The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-13
NO TRACE Of COOK
. ON Mt. M kINLEY
Fairbanks Expedition Reaches
the Summit on
April 8,
OBSTACLES NOT so GREAT
Path Found Over Wall OF Ice
Which Seemed to Forbid
Travel.

Fairbanks. Alaska, April lathe
Fairbanks expedition to Mt Mckinley,
the highest peak in North America,
climb of one month from the base. 1t
was announced to-day. No traces OF
DR.. Frederick a. Cooks alleged ascent
were found.
Thomas Lloyd. leader of the eNpedi-
tion. arrived here last night. His COM
panions were Daniel Patterson, ". r.
Taylor and Charles McGonnigle. All
reached the top of the mountain. The
expedition, which left Fairbanks De-
cember Is, while the controversy over
DR.. Cooks disputed ascent was still
raging, was financed by August Peter
son and William McPhee, of this city.
The plan was to go into camp on the
mountain, as high as possible, and
probably about the middle ofaiAIay make
dash for the summit. The obstacles
encountered We're not so great as had
been predicted. Four camps We're es-
tablished during the ascent, and trail
! was blazed all the way TO the crest.
Up to $4,000 feet the climbing did not
present unusual difficulties. For the
next 1000 feet, the way led over a
steep Ice field. which at first seemed
to forbid further progress. but through
which. upon exploration, 1t was found
! possible to locate path, The final
dash to the top was made from the
| l6,OOO-foot camp.
Mt Mckinley terminates in twin
peaks of equal height, one somewhat
round and covered with snow; the
other composed of bare and wind
swept rocks. On the rock peak, the
Fairbanks climbers placed an Ameri-
can flag In a monument of stones. The
expedition. which was provided with
Dr. Cooks maps and data. endeavored
to follow his supposed route. but Ut
terly failed TO verify any part of his
story of an ascent.
The Mount Mckinley expedition. news
of which has bee nreceived from Fair
banks, Alaska, is made up of Thomas
Il. Lloyd Robert Horn, Harry Earsten
and Charles McGonigle, all experienced
nountaineers. Word received from the
party at Seattle. on April 4. said that
the climbers had reached an elevation
of $4,000 feet, without great difficulty.
At that point they were confronted By
an almost perpendicular wall OF ice
that stretched more than 1000 feet
to the summit. The men stated, how
ever that they had found q gap In the
ice way, and believed that they would
be able to reach the top. Tbs eNped-
ton was equipped with a dog team and
supplies, and with the latter they es-
! tahlished a base at the foot OF the
| mountain. They planned to make III,
dash for the summit at the break el
| winter in March, The members OF the
party agreed to forfeit $500 If none OF
| them reached the summit. One of theil
objects was to verify or disprove, tt
their own satisfaction, the claim Of DR.
| Frederick a, Cook that he reached the
summit in the fall OF 1906 DR. Coot
claimed to have ascended Mount McKin,
ley, and to have reached the SUNNI
on September l6, He said he had lef
on top of the mountain proofs that ht
! had been there, Professor Harschel
! Parker, OF Columbia University, was {
member of the expedition that pr
Cook led to the mountain, and he ate1
disputed Cooks assertion that he reach
ed the summit, after the professor ant
other companions had turned back,
Recently Professor Parker organized
Continued on Second Page.)