The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
THE MOUNTAINS
OF THE MOON
Duke of Abruzzi Becomes Fa-
NOUS As Explorer
MOST REMARKABLE FEAT
Climbs Higher Than Any Previous Ad-
venturer on One of the Un-
known Ranges of Gen.
trial Africa.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
The Mountains of the Moon-the chain
of Ruwenzori-had been more or less of
a mystery from Aristotle's day till the
Duke of Abruzzi in the summer of 1905
actually climbed these snow-crowned
peaks near the equator, whose melting
SHOWS are contributory to the sources of
the ancient river of Egypt. Egypt, nur-
tured by the snow" says Aeschylus, and
Aristotle's phrase is the mountain of
silver as descriptive of the point of van
tage at which the Nile starts on its long
journey to the sea. Ptolemy assigned the
name The Mountains of the Moon, and
positively named them as the sources of
the Nile. Spoke, passing that way in
1861, heard from the Arabs of noun
tain covered with white stuff" and so
high and steep that no man could climb
it, but Samuel Baker, in 1864, was the
first white man who actually beheld its
vast bulk dlmly looming through the
cloud veil that continually enshrouds the
range. In 1876 Stanley camped for days
chilly Businesses above him, but In 1888
the same great explorer got a wonderful
view from the southwest shore of Lake
Albert and has given the following CLASH
cal description
A Rare Spectacle.
"While looking to the southeast and
meditating upon the events of the last
month my eyes were directed by boy to
a mountain said to be covered with salt,
and | saw a peculiar shaped cloud of a
most beautiful silver color which assumed
the proportions and appearance of vast
mountain covered with snow. Following
Its form downward L became struck with
the deep blue-blaclS color of It's base and
wondered If 1t portended another volcano;
then as the sight descended to the gap
between the eastern and western plateaux
I became for the first time conscious
that what I gazed upon was not the
image or semblance of vast mountain.
but the solid substance of a real one,
with it's summit covered with snow. It
then dawned upon me that this must be
Ruwenzori, which was said to be covered
with a white metal or substance believed
to be rock, as reported by KavalPs two
slaves.
Up Pretty High.
Lieutenant Stairs of Stanleys party
got to a height of II 200 feet on the noun
tain in 1889, and in 1895 Scott Elliott, the
botanist, struggled as high as 1900 feet.
In 1900 Mr.. Moore attained 1890 feet, and
later In the same year Sir Harry john
ston achieved the height Of 14,S2s feet In
1906 just before the Duke of Abruzzi' 8
successful assault A. f. r. Wollaston.
of a party sent out by the British mu-
scum, broke the record by getting to a
point IS, 10 feet above sea level on the
peak known as Kiyanja.
Abruzzi took with him four Swiss
guides, staff of scientists, and Vittorio
sella, the best mountain photographer
who ever piled his craft. Two hundred
and fifty porters were required to trans
port the supplies of the expedition from
the coast. In the ascent of the noun
tain there was first knee-deep black mud
to be waded through, then masses of
ferns and orchids, amid great coniferous
trees, and finally Alpine moss covering
aged tree truns, which have lain undis-
turbed for centuries. The permanent
camp was fixed on stone heap below a
cliff. and among mildews and lichens
and pallid mist and an everlasting drip
of rain, five weeks were passed with this
unpromising spot as their base"
Hampered BY Fog.
From this point in all directions they
climbed, explored. surveyed and photo
graphed the range, most OF the time
cropping in blind fog. but making frantic
use of every available scrap of sunshine.
The highest point of the range they
found to be 1885 feet, and this summit
they named Margherita, In honor of the
Queen Dowager.
"They emerged from the mist into
splendid, clear sunlight. AT their feet
lay a sea fog. An impenetrable layer Of
light, ashy-white cloud drift, stretching
as far as the eye could reach, was drift
ing rapidly northwestward. From the
immense moving surface emerged two
fixed points. two pure white peaks, spark
ling in the sun, with their myriad snow
crystals. These were the two extreme
submits of the highest peaks. The Duke
of the Abruzzi named these submits
Margherita and Alexandra. In order that
under the auspices of these two royal
ladies, the memory Of the two nations
may be honorsd down to posterity-of
Italy, whose name was the first to re-
sound on these SHOWS in q shout of VIC
tory, and of England, which, in It's mar
velous colonial expansion, carries civil
ization to the slopes of these remote
mountains. 1t was a thrilling moment
when the little tri-color flag. given by H.
M. Queen Margherita of Savoy, unfured
to the wind and sun the embroidered let
ters of It's inspiriting motto, 'Ardisci Q
Spera.'"