Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th Edition, 1929. T h e following notes ...
E n cyclo p ed ia B rita n n ic a , 14th E d it io n , 1929. The
f o llo w in g notes m a k e
record p r i m a r i ly of
to po graph ical
e rr o rs an d discrepancies fo u n d in c e rta in topic h ea d in g s d e a lin g w i t h the m o u n t a in s of N o r t h A m e ric a .
I n g en eral, a lack, of ed ito rial
u n i f o r m i ty is noted, as w ell as the fr e q u e n t use of obsolete d ata, especially in respect to a ltitu des. A l a s k a — T he fo llo w in g m o u n t a in s are m en tio n e d by n a m e : C r il lo n , F a i r w e a t h e r , V a n c o u v e r, W r a n g e l l , St. E lias, L o g a n , M c K in ley, F o r a k e r . T h e first th r e e of these a re state d to be “ o v e r 15 .00 0 f t ., ” w h e re a s A lt. C r il lo n is o n ly 12,727, a c co rd in g to the t r ia n g u l a ti o n of the A la s k a B o u n d a r y C om m ission. a c tu a lly a b o u t
1 4,000 ft., is c red ite d w i t h
M t . W ran g ell,
17,500.
The
figures
1 8 ,0 24 an d 19,539, w h ich a re given fo r M t s . St. E l ias a n d L o g a n , s h o u ld
be su perseded
18,0 08 an d
19,850.
by th e
B oundary
C o m m issio n
a ltitu d e s
of
T h e s t a te m e n t t h a t A lt. St. E lias is “ in th e
N u t z o t i n m o u n t a i n s ” is p u z z li n g an d m u s t be a m istake. T h e C o a s t ran g e is dismissed w i t h the s t a te m e n t t h a t it “ is c h a ra c te riz e d by the u n i f o r m i t y of s u m m i t levels b e tw e e n 5 ,0 00 a n d 6 .0 0 0 f t . ”
S u re ly th is is an in a d e q u a te description of a ru g g ed
ra n g e c o n ta i n in g several s u m m its o v er 10,000 ft. a n d a g re a t n um -
be r betw e en 7 ,0 00 a n d 10,000 ft., in c lu d in g such sp e c ta c u la r peaks as K a t e ’s N e e d le an d the re m a rk a b le g ran itic spires of the D e v i l ’s P a w a n d the D e v i l ’s T h u m b .
T h i s ra n g e m a y yet be fo u n d to
c o n tain some of the m ost difficult c lim b ing peaks in N o r t h A m erica. The
tw o m ost n o tab le glaciers in A la sk a are said to be the
M a l a s p i n a an d the M u i r . T h e question of n o m e n c la tu r e of the A la s k a n rang es is alw ays an in te re s tin g one. T h e article u n d e r review favors th e extension of the t e r m “ St. E lias r a n g e ” to in clu de “ n o t o n ly the m o u n ta in s betw een C ross S o u n d an d M t . St. E lias b u t th e C h u g a c h , W r a n g e l l and N u t z o t i n m o u n t a in s .”
I t is tr u e t h a t th e division betw een some
of these ran ges is ill-defined, n o ta b ly b e tw e e n the St. E lias ran g e p ro p e r a n d th e C h u g a c h m o u n ta in s , to a lesser degree b etw een the St. E lia s a n d W r a n g e l l ranges.
B u t by the sam e token the C o a st
ra n g e p ro p e r m erges w ith the so u th eastern end of the St. E lias ran ge a r o u n d the head of G la c ie r B ay a n d the L y n n C a n a l, an d the T a l keetna, K en ai a n d C h ig m it m o u n t a in s a re b u t in d istin c tly divided fr o m the C h u g a c h an d W r a n g e l l ranges in the w est.
As a m atter
of fact, the w h o le so u th e rn coast line of A la sk a is lined by an alm ost co n tin u o u s m o u n t a in system, of w h ich the. v ario us n am ed ranges arc p art.
T h e r e is need fo r a m o re precise n o m e n c la tu r e , b u t can this
need be m e t by m ere ly e x te n d in g the t e r m “ St. E lia s r a n g e ” to includ e t e r r i t o r y m o re and m o r e rem o te fro m M t. St. E lia s itself? T h e “ C o a s t r a n g e ” w o u ld be a b e tt e r generic te rm , an d has a c tu a lly som etim es been so used. B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a — T his u nsigned article retain s th e obsolete elevatio n fo r M t. R obson
(1 3 ,0 6 8 instead of
1 2,9 7 2 )
an d states
t h a t A lt. A l b e r t a is 13 ,500 ft. high instead of 11 ,8 74 as surveyed. A lt. F a i r w e a t h e r is given as 15,287 in stead of the B o u n d a r y C o m mission figure, 15,399.
