Newport daily independent., 1905-08-01
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING.
EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE ON THE
 HUMAN FRAME.
Former Incredulity Regarding At tainment of Great Heights Dis pelled by Feats of Noun
 taineers

Three years ago one of the leading mountaineers of Europe expressed the opinion that the limits of high ascents had about been reached. He did not believe the human animal could stand up and work in the increasing rarefac- ton of the air above an elevation of 23,000 feet He had no idea that man would ever stand on the summit of Mount Everest, the culminating point of the earth 29,000 feet above sea level
 Since then, says the New York Sun, a large amount of fresh experience has been collected as to the effects of alti- tude on the human frame. Critics would hardly presume to-day to ques- tion the veracity Of w. W. Graham's claim that in 1883 he reached a point within 50 feet of the summit of Kabru (20,U15) in the Himalayas, simply be- cause he did not suffer from mountain sickness. Sir Martin Conway and others did not accept his statement for the reason that neither he nor his companions experienced any of the ef' fects of diminished atmospheric pres sure"
 The increduiity freely expressed ten or fifteen years ago as to the possibil- ity of attaining such attitudes Is nov quite out of date. The British expedi- tion that crossed the Himalayas to Lhasa year ago proved that men may climb. carry loads on their backs and even fight at an altitude of 10000 feet: and Col. Waddell says in his book that the Thibetans, fleeing before the ad- vancing army, crossed snow fields at an elevation of 23,O0O feet. When men carry on military campaign at heights nearly as great as balloons have attained. Mr. Fryeshfield and other famous climbers who assert that the topmost pinnacle of the earth will yet be conquered have new evidence favoring their contention.
 There is no longer any doubt that existence may be maintained at a height greater than that of Mount Everest. It is believed that Coxwell and Glaisher, in their most famous
  of about 3O,0O0 feet, though they claimed an altitude of 37,000 feet. Paul Bert submitted himself in Paris to very low atmospheric pressures during period of 89 minutes, and for several minutes he brsathed under . pressure about the same as that which would be experienced on the top of Everest. There is danger undoubtsd- ly in the rapid ascents which aeronuats sometimes make to very high alti- tudes In two hours Messrs. Croce- Spinelli, Sivel and Tissandier rose in a balloon to a height of 26,000 feet. and for two hours moro they were be- tween that altitude and 28.0OO feet. with the result that two of them wore suffocated and Tissandier was the sole survivor.
 But mountaineers usually take wseks to reach the upper altitude. and they no longer ascribe most of their ills to mountain sickness. The guide Eur briggen writing of tho last stretch on high Himalayan climb, says that tho party was keakened. not by the work of tho few previous hours. but "by the continued strain of the last three weeks" Prof. Roy writes that fatigue or excitement rather than the rarsfac- ton of the air is the cause of tho quick pulse rate that Is associated with mountain sickness. MT. Fresh field, writing last month. says that all recent experience goes to confirm the fact that the violent indisposition often felt on reaching heights of 12,000 to 15,O00 feet tends to disappear on fur ther advance after resting for short time
 The only good photograph ever made of Mount Everest was taken awhile ago by the British in part Of I'hibet which Europeans had not wis., tied for several generations. The mighty mass, snow covered and pierc- ing the sky has all the majesty Of a great mountain and all the grace and the lightness we see in white cloud There are famous climbers who be- lieve that Everest may be conquered. and that when the time for attack comes neither mountain sickness nor larefaction will be a serious impedi- ment.