by which the summit gen.
orally has been reached-the north
western and southeastern-he had Sc
lected the latter, where the snow is
less steep and IS not likely to make
much step-cutting necessary. The as
cent has been repeated several times
since then, but the climb is undoubtedly
long and toilsome. and the cold may be-
as 1T has been on this occasion. Sc
rious danger.
We do not yet know whether Pro-
fessor Stoeber became exhausted or
whether the party were caught In
storm. Alpine climbers know that the