New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-24
WOULD GO HIGHER.
Mss Peck Discusses Her H.
nine Record and Others.
he Editor or The Tribune

Sir: The editorial comments of The Trb-
une on the letter of Mrs. Fanny Bullock
Workman concerning the height of Huas-
caran. being unusually fair and reasonable
in character perhaps render il unnecessary
for me TO make any statement, yet there
are few things which may be said.
| naturally did rot expect the scientific
world any one else to take my estimate
of the height of Huascaran as positive. 1t
should. however. be noted that the dccu-
racy or trfanguations Of lofty mountains is
also questionable May L quote on this
point disinterested testimony from c. l..
Mumm. of the English Alpine Club, who i'll
his recent work. Five Months in the
Himalayas, says:
The results Of triansulations do not al
ways agree. and even when they practi-
caly coincide they cannot be accepted as
absolutely unimpea liable: there is good
reason to suppose that the effect OF retrac-
ton ~ not yet sufficiently understood FOR
the allowances made for II to be perfectly
accurate. and the higher or more remote
the summit the larger il the Possibility OF
error.
Dr. Norman j. Collie, also OF the English
Alpine CLUB. who has had much experience
in the Himalayas, stated TO Professor II. G.
Parker OF Columbia University. that the
amount to be allowed for refFaction on high
snow mountains is most uncertain-that the
altitude of the HimaIayan peaks, though
given in precise figures. is still in doubt
Further, a former member of the British
Royal Engineers informed me that the tri-
angula ton of k was made by friend OF
his, who made double the allowance for re-
fraction which he thought should nave
been given The smaller allowance would
,,.ai,, fCtI
higher than the present figures.
If a similar allowance was made on
Hua scar4n. especially in country with
much dryer atmosphere than India. 1t
might easily happen that the mountain IS
lOD or > 600 feet higher than has been fis-
ured
While Mrs. Workman was perfectly with
in her rights in spending her money
whether for scientific or other reasons on
the triangulation OF Huascaran, it does not
therefore follow an absolute necessity
that this triangulation gives the exact
height of the mountain
Not being possessed OF the private fort
une of the lady above mentioned. am
quite unable TO follow The Tribune's suS-
sestion. either of sending surveyors of my
own for another triangulation of Huas-
caran or of investigating the climbs OF DR..
and Mrs. Workman.
1t may be fitting. however to state that
while Mrs. Workman, according to the
newspapers. has frequently announced her
readiness to furnish evidence of the att
tudes definitely claimed by herself, when
wrote to her saying that l. we'll other
Alpinists, would be Interested in seeing the
figures of her obserya tons she informed me
that they had not been published in any OF
her writings nor die she offer 70 give them
to me personally.
Let NE add that if had the means 10 do
SO. instead of employing them as above
me mt toned, [ should devote them to the
ascent of a mountain Of greater altitude
than the record height attained By Prince
Luigi last summer. feeling confident that
with Suita bic assistance | should be able
for the first time to bring the worlds rec
ORD unuuestionably to this cOuntry-a rec
ord previously improperly claimed by Dr.
Workman with 1884, feet. although there
was never any valid reason for doubling
the ascent by W. w. Graham of Mount
Kabru, about twenty-four thousand feet,
twenty years earlier, is now QUITE gen
orally acknowledged.
1t may be said further that should it ulti-
mately be decided that Huascaran does NOT
overtop Aconcagua there world still be
some uncertainty as to the right of tn"
latter to first place There are a number OF
peaks OF great height in the Andes of which
very little is known-Coropuna, 5ehama
and two mountains within hundred miles
Of Cerro de Pasco. which. when carefully
measured. may any one of them prove to
surpaSs Aconcagua.
| had planned to investigate and ascend
one or two of these after Huascaran in 1905
but was prevented from so doing by the in
capacity of one of my guides, who froze
both hands and one foot on that climb
through carelessly losing his mittens /
should be very glad, if the funds were pro
vided, TO pursue these Investigations fur
Their or TO attain a record height in the
HimalayaS. ANNIE s PECK
New York, Feb y. t910.