The Red Cloud chief., 1903-10-09
LAKE In II CRATER
Mount Rainier Has Magnificent Cav
ern at Its Peak.
Pent-Up waters without Any Surface
outlet ID Powered by
High schooi PROFESSOR
nd students.

10 " hhhS " h' III NV
OF Mount Rainier. Its depth and extent
are not known, ara may never be. the
discovery of the lake was made by Prof.
joan B. flett, who has charge of the
botanical department OF the Tacoma
high school, and two men, Arthur Giles
Pie and Frank Weymouth, who are stu
denis of the high school, says a Tacoma
tNashD report. The three have made
the ascent from the east side by way OF
The White river glacier. The ascent was
made Saturday July 25, h ethree spend
Ing that night in an ice cave In Crater
peak.
The ascent was made over long. vast
snowfields, and up great reaches of gla-
cier. THESE glaciers were b~isected with
numerous ~crevasses. which caused the
| scalers to angle back and forth across
the face OF the mountain. Much time
was lost in this way, as the crevasses
could not be seen until the climbers were
almost upon them. 1t was after six
O'Clock Saturday evening before they ar
rived at the rim Of Crater peak. A flu
rious wind, accompanied by driving
| snow, simultaneously gathered over the
top of the mountain. and the three began
to hunt for shelter.
Passing around the rim OF the crater,
steam was observed issuing from a hole
about the size OF a mans body, and,
squeezing through the hole. Prof. Flett
found himself in n councillors cavern.
the bottom of which was composed OF
rocks and volcanic ash making up the
rim of the crater, while the roof con
sisted OF the ice formation covering the
mouth OF the crater. The boys followed
into the chamber. and the three found
themselves warmly and cozily housed
for the night. the dry steam coming up
from the bowels OF the mountain tenn
pering the arctic atmosphere.
The chamber sloped away toward the
center Of the crater. agreeable to the
contour OF the crater rim. but the slope
was such that the three could lie down
on the large stones without danger Of
sliding into the darkening cavern be-
meath. Prof. Flett's alpenstock
| dropped from his hand and rolled Is feet
down tho throat Of the cavern, ard a rope
was tied around Weymouth, who ven-
tured into the darkness beneath and Sc
cured Il. A he descended he lighted
matches. carefully exploring his way,
and finding that the mountain beneath
10 honeycombed with passages. which
emit quite Jets Of steam. but probably
In the remote past vomiting forth red
hot lavo. The three then began to roll
stones down the incline. Some OF these
would clear all the partitions separating
, the passages. against which a few Of
the stones lodged. and after sending back
a rumbling roar for a minute. as they re-
bounded from side to side OF the caverns,
they could be heard splashing into the
lake beneath.
The lake has It's source In the meltirc
of the tremendous quantities Of q
that fall within the crater, and which Is
perpetually acted upon in certain por-
lions OF the crater by the steam Gets ris-
ing from the interior. There Is no sur
face outlet for this water over tire rim
Of the crater, and II there were the low
temperatures OF the crest OF tho "'' ~"""-
tain, would soon freeze and close II up.
A subtarraneous channel. leading down
through the heart OF the mountain, may
give a temporary enttothe pent-up wa
ters. The three witnessed an incom-
parably grand sunrise from the summit
the next morning, and on that day, which
was Sunday, descended into Paradise
valley by way of the old route by Glib
raltar rock.
On the way down they met Ave young
men from Seattle, who were starting to
make the ascent. in which endeavor they
were successful. they reaching the rim
OF the crater the next dav Worday) al
noon. Prof. Flett and the two boys went
around the side of the mountHir, cross
ing the Cowlitz ard other glaciers, and
finally arriving at their camp on a ridge
overlooking the White river. glacier
Prof. Flett believes that the route from
. the east side is one OF the best tina
, could be selected. the slope gradients be
ing easier. there being no dizzy preci
!, pices, with the trail following n shelvins
l Of rock, as there is on the Gibraltar sid
: OF the mountain, and no dangerous ant
untoward ~cleavers to be traced.
People Eat Less Bread.
well, how's business asked a re
e porter of a wholesale iour agent. "fol