The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-16
lower course, and we'inade more progress
ing Mt. Mckinley.


On July we found ourselves at the
mouth of Indian Greek and at the head
of navigation of the Sushitna Here, ac-
cordingly. we determined TO cache our
boats and surplus provisions. and to take
the so-called overland. traI for the Ia
mana. First, however we determined TO
pitch camp long enough to make final
observations on Mt. Mckinley, and the
great range which IL dominates.
We had sighted the great mountain
from near the mouth of the Sushitna, and
as We advanced up It's course made fire.
quent observations with the transit, read
ing both horizontal and vertical angles.
From these readings and our final observa-
tons we determined the hight of the
mountain to be 20, asa feet, or the highest
peak on the North American continent.
Our last observations on the great peak
were made from the top of a small range,
some 1900 feet in hight This range lies
near the mouth of Indian Greek between
the Sushitna and the Chulitna rivers. The
observation station was about five miles
from the mouth Of the Indian Creek and
almost directly east Of Mt Mckinley. For
some little time we were unable to obtain
view of the mountains on account of the
clouds We could tell, however that the
top of the ridge commanded a magnificent
view of the whole range. and when the
winds had finally dispelled the clouds We
saw the whole eastern side of the great
range for distance of perhaps 200 miles
Masnifcence of the View.
The panorama was one which | believe
is unsurpassed for grandeur and magnih-
cence in tho world. As the air became
clearer We could see the range stretching
off perhaps a hundred and fifty miles to
the southwest; its contour broken here and
there
ands of feet above the level of the ridge
Some sixty miles away a great fiat-shap-
ed peak rose 800 feet above sea level To
the right of ii was a smaller conical shaped
peak perhaps 1850 feet in hight, while still
farther TO the right. and about forty-five
miles from our point of observation. tow
cred Mt Mckinley, whose peak, clad with
eternal SHOWS. looked down upon the sur
rounding waste and solitude from a hight
of $500 feet. .s.
Trying to Photograph the Mountain.
Below us, and about ten miles away. the
Chuhtna river rsn along the eastern side
of the great range, fed mostly from the
glaciers formed on its peaks Opposite
where we stool its bed is about 500 feet
above the level of the sea. At a glance
We saw the whole of the eastern slope of
the great mountain. This side of the
mountain Is scanned with hundreds and
thousands of sharp gulies, and is cut by
ravines and canyons ofttime to depth of
thousands of feet. 1t serves also as a base
for innumerable peaks, some of which rise
to a hight of from 1000 to 10000 feet. Run
ming perhaps twenty-five miles in length, is
a glacier fed by the ice and snow accumu-
lalions of centuries. 90 n .... y.
The entire party agreed that assifar as
human beings are concerned, the mountain
is absolutely inaccessible from the eastern
side.
The whole Mckinley range gives an Inn
preston of the greatest ruggedness, and
its outline would be harsh In the extreme
were they not tempered by the soft white
of the snow which caps all high peaks.
Moreover, below the snow line the slaty
rock is covered by the soft Alaskan
NOSES which lend to'aH the mountains of
Alaska a beautiful pale green color effect
peculiarly their ownoa9
Observations on the.sAicISinley range, and
in particular 90 the great peak. consumed
only short time. We made a number of
rough sketches, both of the general land
scape and of the great peak. This done we
took last look at the great range and
began preparations for the long portage
across the divide to the Tanana.
We made a start early on the morning
Of July Is, carrying with us only absolutely
necessary sustenance and equipage. The
journey proved trying in the extreme. We
Travelled by SOW and toilsome stages for
six weeks. and on no day did we make
progress far in excess OF that possible to
an unencumbered man walking on level
ground in an hours time.
Country Full of Game.
The country was wild and beautiful.
Our Journey carried us mostly above tim
Der line and among mountains in some
places as rugged as those of the Mckinley
range. Wild flowers grew in abundance
everywhere below the snow line. We saw
plenty of game. mostly brouse and carl
bou. We also saw some bear and signs
of moose, but did not stop to do any hunt
ing.
We crossed two mountain ranges; the
| first at the head of Indian Creek, some
| twenty miles up from the Sushitna. About
| thirty miles further on we crossed the
! main divide at an elevation of ADO feet
| In the center of the pass through the great
| divide there Is q lake whose waters drain
| both into Boring sea and into Cook inlet.
| The pass was christened Caribou pass on
| account of the large number of caribou
| which we saw in the vicinity, and we gave
| the name of Summit lake TO the lake.
| The immediate discovery of the pass and
| of the lake came about through our meet
| ing with an Indian whom we located by
| the smoke which arose from his camp fire
| little distance to the left IL was the
| first signs of human habitation that we
| had seen for months, and a party of us
| went over to investigate. There we found
| the Indian, a man of perhaps 80 or 40,
camped very comfortably with three or
| four of his squaws. They had been hunt
| ing all summer with only toierable sue
| cess He could speak only word or two
| of broken English and was prevailed upon
to guide our party in the direction Of the
| Tanama.
! When we arrived at Summit lake he
| pointed toward the Chuiitna. which he
called by name, and then pointed north
ward indicating by signs and Language
| that II we followed the direction of the
| stream we would go Tanana." This we
accordingly did, and followed the course
| of the stream for ten days The country
| on the north side of the great divide or
fers from that on the south, in that Il
/ is much dryer and vegetation grows much
less luxuriantly. Our course led us north
! westerly and we followed the stream until