140 1. C. Russell — Expedition, to Mount St. Elias. 



The strata of snow exposed to view in the crevasses, after being 

 greatly compressed, are usually from ten to fifteen feet thick, but 

 in one instance exceeded fifty feet. If we assume that each layer 

 represents a winter's snow, and that compression has reduced 

 each stratum to a third of its original thickness (and probably 

 the compression has been greater than this), it is evident that 

 the fresh snows must sometimes reach the depth of from 50 to 

 150 feet. 



Toiling on up the snow-slope, we had to wind in and out 

 among deep crevasses, sometimes crossing them by narrow snow- 

 bridges, and again jumping them and plunging our alpenstocks 

 deep in the snow when we reached the farther side. After many 

 windings we reached the summit of the PUmacle-pass cliffs- 

 The crest-line is formed of an outcrop of conglomerate composed 

 of sand and j)ebbles, in one layer of which I found large quanti- 

 ties of mussel shells standing in the position in which the 

 creatures lived. The j)resent elevation of this ancient sea-bottom 

 is 5,000 feet. The strata incline nortliAvard at angles of 30° to 

 40°. All of the northern slope of the ridge is deeply covered 

 with snow, and the rock only appears along the immediate crest. 

 There are, in fact, two crests, as is common with .many mountain 

 ridges in this rigion, one of rock and the second of snow ; the 

 snow crest, which is usually the higher, is parallel to the rock 

 crest and a few rods north of it. In the valley between the two 

 ridges we found secure footing, and ascended with ease to the 

 highest point on the cliffs. Looking over the southern or rocky 

 crest, we found a sheer descent of about 1,500 feet to the snoAV- 

 fields below. 



The clouds diminished in density and gradually broke away, 

 so that the entire extent of the St. Elias range was in view, with 

 the exception of the croAvning peak of all, Avhich Avas still veiled 

 from base to summit. A spur of St. Elias, extending soutliAvard 

 from the main peak, and named The Chariot, gleamed brightly 

 in the sunlight. It Avas the first point on AAdiich we made observa- 

 tions. Stretching eastAvard from St. Elias is the sharp crest of 

 the main range, on Avhich stand Mounts Newton, Jeannette, 

 Malaspina, Augusta, Logan, and several other splendid peaks 

 not yet named. Just to the right of Mount Augusta, on the 

 immediate border of the ScAA^ard glacier, rise the Corwin cliffs, 

 marking an immense fault-scarp of the same general character as 

 the one on Avhich we stood. 



