Evening star., 1924-08-31
Special Dispatch 10 The star.

living east of the Mississippi River
is the purpose of the United states
Government in securing n national
park somewhere in the southern Ap-
palachian mountain range, according
to statement made by Harlan +
Kelsey of Boston. who. with William
Gregg of HaCkenSack. y. j.. was
named commissioner to lnspect
cites by Secretarw of the interior
Work
pleted the inspection of available
proposed sites in the Blue Ridge of
Virginia and North Carolina, she
Blowing Rock section of North Car
olina, "a wild section in the high
mountains of Georgia and i primeNai
section of the Great Smoky Noun
tains, in Sewer County, Tennessee,
some 81 miles from Knoxville.
The commissioners returned from
their trip this week and have gone
to their homes. Both admit they
found the Smoky Mountains \ won
dcrful site for a Government park OF
immense proportions. While they
made no official statement. II ls he-
lieved they will recommend this site
in their official report as possessing
more distinctive features than any tf
the sites inspected. Its central loca-
tion appealed strongly to the com
miSsiouers Before leaving Knox
VILE sIr. Messy gave ciN tiiS Slot'-
ment:
Has No Doubt of Fixing Location.
"Onc thing is certain national
park viii be located in 'he southern
Appalachian Mountains. 1t will be
placed without regard to State lines
Member: of the commission viii be
influenced by only two considerations,
namely to obtain section Which
from the standpoint Of wealth or nat
ural specimens. scenery ana primttiNe
conditions will most nearly represent
this land as our ancestors Knew IT,
and second. to indicate that area IN
region convenient TO the H2OOooou
Americans who live east of the Mis-
Sissippi River.
We cannot officially promise any
thing but | will say the section we
have inspected IN tAe SMOKY -houn-
tains has not only fully come up TO
what we expected but has surpassed
what hoped.
1t so happened several naturalls'S'
all university professors. were guests
Of the Mountain View Hotel at Cat
iInburg. the real starting point OF IN"
trip of the commissioners and the
party of - Knoxville and east Ten
nessee men who accompanied them
into the wilds OF the Great Smokes
Among the university men was Prol
R ". rreleaSe. head of the depart
ment OF botany of the University OF
Illinois. and he informed the visitors
the Great Smokes grow greater va
riety OF trees than any other section
Of America. He knows of 10 less
than l37 different trees which grow
there and has secured specimens OF
no less than 10.
\ round Bile discussion was con-
Quoted at Gatlinburg by the party,
newspaper men and professors,
Nnn
the famous peak of the Great Smokes.
Mountain 1000 Feet High.
Mr. Gregg. the New Jersey COM
missioner. carried his barometer, ard
the reading of the instrument at the
crest OF Mount lie Conte showed the
mountain to he almost exactly 1000
feet in height. While it is admitted
pl esSure conditions would cause a Va
riation in the reading. il is note
worthy that others at different times
have obtained similar readings. all
indicating d height around 1000 feet.
and a few in excess of that figure.
The commissioners let it be known
that the park. wherever located, will
include an area of 1000 square miles
or more: that it will be to the East
what Yellowstone Park is to the
WRIST: that it will he the mecca of
tourists from every State. The
Laurel Special will leave Boston. Chi
cago. st. Louis. New Orleans and
Jacksonville about the same time each
morning during the Summer months
to carry visitors to the Appala chian
Park.
Mount lie COntc Hard to Climb.
The trip to Mount lie Conte proved
the harde st journey taken by the Wis
itors on their trip through the
Great Smokes. 1t had been planned
20 leave the hotel in Gatlinburg. in
Sewer County. carly in the morning.
Gatlinburg is we'll up near the head
waters of Little Pigeon River whose
source is q spring near the top of LIE
Conte. Gatlinburg is some 900 feet
above sea level
a hard rain before daylight DELAYED
the start until $50 o'clock, when
- horses We're brought up to carry
the mountain climbers the first 5
miles of their journey. The climb
afoot is made largely along the
banks of mountain stream. Near
the noon hour the party came up to a
wonderful cascade tumbling off the
mountain side d distance of nearly
90 feet.
As yet unnamed this fall was
ChriStened Kelsey Falls in honor
of the Massachusetts commissioner.
himself the president of a mountain
club Although the day was hot and
sultry in the lower attitudes, the
climbers We're almost all of the
journey in a deep forest and seldom
got in the sun and rarely glimpsed
the wonderful view.
Temperature Becomes Lower.
The temperature became perceptibly
lower as the party reached 5000 feet
and the falling mercury was noted by
the thermometers carried by the
party. The trail is steep and the
climbers took frequent rests and
blowing spells" At 5000 feet black
berry vines on which were very small
green berries were noted. Those
berries never ripen,' an old mountain
eer explained. They will all be
caught by the early Autumn frosts
which sometimes come in late
August"
Party Wears Blankets.
At o'clock in the afternoon the
party reached the summit of the
mountain. Thermometers showed
readings of 12 degrees and each man
gratefully received a blanket. These
were worn about the shoulders until
supper was served, and felt comfort
able in the chilly atmosphere.
A shelter had been especially con-
structed for the comfort of the Wis |
itors, and balsam twigs piled up to
soften their sleeping quarters. The
party was considerable larger than
planned and as a consequence some of
the natives and guides were without |
blankets and passed the night hover |
ing about great fires.
Thermometers registered 40 degrees
the following morning at daylight. |
At that hour heavy clouds enveloped