The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15
FAILED TO CLIMB MOUNT APO.
SIGNAL OFFICEFS Story or AN
ATTEMPT IN MINDANAO.

| An0 Canary GOioTO Co'u'-
Dayp' Climb Covering - l'S nhes'
Only 10 Find tho Gsh Unreso"s"~
HAvEHHuL. Mass, March H.-Waltsr !.
perxins of this city, q member OF company
F, United States Signal Corps. now servins
In Mindanao, In tho Philippines wines
home an interesting account OF an u1su
cessful attempt made by party OF rho.
he was one, to scale the summit Of noun.
Apo and learn something about the NO"
practically extinct volcano
Besides Mr.. Perkins the party CONSISTED
a, walter Goodfelow OF the London Iheo-
! logical Socicty, Fred W. Abbot, district
s,,perintendent OF schools at Davao. ana
Thomas Henderson, q business man Of that
nlaoe. The letter, which Il dated ~ Davso'
Jan. 7. says In part:
.We left Davao on Dec. ~ IN native
calling canoe, and disembarked nins'een
miles down the coast at a small native VI.
laee called Mateo. Leaving there the next
day at Il.so A. NJ, we went through . largo
grass field, near the foot Of the first noun
tains. After crossing the SibulAn River
we struck into heavy timber, where We found
our first rayine. Surrounding this We
entered into a magnificent bamboo Forest
| and Mt 80 p. M. arrived at small bogobo
settlement called Sbulan, stopping ~ Datto
Tungcalings's for the night.
a, sThe houses at this place were built
entirely Of bamboo and presented very
fine picture of the wild woodland life OF the
inhabitants. They grow hemp. bananas
and sugar cane, the latter Of which they
turn into q native rum BY . process OF
nearly the same kind as the stills In America.
We procured native bearers there and left
on Dec. 80, continuing on as before through
bamboo forests and passing many ravines.
| Going down through one OF these ravines
we struck Kinamatt, q small place entirely
surrounded by mountains and not over
200 Yards square itself. At this place We
went into the Sibulan River again, but 1t
was far different from the first. running In
q torrent and being walled In By perpen-
diculsr masses OF stone on either side'
varying in height from 200 10 800 fsst.
| .Ths scenery along the river cannot b
described After passing up the river Tor
! two and q half miles. climbing over rocks
| and fording the stream. We struck high
m ountain, on top Of which was Taodsya,
tho last inhabited place before reaching the
mountain A peculiar thing about the
Bopobo inhabitants Of these mountains
| Ia that they build their houses on tho top,
| instead OF in the valleys. and clear the crest
of the hill for cultivation. They grow
| corn, palay, sugar cane. peppers, and most
peculiar OF all. cucumbers and squashes'
entirely the same As the American vege-
tables Of the same name.
Here at this place We hrst began TO
| notice the temperature. and the next morn
ing. which was Dec. 81, the Thermometer
was down 70 % degrees. which was vast
change for US. coming from the hot, sutry
coat After leaving Sibulan. there was no
trail. and We were led here and there
through the forests.
Al. we passed over another mountain and
| thence down into a swampy and almost
| impassable forest, cutting our way Ior
| three miles through the heavy underbrusn
An PM. at q small hunting camp IN the
fork OF the Mint and Gaduc rivers. Here
We struck several hot springs, ana the
water OF the Mint River vas also warm,
while the Gsduo River not niy ya pisn W. y
Wild deer and hog in the vicinity. 1t was
where the natives Of Taobaya come once
in q while TO get game. From this place
IL was also noticeable that Mounts Mokin-
lev and Burbro formed the gateway ior &C
were about 4. 900 feet above the sea level.
con the morning OF Jan. !. after wishing
each other q Happy New Year. We terted
up the final ascent, but. after days hAro
cllmbins were forced to camp out on the
Balaticsn River for the night. The bed
OF this river was nearly dry. except Tor
nool OF water here and there. and that was
not drinkable II was OF q sulphuous
taste, with . thousand other mnsi nn
the side OF the mountain at small spring
AT early dawn we started to reach the
ton and had steady climbing all the way.
We continued on up the dry bod o. me
IN. crater, and After scaling dry wstsr-
falls for about three hours. were forced TO
! seek the banks, where We epcountefeo
heavy ferns or bracken 90 thick that y
was Impossible 20 90 through them, we
/ on our hands and knees, and at y. NJ.
reached the lower aide Of the old crater,
where we decided to pitch our camp.
AFTER short rest We started up, leav-
ing our basgase o~nlna. p nsss,x n, 49, sc,es
and resembled the result Of grand dynA-
mite explosion. Some rocks we're - iAIge
a. . common sized house, balancing, as
IL seemed. on the utmost end Above
assures Thsy are funnel shaped and
about the siss ~ Q vashtub AL around
ths.e and covering about four scrss Vas
the sulphur field. and q Presented az IN
comparable ssla, 6eins the onsh,es'
the sun With all hs glory On passans thee
hsslres ve were much dikappointed ~
hndins that ~s could nos reach the top
from Inc slds se we're on. - u oyefhunG
" about 500 feet above
sAs our Tsilons we're nearly out, We wefe
forced 20 start back the merit day without
having gained the obJes- 30 had ln vlsu
We hsS Faspssfrsss and oissb~nf'ss oa our
ssy back
sOuT dssa~n, ~As made 10 the clouds snd
80 we're a. sss ss n 90 had Teen nn ram.
storm tpoe 'ssshlnS camp se found
thai the tl.sfmoms,sf had run down 70 ~
iasTsss We p<s~rd . old. damp nlsh,
1sls' .. :', :. ~ Ia -ss ss . 49,.
afA n az Jen o. snd pss~>d esss The
.s.s ..l 90. s.ss.. y q, f 60 "a.
il.sfs tho hsst n.sinlAs ssfis 30 sins.i
81 til,,ilsh q ia aid ase.asa " lshs
= desssld tfsil tss.s
sNs lsfI sll,u.AA ~ ssd ,ses ,ls
ifsh ssfil, lA-sAas ilseusl ~ sssSsls'
es4nIp sAs ass s.-ss oslo a..
|. Ia - ils 90 ssa 'sssl.s. saasIss
- Iss-.-ls1 10 llsl.sss Yl.~ss % ssls-9
~ tlss .lsl.i 10 irfi tl.sfs SAa ~ 81