The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
ACROSS VALDES GLACIER.
DANGERS OF A TRAIL OYER An
ICE MOUNTAIN IN ALASKA.


Experience OF n Party who Made the Passage
in aFurious Biz Gard-Three Dead Men on
the Trail - Treacherous Crovasses Hum
drods OF Feet in Depth-Miners' Hardships
"one Of the most dangerous and difficult
undertakings In entering or leaving Alaska is
the climbing Of the different passes which at-
ford the only land entrance into the Interior
said a man Just back from q Klondlke expedi-
ton. Tho Chilcoot Pass has been often men
tened and described: no doubt the accident
which occurred last spring. resulting in The
loss Of many lives. Is still fresh In the minds
OF many. Less has been written about the
terrible Valdes Glacier than about any nj the
other dangerous passcs. The glacier affords
a means OF ingress to the Copper River VAL
ley. This mountain Of lee rises to a height Of
moro than 5000 feet and extends thirty miles
from the oceans edge In Valdes Bay to the
Klutena River. whose source It is. The Rla-
cier occupies a valley about three miles wide.
bounded by high and perpetually snow
capped peaks. whose ~creyices bear the remains
OF smaller glaciers. In the spring. after the
heavy storms OF winter. this huge mass OF Ice
is covered with snow to a depth Of from ten
to fifteen feet: packed dow by Its own
weight. drifted By the winds and melted By
the sun. this forms into q hard crust
Tho prospeotor sees before him. then. on
his first essay to gain the interior q seemingly
interminable wilderness Of snow. over which
he passes with many h~ardships, dragging his
load with him. He spends. perhaps. n month
on the way across. floats down the river be-
yond In a boat Of his own making. and dlsap-
pears into such.'oountry as his fancy or re-
port may lead him. No one who has strug-
gled over the glacier can forget the cold
nights. the lack OF firewood, the frightful
storms. the death-dealinR snow slides and the
binding reflection OF the sunlight on the
crust. No one who has reached the summit
and seen before him the panorama OF flowing
waters. green hills and gray peaks far to the
northwest could repress q sigh OF Rladness
and a resolve not to recross IL IL could be
avoided. '
II have com out OF my tent at night when
the full red moon looked like q rim OF blood
over the white peaks and sank without show
ing more than one-eighth OF its sphere. The
stiffness then was something absolutely aw-
full 80 tangible almost that l have looked at
my brother and begged him to speak; the
sound OF his voice seemed like an echo from
some one miles away.
Il believe thnt the tribulations Of gold seek
ers are the same the world over. SO l shall
not dwell on ours here. After q long. hard
summer, during which the torture by mos
Quitoes was well-nigh unbearable. there we're
two paths for the miner. One path led to the
forest and involved the building OF a log cabin
for the winter. months Of darkness and bitter
cold. lack OF employment and loneliness. The
other path led back across the Valdes Glacier.
On the LIST OF September my dreams Of learn
ing Omar Khayyam by heart during the closed
season gave way ANONYMOUSLY to a para
mount desire to go to a BowerY vaudeville.
Two Of us started back together. crossed the
Tanana Hills. floated down the Copper River
to the mouth OF the Klutena. now the site of
the log cabin settlement of Copper Centre.
rested therefor Il week. and then. with fifty
pound packs. walked seventy-flye miles over
fallen timber to the foot Of the glacier. where
we Gle t one night preparatory to an early
start over.
I'VE met q party coming from Valdes, headed
by Jack Stewart. one of the most intrepid OF the
guides. His company OF a dozen was exhausted.
ana he had lost track of three men in the bliz-
card then raging on the summit. Before eating
he took q lantern. a coat. and a flask OF whis-
kew. tramped three miles up the steep ascent
through q binding storm, and left the arti-
Giles on a moraine. with a note for the men
when they should come up. 1t was nearly
daylight when he returned. hardly able to
drag himself along; At 4 o'clock in the morn
and /. being reinforced by a guide and two
others. determined to make an attempt to
cross in spite Of the y urgent entfea It ;n Of the
that what one man could do another might.
"%rRRees sky. n an incredibly short time. had
become clear and the stars were shining. At
ME ffe' G The trail Mf iHui1 di iaH DtaS,ed sntY' the
tiny stream which we had seen in the spring
issuing from It's foot had increased to a rag
scanned with gravel, bars and %cfeSices We
went. Then We climbed to q higher altitude
below; snow lay knee deep above. Turn and
turn about we STAMPED trail. now stopping to
rest for q n mSment t. then hsnvS on tS again dn.. So fh steep
seemed almost impossible TO raise ones feet.
I'VE knew. too. that the huge, creyasses In
mantle Of snow covered them like shToad.
7 EHGh = STEP teD1 we .d took vas , pre &c tSdn By p To ding
walking over a powder mine which might ig-
mite at any moment. It was eight miles to
the summit from the Klutena side, When we
out warning. The cold wind beat against our
faces and the whirling snow obstrqeted our
climbing over the rocks on our hands, and
knees. But at last our route admitted no
to. strike out over the glacier proper.
After several Of the party had barely saved
themselves from pitchinR, into unseen abysses.
tain that we could never reach valdes II every
step had 70 be sounded. | threw away my stock
gave way and / felt, myself going down. down.
The rope of the thickness Of clothes line which
united me with the men behind caught on a
ragged piece OF ice and was cut in two. After
a forty-foot descent, my blankets. which pro-
jected over a foot on each OF my shoulders.
and which, having been wet. were now frozen
solid. caught on two hedges and left me hang
ing with only one arm free. The pack straps.
as soon as they felt the violent strain occa5
pounds. began to tear. Every motion / made
caused an additional ripping. Thousands of
feet below / heard the roaring of the waters.
The Ice looked as blue as a summer sky. They
let the rope down to me. fastened 1t round
my body with difficulty. Finally. laying a coat
on:thle edge OF the chasm that the rope might
not be severed. the four men hauled me up,
Five feet on either side Of the, spot where I
had fallen the creyice was wide enough TO
swallow tho New York Post Ofice.
ION again. We saw something white stick
ing out OF The, snow. II was Q mans hand.
quarter q q mile beyond. eurlsed Up IN q blan-
leaning against o moraine. we found q third.
He, too was stif and ~lifeless.
All the time we were travelling by the
compass. as It was impossible to see fifteen
feet ahead. The sight OF these poor men
ahha6 "a Draaf D1Onm RI ON Marty Tho wind