Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-16
ACROSS yALDEs GLACIER.
Dangers of Trail over an Ice
Mountain in Alaska.
New York SUM

CNew York SUM
zone Of the most dangerous ana dllh-
cult undertakings in entering or leaving
Alaska il the climbing Of the different
passes which afford the only land entrance
into the interior" said a man just back
from q Klondike expedition. Ihe Chl
coot Pass has been often mentioned ont
described; 10 DOUBT the aCOIu."t ~ " -
occurred last spring. resulting IN the loS s
of many lives. IS stu fresh III the Hl'iigo
of many. Less mas been written aooul lls
terrible Naldes Glacier IMAM ab0ul any ~
affords a means OF ingress 10 the copper
River Valley. This mountain OF ice ilses
ia a height Of more than 1000 rect, ana sN-
tends thirty miles from the ocean Suse
I'm Valdes Bay 10 the Klutena IlVer' WnOIc
source il is The glacier occupies q Nti-
lev about three miles wide. bounced Dy
bigh and perpetually snOw-capped PEAKS
whose creVices bear the remains OF Silla II
or glaciers In the spring, aller lhe nSa ~
storms Of winter this huge mass OF ice
is covered with snow TO depth OF from
len 10 fifteen feet; packed down D! lt5
oytn weight. drifted by the winds ana
melted by the sun, this forms into nara
crust. ,.esoro bir, then
IN his first essay 10 gain the interior
seemingly interminable wilderness ol
snow. over which he passes Win many
hardships. dragging his load WIN NM mn,
across floats down the river beyond III 4
boat OF his own making, ana disappears
into such country as MS IdhC! vi 49,
NAV lead him. No one VINO mas sHuS,
gled over the glacier can loISet Sr iSbtT,i
storms the death-dealing snoW-snues' anu
The Winding reflection OF the SunlSut on
the crust No one who mas reachou w
summit and seen before MN the PAM
lama of flowing waters, green mis- any any
gray peaks far To the northwest eoulu
TepTess "A sigh of gladness ana a resolve
not to recross if ii could be aNoideu:
II have come out of my tent az nls .l.
when the full red moon looked IKE q nm I'M
~ blood over the white peaks ana SANK
without showing more than one-elshln "a
lie snhere. The stiffness then was scihe-
thing absolutely awful. so tahslDie dii'l NJ
that | have looked at my prother anu
- rim 10 sneak; the sound OF MS
Vofce seemed like an echo from some one
ct hel'eve that thestribulations or gold
seekers are the same the WorIu W., -
SSe.poii not dwell on ours here. After
long hard summer. during WniCn ny ~ ~
80 nv MOSQUITOES was well-nlgn uhDeaI-
eble there were two paths Tor the miner;
ONO path led to the Forest aNd AlNoIF -
the building Of "A log cdpin .Vl ~ |otG ieck
months of darkness ana bitter T9lu' AN .
- emnlovment and loneliness Inc otlC'
nath led back across the Naldes NIAt40i;
on the LIST of September my III e' III, Or
learning omar Khayyam Dy hedrt vi ti. i,iS
r. closed season gave way lSnomlllousIy
tn a naramount desire 10 so 10 a Bo"ery
',ordaville Two of US started BACK TO-
qether crossed the Ianaha 1Ais' nvd'Cv
down the Copper river 10 the mum -. u,
the Klutena now the site OF me to5 ,bsre
settlement OF Copper Centre, iesteu l nv,S
-, "a week and then, with nI1y-pouiI,"
racks walked scVenty-nNe inlies oFvI - -.
- timber TO the foot of the glacier wheiS
we slept one night preparatory 10 d"
oa .rvya mel a party coming from Valdes.
,oaIed nv lack Stewart. one OF the hIS9s
intrepId of the guides. His company "a -
dozen was exhausted, ana me nj mon
track of three men IN the uii~@-1ati,e he
ra,inq ON the summit. Before ca 'il5, a.
-. q lantern. a coat, and flask oi VIZ,
rev tramped three miles UP ny faft
aScent through a binding storm an sor
Inc articles on a mOraine, Win d Nm ~ II
~ mon when they should come ~, "a
' .no nearlv daylight when he retui Hsu
beTdlv able TO drag himself alons, MA
,nini, tn the morning the Storm ~ 80
somewhat. and my friend anu - ~ deter
inforced by a guide ana Two ~ crross in
mined TO make ,r an n't entreates of the
Tpprtv INST arrived. who ASSURE w W. 90
We wcre going 20 certain oea o,,id 40 an
serted that what one liar sond-by. we
other might, ana Diu'''"e
s'a .rSe NV NV in an incredibly short Time r
H ,nna clear and the stars W" WI q
abIning AT the very outsrt "" ,r,,i had
me me, lsresred and the tiny stream when
disab bpS seen in the spring issuing IRON rom
IT'S s foot had increased to and FnE ce seam s2
rent y, W, hars and crevices we went;
ca WIZ. ne climbed TO higher altitude, ana
men ,ardships began. Rain had Iailth ",
our our. snow lay knee deep above Turn ana
NV, about we stamped tran. now ssVp
tuih 49,. 80 "a tuOment. then on again.