New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-12
As TO THE HIGHEST 4NDEAN PEAK.


When the news Of Miss Annie 5. Pechs ascent
of Mount Euascan, in Peru. was received iasI
! Septemher il was coupled with the statement
/ tbot all records of mountain climbing had been
/ broken Al that time The Tribune remarked
that the world would need TO wait until II could
heer what Miss Peck herself had to say before
accepting the story in full Hitherto the best
estimates Of the height Of Huascan have ranged
from twenty thousand to twenty-five thouSanh
! feet. aid the gazetteers have agreed IN rating
Aconca qua IN Chill. as the loftiest peak IN me
whole Andean system. Hence the conquest OF
that neak in 1897 by Zurhriggen A guide in the
employ of Fitzgerald. seemed 10 leave no chance
for greater honors in America. Zurhriggen g
OWN measurements made the height OF Aeon
cagua 23OSO feet. There was the greater need
of ascertaining the exact truth because some or
the press dispatches which il now appears were
unauthorized said that Miss Peck had signalled
from an elevation of twenty-five thousand feet.
In "Harper's Magazine for January Miss Peek
gives an interesting account Of her adventure.
Huascan terminates in two peaks. In August
the daring climber reached the saddle. or notch,
between them. AT that time her reading of a
mercurfal barometer led her 10 compute the alti-
tude at approximately twenty Thousand feet.
After a temporary return to lower level FOR
a few days the attempt to gain the top was re-
newed. and this time proved successful Just
before attaining the highest point Miss Peck pre-
pared to make observations with hypsometer,
an instrument which measures altitude by de
termining the temperature at which water boils.
In It's use lamp candle Is required but.
owing to the wind. she unable 10 light the
candle though shielding The apparatus with a
poncho and scratching no end OF matches One
Of her guides, in response TO her inquiries estl
mated the height Of the peak as from $500 10
1900 feet above the saddle, and the other guide
at from 1000 to 5000 feet. Miss Peck feels war
ranted. therefore in believing that Huascan Is
at least twenty-fOur thousand feet high, and
that her achievement is vet without a parallel
The records with which the ascent Of Huascan
would naturally be compared are Zurbriggen's
in the Andes Graham's in the Himalayas about
sixty years ago. and those Of DR.. and Mrs. Work
man. Of Worcester. Mass. also IN the Hima-
layas. So much skepticism has been manifested
concerning the correctness of Grahams claim TO
have reached a height of 23,S00 feet that little
injustice would result from ruling him out alto
gethpr. Whymper certainly high authority IN
such matters. showed confidence IN the repre-
sensations made in Fitzgeralds book IN regard
to Zurbriggen. Finally, If any question has been
raised rs to the correctness of The Workmans'
reports, we have overlooked II. Airs. Workman is
said to have reached a height OF 23,8OO feet on
one of the Nun Kun peaks in 1908, and the
doctors best performance exceeded this by ninety
four feet In trying 10 determine whether ge0g-
raphers have been mistaken about the relative
heights Of Aconcagua and Huascan, and whether
Miss Peck has won notable personal triumph.
IL is necessary to pass judgment on the validity
of the evidence she offers. This may be done, of
course without rejecting in the least on her
good faith. and without any abatement Of ad-
miration Of her persistence and pluck. The weak
points in the case are her inability to make any
measurements on the top of Huascan and the
necessity for relying the opinions Of her
guides who might, unconsciously. he bassed by
the expectation Of fame from their performance.
Some day, perhaps. Miss Peck will try il again
and have better luck with her instruments.