The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-01

Sliding Down an 10y Slope Of One
Of tie Canadian Rockies.

4 Sliding Down an 10y slope OF One
i Of tie canadian Rockies.
Henry G.. Bryant, President of the
Philadelphia Geographical Society, ar
rived home yesterday. He had been,
with Louis J. Steele of London, Eng
Hand, for a long time making an explor-
alton of the Canadian Rocky Mount
aims. Said Mr.. Bryant yesterday:
l I'VE succeeded in finding a. new pass
over the Central Divide, which is just
south Of the Canadian Pacific Railroad,
| by way of Healley Creek and Simpson
Pass. We reached our objective point
Mount Assiniboine-in three days and
| a half The only travellers who ever
entered this region before us had taken
seven days in making the journey. They
were six white men. We therefore felt
that we had accomplished something in
| finding a much shorter route to this ia
nous mountain. It's hight? 1t is H.
| S76 feet high
| Asked whether or not he had suffered
much from the cold when in the camp
and during the trip Immediately after
ward, Mr.. Bryant smiled and said that
| he had made two previous journeys to-
| the Arctic region in company with
Lieutenant Peary, and he supposed that
| because of his cold blood experience
during those trips the temperature in
| the Canadian Rockies did not disconcert
him much.
| when did you attempt to make the
ascent of Mount Assiniboine?"
| 1--WE had hoped that we would be
able to make the first ascent of the
mountain without hesitation, but a
single glance at the smooh, pyramidal
summit of this great peak, which is the
Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies,
convinced us that an ascent from our
side of the mountain was out of the
question In company with Mr.. Steele,
the experienced Alpinist, did, how
ever, succeed in making a partial as
cent. We reached the northwest ridge
of the mountain at hight of 10000
feet
Were you the first explorers who
ever reached that point?"
| 1--WE were the first human beings who
ever obtained from that point the grand
view of a wilderness of snowclad peaks
to the south. That region is probably
the largest unexplored area in British
Columbia"
! 1.-The descent from that awful hight
pose?"
Indeed, it was very far from merry
trip. The descent was a most exhaust
/ ing work. Just as we had begun to
move on our downward course we saw
furious storm approaching. 1t be-
came, therefore our utmost endeavor
to reach the lower levels before it burst
upon US. All went well for some time.
hill no ClnnR
cautiously and slowly and with great
] care cutting steps for our safety in the
hard snow and ice, we suddenly came
above a projecting rock buttress. At
that very moment my companion, Mr.
! Steele. slipped. It was a moment of
! life and death. If we were dashed
down to the rock we would have been
crushed to pieces.
1 81 had just time to strike my ak to
the hilt into the rock-like snow, and
thus secure a better anchor. But the
force of the tug on the rope when Mr..
Steele fell was SO terrific 1 was in
stantly hurled down the slope By
quick, skillful movement of my com
panion he reached an opening where
the snow had melted, owing to the heat
radiated from an adjacent rock. The
stable footing which we here secured
arrested our descent We were able
after that to continue our descent at
leisure.
/ 1.-The last tour of the descent, about
25O feet, was made by our sliding down
the face of the mountain. Oh, dear,
no, it was not sliding as we see boys
sliding on the ponds and rivers in the
winter time hereabouts The mountain
slide is called glissading. This is the
way it was done: When we got a hold
in our ax-made steps where we could
come to a stop and lie down on our
/ backs we did SO. Each then put his
feet close together. With the ak tight
ly held under the right arm, with its
razorlike sharp blade cutting deeply in
to the ice, we slid swiftly along down
the steep slope.
1.-The ak acted as a sort of helm, and
by a slight shifting of the handle we
could pilot ourselves out of the way
Of things apparently not smooth
enough for our comfort"
$50 you reached the foot of the
mountains without injury?"
Eyes; and the journey down is one
. will always remember with pleasure,
dangerous and thrilling as it was
/ Philadelphia Times.