McCLURE'S ACHIEVEMENT AND TRAGIC DEATH, 1897 



The principal observation to which this report refers 

 was made by Professor Edgar McClure, of the Uni- 

 versity of Oregon, on the summit of Mount Rainier, 

 Washington, July 27, 1897, at 4:30 P.M., Pacific standard 

 time. The observation consists of a reading of Green's 

 standard mercurial barometer, No. 1612, together with 

 readings of attached and detached thermometers. It 

 appears that the barometer, which was suspended by 

 a ring at the top, was allowed so to hang until it had 

 assumed the temperature of the surrounding air, be- 

 fore being read ; that the sky was clear at the time ; 

 and that the place of observation, the highest on the 

 mountain, is designated as Columbia Crest. 



The barometric reading, corrected for instrumental 

 error and temperature, was 17.708 inches ; the air 

 temperature was 29 degrees Fahrenheit. 



Concurrent observations were made at 9:30 A.M. 

 and hourly during the afternoon by the regular 

 observers at Seattle, Portland, Fort Canby, the Univer- 

 sity of Oregon at Eugene, Roseburg, and one observa- 

 tion at Walla Walla at 5 P.M. 



In addition to these, during the week preceding the 

 27th Professor McClure made numerous observations 

 both of pressure and temperature at various sub-stations 

 in the vicinity of Mount Rainier, and simultaneous 

 observations are furnished from Seattle and Portland. 



At the very outset of the work of reduction it was 

 evident that Eugene and Roseburg were under an 

 area of relatively low barometric pressure on the 27th, 

 representing atmospheric conditions that did not pre- 

 vail in the region of Mount Rainier. I therefore 

 rejected the observations at both these places, using 

 only those at Seattle, Portland, Fort Canby and Walla 

 Walla. The strategic position of these four points 

 will be seen at once by a glance at the map. 



The method followed in making the reduction was, 

 in brief, to deduce from the observations at the four 

 base stations surrounding the mountain the actual 



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