The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-12-25
EXPLORING FOR SCIENCE.
New Mountains and Plants Fourd
Northern Montana.

new fOrk 1riDune. SeVeral new
mountains which have been named af-
ter New York men, and 1900 specimens
Of plants. In which were many species
new to science. were among the results
OF the recent expedition sent to North
ern Montana by the New York Botani-
cal garden. The expedition was In
charge OF Prof. d. r. MacDougal. direc-
tor Of Laboratories. From Misoula the
outfit was transported In n wagon. AMI
flying camps. sometimes with shelter
and sometimes without. were establish
ed at various points along the foothills
of the Mission and Kootenai mountains
and eastern shore Of Flathead lak".
From these camps short trips were
made into regions to be reached only by
pack animals or on foot.
Professor MacDougal made the ascent
of Sin -yale-a-min peak. $500 feet high.
Anding It's summit. even late IN June.
covered with snow OF depths varying
from ten to 40 feet and extending Tar
down the slopes. Many alpine forms
of plants were encountered. The noun
tain regions surrounding lMcDorad
lake were found To have almost contIn-
ual snow and rainstorms. and results
were secured with great difficulty. Flat
head lake and its tributary mountain
streams and environs presented less
difficulties. Here were various craft by
means Of which rapid collections were
made. A canvas boat, readily trans
ported across intervening strips Of land.
made the tributaries easy OF conquest.
The results were rich in rare and novel
forms found in and about the lake.
streams. swamps. prairies. forests and
mountain slopes.
Ample statistics were secured estab-
fishing the variation In plant life caus-
ed by temperature and altitude. limnoi-
ogy Of inland waters. Of low tempera-
ture. and the general vertical distribu-
tion OF flora. The arctic-alpine forms
of the near high KoOtenai ranges pre-
scented interesting studies. The sight
Of a mountain at least 1900 feet high.
not found on the maps. resulted In n
consultation with party Of the United
States geological survey near by. and
u was found To be new. was !mmedl-
ateiy named after william r. Dodge Of
the board OF managers for promoting
the expedition. As there were several
other new mountain peaks near by. one
was named by the geologists MacDou-
gal peak. In honor Of Its discovered At
ROst lake. Echo lake and Siloway peak
the phenomenon OF red snow was on
conntered. Professors MacDougal and
NJ. J. Elrod crossed the mountain rang
es and penetrated the valleys OF Trail
lake. Lake Placid and View lake. gath
ering rich material. Much OF the fields
traversed had never been visited nv
bontanists or geoloeists before In ad.
dition TO the big collections made. the
University OF Montana turned over IA
the expedition It's entire herbarium. IN
have its plants named. giving all duplI-
Gates to the New York botanical garden.
The expedition. comprising prInci.
pals, assistants and guides. went well
armed and equipped. but. for from find
ing the Flathead Indians OF this un.
known region savage and hostile. n
found them rich In fertile and wellcul.
tivated farms, living in good houses
possessing large herds OF cattle. sheer
and horses. and ..sessing generally In
civilized clothes.
The nlueduct which conveys water
from Thirlmere to Manchester. in Eng
land, IN the longest In the world That
from Lake vrynwy to Liverpool (6I
miies) comes second, and the aqueducI
Of Marseilles is third.