Evening star., 1926-02-21
Mount Everest.

the white peak OF Mount Everest
the worlds highest mountain, tower
ing 29,002 feet into the skies? Wash
! inston's attention has been focused
on lhis question since Capt. John
+. l.. Noel of the latest British Mount
Everest expedition told members OF
the National Geogra phic Society of
the manifold hazards encountered in
the three well organized attempts
that have been made to reach the
crest OF this famous flimalayan peak
Thirteen men have now paid the
penalty for their adventurous spirit
IN striving to penetrate the mystery
OF the great mountain. Three expe-
dltionS have returned to civiliza ton
compelled to admit failure. Two OF
the veteran mountaineers, Mallory
and Irving. lost their lives on the
latest attempt when they hid good :
bye To their companions at the 27,o0o-
foot level disa ppeared In a binding
snowstorm, were seen again for a
brief moment struggling desperately
only 500 feet from the top. but never
returned to tell the tale
Near the beginning Of the lacierx
on Mount Everest Is monastery of
hermits who consider the peak holy.
They took pains to assure the expe-
ditionS which passed their way that
the god of the mountain would never
allow white man To reach the sum
nit alive.
Winds that reach 4 velocity of 100
and 100 miles an hour. air SO thin
that II contains barely enough oxy-
gen to support life, storms Of such
binding power that all Is swept be
fore them and temperatures Of 20
and 20 degrees below zero would
seem to be handicaps too great for
mere humans to overcome.
But man has never yet admitted
defeat in exploring the unknown
parts Of the world. however remote,
however heset with danger. and
Everest will surely he scaled. There
will always he volunteers for This
task as long as the adventurous
spirit is bred in man. and the efforts
will never cease until victory Is at
tanned.
Capt. Noel believes that success
will he obtained by the same methods
used on previous expeditions-that Of
building one camp above another on
the slopes Of the mountain until only
a short dash remains to the summit
The highest camp esta blished on the
latest attempt was 21.000 feet. a rec
ord in mountain climbing. but, in
Capt. Noels opinion. too low to make
possible the remaining 1000 feet
without 4 break. IL the camp had
been set a an altitude of 2S.00O feet
it is probable that both Mallory and
Irving would have been able to reach
the crest and return before exhams-
ton overlook them.
At any rate. experience gained In
these expeditions would indicate that
ultimately this method would succeed
if The weather favored the climbers
iii their necessarily long soiourn In
the land of eternal SHOWS
Although no Everest expedition has
been announced. 1t is pra ctically GER
tain that new attempt bv exnert
British and Swiss mounta ineers will
he made In the near future. Everest
holds too much allure and the prob :
lem of scaling 1t is too fascina ting
for man 10 ignore it for long.
Even now the French aviator
Lieut.. Callizo, holder of the world =
altitude record. Is in training for a
flight over this ma iestic mountain,
Having reached a height Of more
than $4,000 feet. the airman believes
that he will be able to fly close tu
The peak and drop cylinder telling
those who reach the spot later of rbe
French triumph.
IL Lieut.. CalliZo succeeds it will
not take one whit Of glory from thos .
who reach the worlds greatest aIti-
tude on foot. Mount Everest stands
today as an eternal challenge TO the
science of civiliZa ton. When it's mac
feasibility is conquered there will ne
universal rejoicing