Mountain Sites for Meteorological Observatories. 13 



unquestioned, save one, Mt. Rainier. In the city of Ta~ 

 coma, the mountain is called Mt, Tacoma. Long before 

 the city existed, Vancouver (first white man to see that 

 section) wrote of the country round about: "The forest 

 trees gradually decreased and the perpetual clothing 

 of snow commenced, a horizontal line from north to 

 south along the range of ragged mountains, from 

 whose summit Mt. Rainier rose conspicuously and 

 seemed as much elevated above them as they were 

 above the sea."* At that time of the year the snow- 

 line would be approximately seven thousand feet above 

 sea-level. Hence Vancouver's estimate of double this 

 height was not a bad one. Moreover, Vancouver 

 first gave the coordinates of the mountain : latitude, 

 47° 3" N., and longitude 238° 2" (—360°). There 

 is also an excellent sketch of Mt. Rainier made by J. 

 Sykes, May 17, 1792. 



The heights of Mt. Rainier commonly given are : 

 E. S. Ingraham, 14,524 feet; Geo. F. Hyde, U. S. Geo- 

 logical Survey, 1896, 14,519 feet; McClure, McAllister, 

 1897, 14,528 feet. 



Not until a line of precise levels shall be run will 

 the true height of this kingly moitntain be determined, 

 and it may be pointed out that even then snowfall may 

 modify the figure slightly. Before the top of the moun- 

 tain was blown off and the crater formed, the summit was 

 probably fifteen hundred feet higher than Columbia 

 Crest. 



The Acting Director of the Geological Survey, under 

 date of August 24, 1905, states that the best determina- 

 tion of the height of Mt. Rainier by one of the topog- 

 raphers in 1902 is 14,363 feet above mean sea-level. 

 This value was obtained by means of vertical-angle fore- 

 sights taken from triangulation stations thirteen to twen- 

 ty-nine miles distant from Rainier. The elevations of 

 these stations were well determined from spirit-level 

 observations. 



* A Voyage of Discovery Around tke World. 6 volumes. London, 1801. 



