The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-01-21
EXPLORING MT. WRANGELL.
Great Volcano in Alaska Furnishes
Some New Discoveries for
Surveyors.

Only few years ago the necessarily
active volcano, Mount Wrangell, in
Alaska, was represented on all our maps
as an isolated mountain situated in the
midst of a great snow covered plateau.
Almost nothing was known of that in
land region, but Mount Wrangell had at
tracted attention because smoke was al
ways pouring from its summit.
Exploring parties of the United States
geological survey have been particularly
active in this region for the past three
years and are at last able to give much
definite information about it, reports the
New York Sun. 1t has been found that
Mount Wrangell is not solitary noun
tain, but is in the midst of a vast array of
SUBMITS covered with snow and glaciers
and spreading over an area of no less
than $500 square miles.
Within this area are at least ten snow
clad peaks 10000 feet or more in height.
Several of these are still unnamed and
two, Mount Sanford, 1920 feet, and
Mount Blackburn, 16, 140 feet, are higher
than Mount Blanc or any of the peaks
within the United States south of Can
ada. Mount Wranell, which has at
tracted more attention than the others
because it is an active volcano, is third
in altitude, $4,000 feet.
This entire mountain region, in the
basin Of the Copper river, is now known
as the Wrangell group of mountains.
w c. Mendenhall, of the suvery, has an
article on the group in the latest num-
Der OF the National Geographic Maya
zine Among his illustrations he gives
fine panoramic view, about three feet
long, of the part of the group which con-
tains some of the highest submits.
1t is wonderful scene of the grimmest
desolation peak after peak rising from
high valleys, their black. steep sides
streaked with snow and the higher ele-
vations completely white with it, and in
the center of the picture is Mount Wran-
CELL with its column of smoke.
But Wrangell itself is a grand noun
tain, though dwarfed by the higher cones
of Sanford and Blackburn. 1t is wide
spreading cone nearly three miles high
and eight times as broad. Its gently
arched surface is glistening snowfield
smudged here and there by volcanic ash
| from the crater, which sends up rolling
columns of smoke and vapor to height
| of three miles.
From its eastern slope descends the
| Nabesna glacier, frozen river so miles
in length On its western face a dozer
! jets of steam may be seen on still morn
ing issuing from as many vents
The glaciers proceeding from the shall
low valley where these vents occur art
black with breath OF the mountain. The
summit has never been reached, though
a prospector named John Bremner de
clares hat he got within a mile of thu
top.
But Mount Wrangell may be ascended
Mr.. Mendenhall thinks thzt some tim,
may elapse before the summit Of Noun
Mckinley Is reached, but he says it will
not be a dificult feat to get to the tol
of Wrangell The line of perpetual SNOW
is about $500 feet and the summit rise
$500 feet above this. He describes fou
feasible routes of approach and think
that the ascent of the only known ectfv
volcano In the interior of the continen
north of Mexico may we'll appeal to an
mountaineer All the other active Alas
kan volcanoes are on or near the sea
coast.
The Wrangell mountains are, for tn
most part, masses Of lava and volcani
mud which had been piled up on a
earlier surface, burying the old Ian
forms and substituting for them tn
present splendid group of mountains.