Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-29

their lives IN crossing ana recroSS1nS
the icy mountain torrents, the great
Alaskan range was finally crossed at
what Is called Brooks pass. Mount
Mckinley was then almost circled for
q possible approach and finally was
scaled to the height Of 11,OO0 feet,
when farther progress was ended by
an impossible precipice. 1t was then
that the attempt was abandoned and
the party separated after returning to
the ship. Parker went home, Browne
went hunting, Porter went surveying,
and Cook went to glory and the top
of the continent, although Barrill
swears he only went near glory and
was more than 10000 feet below the
top OF the continent. At present there
is no way to check up on the two ex-
cept to recover the little brass tube.
Parker says that If he finds this yes
sci OF honor he will bring it back with
him, but Cook viii not give him the
chance. He is going to find it himself.
Well, strength to their arms, or, rath-
or, to their legsl May they both reach
the top and live to write books about
the purple SHOWS" that all well reg
ulated peaks and poles are now sup
posed to wear.
Hardest Climb on Earth.
But If they do 1t they will have some
climbing Mount Mckinley is now re-
garded as the hardest peak to nego-
tiate on earth. OF course it is not so
high as the Himalayas or the Andes.
but presents features of more difficulty
than aif Tho 70 IaIopd ahOuf tho
Alaskan range is less than a mile in
height. while that surrounding the
Himalayas is two or three miles up
leaving a greater sheer ascent for the
American mountain than for those in
Asia. As for the Andes, they, too, have
q high tableland and but little snow
and ice, while Mckinley is practically
all ice and snow above 1000 feet. An
other element that makes the Alaskan
mountain a hard proposition is that
Of the sheer preciplces thousands of
feet in height that apparently surround
1t on every side. On the top it is com
fat, but it is long way to
the top 1t has been liilened in shape
TO brick standing on end. Two more
features that make It difficult are the
and the fact that 1t is so far
inland in an almost inaccessible coun-
try AS rule, mountain climbers plan
to reach the base of their ascents in a
fresh and strong condition. In ap-
preaching Mount Mckinley they are
exhausted and worn out before they
reach the foot.
The one side of the great peak which
has not been explored and from which
no attempt has been made to scale it
is on the north. 1t is probable that
the Parker expedition will try 1t along
this route AS for the Cook expedi-
ton, it will be along the lines of that
Of 1906 and will follow the course laid
down in DR.. Cooks book as that by
which he reached the summit OF the
mountain. This in itself will be q test
Of the truth of his claims. whether or
not he finds the little brass tube If he
climbs Mount Mckinley along the
route OF 1903. a feat that Professor
Parker says cannot be performed. that
IN itself will go Tar toward establish
ing Cooks former story. 1t has also
been suggested that Barrill should |
cad an expedition to the point he |
;wears that Cook and himself reached |
Ind reproduce the photographs that he
asserts were taken by Cook and rep |
Is Mount Mckinley pictures. |
For example. he could rephotograph |
he peak on which he stood and which |
Cook photographed as the top Of Nc |
I<inley, but which Barrill claims was /
-wenty miles distant and fully two |
niles lower in altitude At present no |
le6nite steps have been taken toward |
a Barrill expedition. how