Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-05-02
The Mountains of the Moon

tographs of the mountains, poor as
they were. plainly showed that the
snow extended more than mile
above the snowline on the highest
peaks. Moore said in 1901 that it
was impossible to say as yet which
one of the numerous snow peaks is
the highest, much less to give its ex-
act height.
Sir Harry Johnston said in his ad-
dress before the Royal geographical
society in 1902 that he was personally
convinced that the highest point of
Ruwenzori is not under 10000 feet
in altitude and that it will be found
to be the eliminating point of Africa.
when, after the most arduous climb
I have ever experienced l reached my
highest point on the snow range,
1880 feet the mountain above me
seemed a thing l had only begun to
climb, and lowered as far as | could
estimate, another 5000 feet into the
dark blue heavens" He said there
were at least 20 miles of almost con
tinuous glaciers along the highest
part of the ridge This fact alone
under the equator, of course, proves
a great altitude.
DR.. Stuhlmann, who also made
sturdy but vain attempt to get to the
top, thought the mountains were
about 1900 feet high. Fisher, who
reached the same point attained by
Johnston and wrote of his ascent just
a year ago, says that he believes that
the highest peak reaches an altitude
Of between 10000 and $4,000 feet
His thermometer between the attitudes
Of 5000 and 1890 feet fell from
lis degrees Fahrenheit to % degrees
Fahrenheit. Unless great elevations
are ascertained by trigOnOmetrical
measurements it is the most difficult
thing in the world to find their height
even approximately until some one
gets to the top with a good anero1d or
boiling point barometer. For cen
turtles the height of Mt. DemaVend
as supposed to be from 10000 to $4,000
feet, and it as only recently ascertain
ed to be $4,000 feet. Explorers
guessed that KilmanjarO was about
$4,000 feet high, but we know now
that it is 1900 feet. Spoke and
Stanley estimated that Mfumbiro was
between 5000 and 10000 feet, but
C0un Won Gotten found that it was
200 feet.
From all the testimony thus far no
one will be SURPRISED if the duke OF
the Abruzzi comes home with the in
formation that the Kikauja and the
DuwOni peaks o. RuWenzOri at least
if not more of these SUBMITS. are
higher than any other mountains in
Africa The latest to attempt the
ascent was Davids, the Swiss natural
list. last year. He made fine cOllec-
tons on the slopes of the range, but
the ice above baf1ed him. as it did
all his predecessors.
Some of the men here mentioned
are expert mOuntaineers. but there
are a number of good reasons why
every attempt to reach the higher al
titudes has thus far failed. The slopes
are so difficult of ascent that for days
before explorers reach the ice they
are travelling in a temperature near
the freezing point, and they are the
less able to endure this cold from
the fact that they have been living
for months or years in the super
heated tropical regions at lower al
titudes. AS they ascend they are
first delayed by long, precipitous
walls of rock that can be circum-
vented only by long detours; then they
run up against walls Of ice, and when
they reach the glacial surface they
find the conditions of travel impos-
sible without a complete alpine out
fit, and none of them has been pro
vided with this equipment There are
no guides to help them, for above the
snow line they are the pioneers and
pathfnders.
All of them also have lacked ade-
quate means of transportation or OF
providing shelter and food supplies.
Above $4,000 feet none Of them has
found a place where a hut could be
built or a tent raised to protect the
men at night for the slopes of the
rocks and the ice are extremely steep.
To add to their difficulties there seems
to extend clear around the range, be-
tween 5000 feet and the snow line. a
broad belt of wet moss and sodden
vegetation into which the climber
sinks to his knees. The belt is
simply a sponge, and it is impossible
to cross it dry shod
Only rarely do they have the inspir,
alton of magnificent scenery to spur
them on Johnston was within
sight of Ruwenzori for 31a months
and he saw it's SHOWS only six times
except, of course, during the week
that he was clambering among them
The range was wrapped in fog most
of the time All the explorers agree
that the complete and successful as
cent of the highest peaks of Ruwen,
zori will require as elaborate prepare
ton as exploration in the Andes or the
Himalayas. The facts here given
show that the duke of the Abruzzi is
undertaking a work of no mean mag
nitude; but his splenlid fitness for it
and the complete equipment he will
take with him justify the hope that
he will be able to dispel the mystery
that surrounds these great snow noun
tains under the equator