Geographic Notes 



165 



Mr Vines, two members of the expedi- 

 tion sent out by the Royal Geographical 

 Society in 1887 under Mr E. A. Fitzger- 

 ald, who himself failed to reach the sum- 

 mit. Before this event the record was 

 held by Sir William Martin Conway's 

 expedition, which in 1892 climbed a 

 mountain in the Karakoram Himalayas 

 22,600 feet high. Mr W. Graham in 

 1883 claimed to have ascended Kabru 

 (24 015 feet), but his claim is generally 

 disallowed. The new expedition, which 

 has just started for the Himalayas, is 

 under the direction of Mr Eckenstein. 

 Very few details regarding the plan of 

 operations can be ascertained, but it is 

 known that Mr Eckenstein and his com- 

 panions have set before themselves the 

 task of ascending to the loftiest peak of 

 the two highest mountains not only in 

 the Himalayas, but also in the world, 

 Mt Everest (29,002 feet) and "K 2" 

 (28,250 feet). 



There is nothing impossible in scaling 

 Mt Everest. Two things are wanted, 

 time and money ; and provided these 

 are forthcoming, success may very well 

 be looked for. 



Most of the great climbers of today 

 agree in affirming that man could exist 

 at an altitude of 29,000 feet, provided 

 of course that careful precautions were 

 taken and that all the details of the ex- 

 pedition were worked out in a thor- 

 oughly practical manner. The climber 

 must not attempt to ascend Mt Everest 

 right off. He will have to take some 

 years over it, climbing each year to a 

 certain height and resting weeks here 

 and there on the road in order to accus- 

 tom his body to the unwonted altitudes. 

 Supplies will be a great problem, but if 

 he can manage to insure food, clothing, 

 and other necessaries reaching him at 

 the various camps at which he will be 

 forced to remain for some little time, and 

 if he is strong enough to withstand the 

 cold and the rarefied atmosphere, it is 

 possible that one day his ambition will 

 be satisfied and that he will be able to 

 take his stand on the highest point of 



the earth's surface and to rejoice in the 

 fact that he has accomplished something 

 which no one else has ever done since 

 the world began. 



IRRIGATION PLANS IN FIVE STATES 



SECRETARY HITCHCOCK, of the 

 Department of the Interior, on the 

 recommendation of the Director of the 

 Geological Survey, has granted author- 

 ity for the acquisition of necessary prop- 

 erty, rights of way, etc., preliminary to 

 the construction of irrigation works in 

 five localities under authority of the 

 reclamation act approved June 17, 1902. 



The construction is, of course, condi- 

 tional on the department obtaining the 

 necessary rights and adjusting private 

 claims in such manner as to comply with 

 the provisions of the act. The five pro- 

 jects referred to are as follows: 



Wyoming — Sweetwater dam. 



Montana — Milk River project. 



Colorado — Gunnison tunnel. 



Nevada — --Truckee project. 



Arizona — Salt River reservoir. 



These projects are estimated to cost 

 $7,000,000 and will provide for the irri- 

 gation of about 600,000 acres of arid 

 land. The examinations of all these 

 projects have been made in sufficient 

 detail to justify estimates of cost and 

 results. Several other projects in other 

 states are well advanced, and it is ex- 

 pected that further recommendations 

 can be made after the close of the com- 

 ing field season. 



The Secretary has also authorized the 

 expenditure during the present calendar 

 year of $450,000 upon surveys, borings 

 for foundations, and other examinations 

 which will be carried on in all of the 

 states and territories included within the 

 provisions of the law. There is now in 

 the Treasury about ten million dollars 

 obtained by the sale of public lands since 

 Jul) - c, 1900, and available for the rec- 

 lamation of arid lands in the thirteen 

 states and territories named in the rec- 

 lamation law. 



