The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-03-15
A WOMAN'S
ASCENT OF
MT. S0RATA

Providence people assembled. several
evening 10 welcome home from South
America Miss Annie S Peck. mountain
climber. n daughter Of this state whose
fame IL world wide As she stood on the
stage, tall. rather slight figure in con-
ventlonal evening gown. Il seemed un-
conceivable that she had gone through
the exciting experiences which have been
her lot and had kept her courage and do
termination when men, trained mountain
climbers. and n scientist had given up.
Former Gov ID. Russell Brown intro
duced Miss Peck. saying in part:
I'VE are disappointed because his ex-
cellency is not present, but Gov. Utter
is not billed as the chief attraction this
evening. There is a woman present. one
whom you all know, a true Rhode lei.
ander. Rhode Island is distinguished for
many things and in many ways. and Miss
Peck may fairly be called one Of her
most distinguished daughters She is
known throughout the world and has
done much by way OF discovery and for
the advancement OF science
She has risen higher on this hemi-
sphere than any American man or woman
Her latest adventure was not entirely
successful. for when very near the sum
nit OF Mt. Hupascaran pronounced
''Wascaran'D. her guides would go no
further. and now Miss Peck SAYS that
she is looking for man who will go AS
far AS she will.
Miss Peck tells me that she is giving
this course Of lectures not wholly be-
cause she delights 10 look into the bright
faces OF her own people, nor because Il is
pleasure 10 instruct and cnterta1n but
because OF her ambition to 90 To the ton.
She desires To reach tho summit OF MI.
Huascaran, for this she believes tn be the
highest peak on THIS hemisphere. prob
ably about 5000 feet and asks for your
good support
1T gives me great pleasure To present
Miss Annie s. Peck. A. NJ. resident OF
tho world, and ot Rhode Island I'm par
ticular."
RECEIVED WITH APPLAUSE
Miss Peck was received with = burst
of applause and she after asking n par-
don for the personal note that would he
noticeable tonight, promised TO not mako
IL so apparent next time
She said that her taste for mountain
climbing was discovered during q visit
10 Switzerland. hut this simply whetted
her appetite for further adventures along
discovered her aptitude for this sort Of
thing and proven her physical endur-
ance
BY means OF the stereopticon interest !
Ing views of her trip were thrown on tbs
screen as she told OF tho prcnsrattons
for the journey. the scientific nnparatus
that was carried. as well as the quanti-
ties ~ warm clothing that she had pre-
pared 20 offset the dread mountain cold
The slow accommodation train-liko
run down the coast of outh America
was portrayed as Well as the Journey in
land by rail-, boat and rlmshackly old
coach, 10 say nothing Of mule back. Lake
Titicaca, la Paz. a half-Tndian city. tho
pre-Tncs ruined city Tiahuanco. Areguipa
end El Mistl which Is ~ 2oo feet high was
described. as we'll n the descent into the
crater and the hard work 20 get back
TO tho top
She told OF the dcsertions Of Indians
who were hired TO help carry tn, camp
equipment Ip the mountain. and when
at the height Of 1880 feet tho professor
was taken ill. perhaps he had cold feet.
on 2 second attempt u now party She
made up reached within days Journey
of the top Of the highest peak. when the
guides left Miss Peck 10 20 on alone.
P1unging her Alpenstock into the snow.
she found nothingness. AZ her worry fec,
was the hidden chasui she found tho
guides were not only not following her
IN the pcrilous ascent. but they had per
formed the cowardlv act of cutting tho
rope that bound tho party together
There wss great danger ~ starting n
crevssse ana. though disappointed, tie