The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-30


plans for a climb from the northwest.
Mckinley. you should remember, is
. 10000 feet high. and we were then only
about half the distance to the sum-
nit
La voy Slid Into q Crevasse.
May I came. and onthat day We left
our cache and began to climb. It was
then 10 degrees below zero. Billiards
still prevailed, and it was getting cold
er all the time. the outcome being that
we had to halt after a short journeQ
owing to the intense cold, and this
time we were held up until June s."
As originally figured out it should
have taken only fourteen days to get
within hailing distance Of the sum-
nit. but the weather conditions en-
countered were SO untavorable that
the expedition was on the mountain
| for twenty-eight days. durjag most OF
which time the members were plod-
ding with the aid OF snowshoes through
a fresh snowfall more than five feet in
depth. Underneath the new snow were
numerous crevasses, Some OF them
wide enough for big truck to fall
through, and time and again the band
Of explorers had the narrowest sort
Of escapes from what would certainly
have been death.
Professor Parker and Brown and La
Voy were roped together. a precau-
ton that saved La Voy's life on one
occasion. La Voy struck q crevasse
and fell through, but was pulled back
to safety by the companions to whom
he was roped He went down to a
depth Of twenty feet, and his fall was
stopped by a hummock Of solid snow.
otherwise he probably would have
dragged Professor Parker and Brown
down with him When the fall was
halted. Professor Parker was on his
direction OF the hole into which La
voy had plunged
For the first time dogs and sledges
were used by the expedition all the
way up the mountain The men were
not roped to the dogs, for had the ami
mails struck crevasse the heavy
sledge would have dragged every man
down with II. Professor Parker de-
scribed In brief the hardships encoun-
tered in the ascent from an altitude
Of 5000 to 10000 feet
CLIMBED sheets Of GlisteninG lee.
AT times" he said, I'VE were forced
to cross shaky snow bridges. and u
almost drove US crazy. A single mis-
step would have finished US. At the
1910 mark We struck q ridge that in
places was scarcely I'VE inches wide.
with q 5O-degree slope. This is the
only way to scale the mountain. and It
was so dificult that II took US q week
to relay our supplies only 5000 feet.
Our last camp was made at the
1900 mark-Just 5000 feet from the
summit The storms were So blind
ing that We had to stay there four
days. Our progress for the last l.
geo feet was up o sheet OF glistening
ice, where steps rad 10 be chopped.
and the great danger lay In the fact
that Just as fast as the steps were
GU, they were filled again with the
drifting snow. All the way up We
were forced to take the most terri
hanging Ice threatened to come down
ment"
Professor Parker was asked what
the top Of Mckinley Is like.
TT is a great dome OF ice." was the
reply. and scattered along the range
are a number Of large hummccks. o.
hills. Of ice. The point We reached
was about 200 or 200 feet from the
highest Of these. so you can readily
see that the so-called failure upon
our part to top the highest OF these
little hills was certainly no failure.
We reached the tor on Jvse -.
Meanwhile. from the time We passed
the I5.coo-foot point We had discovered
that our pemfnican was bad. Tbs
popular North Pole food docsn't 60
70, those high attitudes. and for two
weeks. ascending and making the SIN
more hazardous and trying descent. We
were compelled TO exist on crackers
and tea. Living practically upon our
own s1esue. 10 was . terrse1e pr-
deal
Then We reache4 . height % H.
200 feet the weather became very oad
asain. ana We were almost exhausted.
we struggled on. however, WITH but
three DAYS supplies left The most
terrific blizzard occurred when re
reached abcus aes feet from the high
est See hill Our progress ND the NOON
tain had been dangerous and s1cy.
and there was every reason 60 believe
that We wou1o have Q much more an
cult sfme descending. DreWu and
came 60 the conclassoa that there vas
sAossussoy asso9ag - - oesnee ~
a. ImDx go X~Wy.