The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-09-11

means nothing to the $4,000 Ameri-
Cans who visit IT in vacation time. 1t should have
good American name. change In name. Of
course. means changing the name of Mount Raj
nier since the mountain Is one-third of the whole
park
Peter the Great on his deathbed in 1725, de-
creed that vitus Behring, a Dane in his employ,
should Siberia . the unknown western sea.
build two ships and search for the tabled passage
TO the Atlantic. Thus came about the Russian pos
session Of Alaska and of the north Pacific coast.
Perez, In liza, and Haceta, In I774, both Span
fards, explored the Pacific coast, discovered Moot
In sound and suspected the Columbia river from
tine breakers on its bar In 1777 Capt. James Cook
discovered Cooks inlet but missed both Juan de
Fuca's straits and the Columbia. Capt Robert
Means Of the East India company discovered the
straits in 17ss but dared not cross the Colum-
bias bar
international jealousies brought about the Moot
ka Convention of 1890. which gave the British the
right TO fish and trade provided they did no colo
mixing.
Then in 1892 came an American. Capt. Robert
Gray of Boston. In the Columbia, the first Amer
lean ship TO sail around the world (1790). 1t took
this dauniless American sailor nine days to get
Through the breakers on the Columbia's bar. He
sssfee& 30 miles up this noble river and named 1t
after his gallant ship
That same year Capt George Vancouver of the
British navy sent to enforce the Nootka con-
venfIoU- He explored Puget sound but baked at
tFytng TO cross the Columbias bar. He met Cap
tain Gray who told him OF his ascent of the river
Bas the British commander baked at the break
ers, took possession of the country in the name
OF his sovereign and left Lieutenant Broughton
m the thatham to explore the river If he could
broughton got into the river and assembled 100
miles by launch. He saw Mount Rainier about
iVe miles away and struck with awe Like
true British naval officer he named this magnif-
crnt mountain. rising 14.4OS feet almost from sea
level, after Rear Admiral Peter Rainier.
Mount Rainier Is AZ miles from Tacoma and
% miles from Seattle. 1t Is the sight of sights
from either city. As is we'll known. these two
cites have feud over the name. Tacoma calls
u Tacoma and Seattle calls 1t Mount Rainier. This
Is not 10 say that the controversy should be de-
eided In favor OF either city. But "The mouRtain
that was God" of the Indians, one of the most
than Rainier
Here are some random extracts from the intro.
az<tcry pages of Uncle Sans booklet:
vi all the nre-mountains which, like beacons
,Ere blazed along the Pacific coast Mount Rainier
Is the noblest" wrote John Muir. "The Mountain
that Was God" wrote John D. Williams, giving
little 70 his book
Easily king Of all IN Mount Rainier" wro,a
= r Matthes Of the United States geological sur.
sey. teytewtng that series Of huge extinct volca
Nos towering high above the sky line OF the Cas-.
- '-.--e~- <AAAh@oct ~ LccC ulkner than Mount
sasasta its nearest rival in grandeur and IN mass
Z ts overwhelmingly impressive both by the vast.
aess Of It's glacial mantle and BY the strIline
sculpture Of its cliffs. The total area Of its Ola.
.iers amounts to no less than As square miles an
.zpanse of ice far exceeding that of ahv Other
angle peak IN the United States. Many Of ita
Individual ice streams are between four and sIx
niles long and vie in magnitude and in splenaor
With the most boosted glaciers OF the Alps. Cas-.
aiding from the summit in all directions. they
adiate like The arms of great starfsh"
Seen from Tacoma or Seattle the vast mountain
ppears to rise directly from sea level, so insie.
ihcnt seem the ridges about its base Yet these
dges themselves are OF no mean height They
lse 5000 TO 1000 feet above the valleys that on,
through them. and their crests average 5000 feet
attitude
But SO colossal are the proportions of the great
olcano that they dwarf even mountains of this
re aad give them the appearance OF mere foot
MS In height 1t is second in the United States
My TO Mount whitney
Mount Rainier stands. In round numbers II OO0
.et above its immediate base, is nearly threa
lies high, measured from sea level. and covers
p square miles Of territory. or one-third Of the