The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-07-13
MOUNT M'KINLEY
is REAL MONSTER
Central Feature Of Uncle Sans
Newest Park Presents Amaz-
Ing Spectacle.
SEEMS LOFTIER THAN OTHERS
Abrupt Rise Of More Than 1900 Feet
Makes Mass Appear Higher
Even Than TalIest OF
the Hlmalayas.

Uncle Sans new national park in
Alaska is one OF the monster specta-
cles Of the world. To say that 1t rises
2O,3OO feet above sea level and that
II is the loftiest peak in America Is to
convey no idea whatever of Its gran
deur. There are several mountains in
the Himalayas which materially exceed
Its height-one which rises more than
25,0O0 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 in altitude, while Mount
Mckinley rises abruptly from valleys
5000 feet and even less in altitude.
The visitor to the Mount Mckinley Ma
tional park will look up more than IT,
900 feet to the double peak, the upper
1900 feet Of which are covered with
perpetual snow.
This enormous mass is the climax Of
the same Alaskan range which ex-
tends roughly east and west across
southeast central Alaska, separating
the vast northern inland from the more
populated country whose shores are
the Gulf of Alaska. The range par
allels the mighty Yukon many miles
to its south.
Titanic Alpine Scenery.
The reservation contains 2,200
square miles. It's northern slopes,
which overlook the Tanana watershed
with its gold mining industry, are
broad valleys inhabited by enormous
herds of caribou. Its southern plateau
is a perpetual water 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 the government into the Alaskan
interior will open presently to the pub
lie, America possesses Alpine scenery
upon 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-insplring region Of mas
slve mountains and ice-capped peaks"
Belmore Browne of the Camp Fire
club, testified before the senate COM
mittee on territories. "The Piedmont
plateau that follows the range affords
beautiful roadway direct to Mount
Mckinley, and when you reach the
plateau all difficulties vanish and you
see a view that is unique on this
earth. You see the huge mountain
line Of perpetual snow, rising like
great wall on the southeast. You
can ride a pony to where Mount Nc
Kinley rises 1900 feet above you in
glittering wall Of snow and ice. It
is flanked by stupendous mountains
which make a wonderful setting for
the monster"
Enormous Herds Of Caribou.
North of the vast mountain, how
ever, is a rolling country dotted with
beautiful lakes and forests and inhab.
tied by enormous herds of carlHou. 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 rum
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
1900 to 1900 are frequently seen.
AS a game refuge and breeding
ground, the new National park con-
serves Alaskan game which elsewhere
is rapidly disappearing. AS in the
case Of Yellowstone National park, the
reservation serves as a perpetual GEN.
ter of game supply for large neigh
boring areas.
These animals do not greatly fear
man, because they have never been
hunted. One can approach the great
herds of caribou. There are also
many Alaskan bear of great size.