The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-14
MOUNT
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As the sun declined and SIS rays be-
came more sianting the landscape was
transformed Spreading shadows ON all
SIDES revealed the noble lines q eiin and
whitened crests and wide, soft undula-
lions OF snow filed ravines contrasted
With precipitous rock walls. and the steep.
hard. sharply notched ridges, where. here
through. The norotonous miik-whtte
shroud covering the land al midday blends
with the sky toward evening in a delicate
harmony OF tints that pleases the eve
and gives aimos, an Impression Of reviv-
ing life 70 this world OF perpetual ice. On
the extreme left OF the horizon. where
glacier and sky seem 10 meet, you discern
a tremulous movement, as Of a distant
sea with a blush vapor floating over IT,
This is really an optical effect proceeding
from the radiation OF the earth. Then
the whole glacier IS Hooded with a rosy
glow. rather darker than that on tho
mountains. In the west the great yellow
disk OF the sun sheds streams OF yellow
rays over the level, and all the snow
waste seems on fire,
In another passage. speaking OF the
deep calm OF the luminous afternoons
among the glaciers. Signor do Fnippi re-
fers 10 the murmur OF running water in
the crevasses and the modern sharp re-
percussion OF stones falling from tho Sc
RAGS. 'sYou can hear the stir OF hidden
vitality" ne adds. ''the process OF slow.
continuous change. although nothing ia
visible TO the eve but the great frozen
mass. betraying no sign " the giant force
with which these millions of tons OF ice
press slowly forward The presence OF
many bits OF observation like this makes
the book delightfully."- readable. OF the
Newton glacier the author says that Il is
usually hile-and OF deeper blue in miss
than in snnshine-not greensh. as on ~
pine ice fields" Abiding TO the fine.,ess
OF the air in those attitudes he ne:tions
an occasion upon which the mountain cry
uttered by one Of the party was heard as
distinctly as though he stood only fifty
PAGES off. whereas he was really separat-
ed from his companions by march of
forty-fve minutes Coming 10 the last
steps OF the ascent Signor de Fiilppi
raises less excitement in hts reader than
he felt himself, but that is because sue
cess came az the end OF a chain of weary
ing but uneveniful days The Impression
We gather from this book Is that Mount
st. Elias was not taken by storm with
varied incident and extraordinary dashes.
but simply through the force Of doggediy
systematic labor
The author thinks that Mount st. Elias
has conditions especially calculated 10
superinduce ''monntain sickness lead
en- heaviness In the legs difficulty IN
bff1tNlnks n StHNt Oh rutlotHDtH. Iutpl-
tations. thrabhlng OF the temples and
headache. with the sensation OF having a
tight band around the hrows. One of the
guides who was attacked by the maiady
on Mount ST Elias had escaped II alto
gether on 1lilmani and sorata. In the
Andes. at much greater heights The an-
thor further notes the curious lass OF
memory suffered by all the members Of
the party the day after the ascent had
been accomplished Each one had "a
ampllfy and correct his own impressions
with the aid OF the others before any o;
them could feel that The whole episode
was clearly fixed in his mind. Slgnor dc
Ffilppi's confession OF reliance on OBJ
servations additional TO his own does mol
make his narrative any the less authori-
tatfve and interesting. But he would
probably be the first to admit that the
photographs OF Signor Sella DO most "a
make this volume a. charming 10 the
general reader as II must he Instructive
10 the climber. There are many OF them
and they are nothing less than magnih.
cent. The choicest are reproduced IN
photogravure plates. and the collection
as a whole forms one OF the most brill
liant panoramas OF mountain scenery