The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-13
FOUR CLIMB MOUNT EKINLEY
FOUND va SIGN THAT mn. COOK
MAD EVER BEEN THERE.


party consisting 81 Thomas Lloyd and
three companions which LETT here Tires
months or 20 ago to attempt the ascen
OF Mount Mckinley. the highest mountain
IN North America. has succeeded in IL,
purpose The summit was reached OF
April after q month OF steady olimhin:
from the base OF the mountain
The party left Fairbanks on Decsmbs.
n They established camp At the bass
Of the peak in March.
No trace Of DR. Cooks ascent could h.
found on either peak and no records were
discovered
Thomas Lloyd led the party HE COM
panions on the perilous ascent were W. r.
Taylor. Charles McGonigle and Daniel
Patterson. There were six other men
in the party. hut they were left in charge
% the four camps which were established
on the way toward the top Of the Grea.
Peak 4.
According to LLOYD no trouble vas,
experienced in making the lscent for tho
first 1900 feet. The next 1000 feet. how-
ever. was covered only after steps had
been hewn out Of a solid sheet q ice.
The final dash was made by the four men
from the last camp which had been estab-
hshed at the Ia.OOO foot level
The expedition was financed by AuRnss
Peterson and William McPhee Of Fair-
banks when the Cook controversy was
raging. Tie plan was to 60 into camp
on the mountain as high az possible and
probably about the middle % May make
a dash for the summit
The obstacles sncount cred were not an
great A. had been predicted. Four
campo were established during the ascent
and a trail was blazed all the way 10 the
crest. Up to 1900 feet the climbing
did not present unusual dificu'ti~s.
For the next S.OOO feet the way led over
a steep ice field which at first seemed In
forbid further progress. but over which
upon exploration IL was found possible
TO establish a path.
The final dash to the top was made
from the 1900 foot camp. Mount
Mckinley terminates in twin paaks Of
equal height. one somewhat rounded
and covered with snow. the other COM
posed Of hare and wind swept rock. On
the rocky peak the Fairbanks climbers
placed an American Gag in a monument
Of stones.
The expedition was provided with DR..
Cooks maps and books and attempted To
follow and verify his route. but failed
TO do so
School geographies Of the old DAYS had
Il that Mount ~. Elias was the hiRhess
peak in the United States. In Ises when
the news came south that there was gold
in Alaska came the word also that there
was a mountain back Of Cooks Inlet
which overtopped 81. Elias's 1897
feet by more than thlrd Of mile its
summit was dimly visible from the sea
level, some 80 miles away out no white
man had ever seen It Close at hand
In that same year W. 4. nickey. an
American prOspector. crossed from the
Copper River country and launched a
canoe on the StIsitna River. A. he pA&sad
down stream he padded under the shadow
% the foothills Of the Alaskan mour ta1ns
and saw a VeAk which the Alaskan In
dians called Boishoy. He estimated rs
hei ght at - go feet and renamed II Mount
Mckinley. The later explorers did rot
change Dickey's estimate greatly. Robert
Dunn. who made four attempts n climb
Mount Mckinley aud who was wish tha
first Cook expedition. figured that tha
mountain was ~ 3DO feet high. nstG q
ia latitude az degrees north aud longi-
tude I5I degrees west N ~ about ISL
miles south Of the Arctic CIRCLE and IL in
the backbone Of III. greatest watershed
an Alaska. II is the highest far nor hern
mountain peak Ia the world
The leader Of the Fairbanks expedition
was Tom Lloyd lie set out with William
X Taylor Charles McCionlg". R1bsrt
Horn. Charles r.. Davidson and William
Lloyd. Davidson IN an experienced civil
engineer lie. with McCiOnigle. UNDER
took before the expedition started On rs
Ascent 20 survey the mountain from tbs
base IN order To discover what was tna
most likely means Of ascent.
The men who put up tho money for tha
expedition were William McPhee and
August Peterson of Fairbanks. They
also put up s. 600. to be forfeited in case no
member q the expedition reached ,ha
summit by July T. The party left FAIR
banks December -. II was preceded by
Peter Anderson. who started some weeks
before IL. to establish q camp in the Mount
Mckinley territory. Tom Lloyd AZ tbs
moment he left did not intend 10 begin
the final climb until some time in May
The Cook controversy was still hos whan
the party left Fairbanks. and IL was in
tended TO find out WHISTLER the summit
showed any evidences Of Or. Cook visit
Tho members determined also % try TO
Use his mAps. thinking that their utility
would demonstrate WHISTLER or not he hal
covered the route he sketcbed.
BY the middle Of February Lloyd and
his party reachsd q height Of n .OOO fest.
Tom Dalton. the messenger whom Lloyd
sent hack from there. reported that this
chief Of the expedition had found con-
ditiOns 80 favorable that he had decided
TO press on Immediately without return
ing TO Fairbanks. ~ his original plans
The scheme a. laid out wAs 20 sstAblish
a string Of camps along tho route. Lloyd
thought that there was no advantage in
taking the risk Of hot dash for the sum
init. lie had n camp at MOOSE Greek
..ll.a 2r.rtaga Cabin annfkaF Rhnua Ian