Greene County herald., 1921-07-29

Publications stating that smoke and
fire come from this volcano during
seismic disturbance have no founda-
tion Of fact, for 1t Is evident that no
civilized man ever witnessed such Q
sight, and that volcanic action In this
section Is q phenomenon Of the long
past. People have been misled In
seeing cloud that appears like smoke.
Since 1870, when the first ascent was
made. hundreds Of people have stood
on the summit Of our great white
Tempted HILL" A climb to the sum-
NIT and return the same day Is long,
wearisome undertaking, slightly
dangerous, especially at one place
rounding the upper part of Gibraltar
rock, from which there is an occasional
shower Of small pieces of rock that
thaw loose from the snow patches
above. So far as Is known. there has
been but one life lost In climbing the
mountain, due to natural cause; the
few others were lost owing to reck-
lessness and lack Of judgment. The
crevasses are very bad If one gets
into them, but they have generally
been cleverly avoided.
Studying the crevasses and the
actinic blue coloring they reflect will
repay any one who has q day to devote
to the climb. The higher up, the more
curious are the carvings Of the snow
surfaces, which would indicate that
the winds are the chief factor In max
ing the peculiar whittlings.
This great pile of lava, heaped to
an elevation of nearly $4,000 feet. Is
characterized by several features de-
serving Of special individual study.
The geologist, geographer, botanist,
poet, painter, landscape gardener and
specialist all find wealth Of interest
throughout this 324 square miles Of
reserve, besides much adjacent ter
ritory comparatively unexplored.
Special Features OF Interest.
To a woods-dweller the timber is a
matter of course, but to those who
have not been amid large forests 1t Is
one Of the very special features Of
the reserve and an educator In forestry
forests of the valleys and on the lower
slopes. where trees grow to height Of
over 300 feet, some with diameter Of
II feet, the forester can trace the
diminution of growth as the ascent Is
made to the scrubby brush-like trees
at tlmber-line, struggling, as 1t were,
for their existence.
The unvisited portions of the Rainier
park without doubt contain, yet un-
seen, such features as hot and cold
springs falls. small lakes. and botani-
cal rarities. High on the ridges and
slopes Of the neglected corners Of the
park the wild goats make their home.
Sometimes they have been seen in
numbers of 80 or more together The
deer, which are more abundant than
any other of the large game, are oc-
casionally seen from along the govern
ment road. The black and brown bear
are also seen. and at rare intervals
the stealthy cougar or puma.
At between 5000 and 5000 feet eleva-
tion the hctanist finds Rainier park his
paradise, wherein there have already
been found over $50 varieties of plant
life, dozen or more kinds belonging
to this region alone. The majority
of the flowers are of light tint. but
there are liberal quantity of blue,
red, and yellow, so deep and pure Of
color that artificial pigments fail to
initiate them. The distribution Of
several species of heather is tech
nical touch of finish In the evergreen,
tipped In summer with clusters Of
small bells in colors purple, pink, yell
low, and white.
The first white man to visit the
mountain was DIR. William #. Tolme, of
the Hudson's Bay Company. from Fort
Nisqually, who in 1888 closely ap-
preached some of its glaciers. Gen. A.
v. Kautz, In 1857 made an attack on
the mountain, but 1t has never been
affirmed that he reached the true sum-
NIT Of the highest peak.
The Rainier park was not much
visited until 1909. In the years since
then thousands of tourists have
registered at the park entrance each
season. Since the days of early travel
by pony and stage have given place
to railway and auto, the tourist can
make the journey from Seattle or
Tacoma to the mountain snow-line In
few hours drive.