The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-11-23
OUR ALASKAN PARK
1t Is CIasSed as One of Worlds
Colossal SpectaCIes.
GRANDEUR OF THE SCENERY.

Mighty Mount Mckinley, Most Lofty of
All Our country's lowering Peaks,
Crowns the Titanic Glory OF the New
est of Uncle Sans Reservations.
The national park in Alaska which
congress created in the spring of 1917
is one of the monster spectacles of
the world To say that Mount McKin-
ley rises 10000 feet above sea level and
that it is the loftiest peak in America
is TO convey no idea whatever of its
grandeur. There are several mountains
In the Himalayas which materially ex-
ceed its height, one which rises more
than 25,000 feet above sea level, and
yet Mount Mckinley to the observer is
loftier than any of these
The reason is that the greatest Him
alayas are seen from valleys 1000 to
10000 feet Ia altitude. hile Mount Nc
Kinley rises abruptly from valleys
5000 feet and even less m altitude.
The visitor to the Mount Mckinley
National park win look up more than
1900 feet to the double peak, the
per 14,00O feet of which are COZ =
with perpetual snow.
This enormous mass is the climax of
the great Alaskan range which extends
roughly east and west across southeast
central Alaska, separating the vast
northern inland from the more popu-
lated country whose shores are the
gulf OF Alaska The range parallels
the mighty Yukon many miles to its
mouth
The reservation contains 2,20O square
miles. It's northern slopes, which over
look the Tanana watershed with its
gold mining industry, are broad val
leys inhabited by enormous herds OF
caribou Its southern plateau is a
perpetual winter wilderness through
which glaciers of great length and
enormous bulk flow into the valleys of
the south. In this National park, which
the railroad now building by govern
ment into the Alaskan interior will
open to the public, America possesses
Alpine scenery upon q titanic scale
From the stormy south Mount Nc
Kinley is wholly inaccessible. But
from the plains of the north valleys of
easy grade lead one from another TO
its foot
"It is an awe inspiring region of mas
sive mountains and ice capped peaks"
Belmore Browne Of the Campfire club
testified before the senate committee
on territories. The Piedmont plateau
that follows the range affords a beau
tiful roadway direct to Mount McKin-
ley, and when you reach the plateau
all difficulties vanish and you see q
view that is unique on this earth. You
see the huge mountain line of perpet-
ual snow, rising like a great wall on
the southeast You can ride pony to
where Mount Mckinley rises 1900
feet above you IN glittering wall of
snow and ice. 1t is flanked by stu
pendous mountains, which make Won
derful setting for the monster"
North of the vast mountain, however,
is a rolling country dotted with beau
tiful lakes and forests and inhabited
by enormous herds Of caribou. In fact,
the special reason why congress set
apart the region at this time was to
conserve the wild animal life In ad-
vance of the invasion of hunters which
the new government railroad will bring
into Alaska, the road as. projected run
ming within twenty miles Of this great
est OF natures spectacles.
Charles Sheldon of the Boone and
Crockett club told the senate commit
tee that several times he has counted
as many as 500 mountain sheep In a
single day of ordinary travel and that
herds Of caribou numbering from 200
to 1900 are frequently seen.
AS game refuge and breeding
ground the new National park con-
serves Alaskan game which elsewhere
is rapidly disappearing AS in the case
of the Yellowstone National park. the
reservation serves as a perpetual cen
ter of game supply for large neighbor
ing areas
These animals do not greatly fear
man, because they have never been
hunted One can approach the great
herds Of caribou There arc also many