T h e big u n clim b ed peak in the coast range,
A lt. W a d d i n g t o n , is called A lt. G e o r g e D a w s o n , b u t is accorded the c o rrect elevation.
N o m e n tio n is m a d e of an y of the in t e r i o r ranges
(S elkirk s, e tc .) . C a n a d a — T he
section
d e a lin g
h a n d le d by D r . A . P . C o le m a n . tioned.
w ith
the
m o u n ta in s
is ably
F e w specific elevations are m e n
T h o s e of M t. St. E lias a n d M t. M c K inley a re ro u n d ed
off to 18,000 an d 2 0 ,0 0 0 ft., respectively, a p ro c e d u r e w h ich m ig h t cre a te an u nju stifie d p r e s u m p tio n of u n c e r t a in t y in the case of the la tte r .
T h e accepted h e ig h t of 2 0 ,3 0 0 app ears to be w e ll- fo u n d e d .
S e l k i r k M o u n t a i n s — A brief a n d in a d e q u a te article.
“T h eir
o u tlin e is r o u n d e r an d less se r ra te d th a n t h a t of the Rockies. … T h e y do n o t rise m u c h above 10,0 00 f t . ”
T h e S elkirks c on tain 40
peaks above 1 0,00 0 ft., f o u r of w hic h rise above 11,000 ft. C a n a d i a n R o c k i e s — A lso a s h o r t an d q u ite insufficient article. I t gives M t . R o bso n a h eig h t of 12,975 ft. (possibly m i s p r i n t fo r 1 2 ,9 7 2 )
a n d speaks of all th e o t h e r C a n a d ia n
even the C o a s t r a n g e )
ran ges
(in c lu d i n g
as “ a d jo in in g g ro u p s .” A . C.
f o llo w in g notes m a k e
record p r i m a r i ly of
to po graph ical
e rr o rs an d discrepancies fo u n d in c e rta in topic h ea d in g s d e a lin g w i t h the m o u n t a in s of N o r t h A m e ric a .
I n g en eral, a lack, of ed ito rial
u n i f o r m i ty is noted, as w ell as the fr e q u e n t use of obsolete d ata, especially in respect to a ltitu des. A l a s k a — T he fo llo w in g m o u n t a in s are m en tio n e d by n a m e : C r il lo n , F a i r w e a t h e r , V a n c o u v e r, W r a n g e l l , St. E lias, L o g a n , M c K in ley, F o r a k e r . T h e first th r e e of these a re state d to be “ o v e r 15 .00 0 f t ., ” w h e re a s A lt. C r il lo n is o n ly 12,727, a c co rd in g to the t r ia n g u l a ti o n of the A la s k a B o u n d a r y C om m ission. a c tu a lly a b o u t
1 4,000 ft., is c red ite d w i t h
M t . W ran g ell,
17,500.
The
figures
1 8 ,0 24 an d 19,539, w h ich a re given fo r M t s . St. E l ias a n d L o g a n , s h o u ld
be su perseded
18,0 08 an d
19,850.
by th e
B oundary
C o m m issio n
a ltitu d e s
of
T h e s t a te m e n t t h a t A lt. St. E lias is “ in th e
N u t z o t i n m o u n t a i n s ” is p u z z li n g an d m u s t be a m istake. T h e C o a s t ran g e is dismissed w i t h the s t a te m e n t t h a t it “ is c h a ra c te riz e d by the u n i f o r m i t y of s u m m i t levels b e tw e e n 5 ,0 00 a n d 6 .0 0 0 f t . ”
S u re ly th is is an in a d e q u a te description of a ru g g ed
ra n g e c o n ta i n in g several s u m m its o v er 10,000 ft. a n d a g re a t n um -
be r betw e en 7 ,0 00 a n d 10,000 ft., in c lu d in g such sp e c ta c u la r peaks as K a t e ’s N e e d le an d the re m a rk a b le g ran itic spires of the D e v i l ’s P a w a n d the D e v i l ’s T h u m b .
T h i s ra n g e m a y yet be fo u n d to
c o n tain some of the m ost difficult c lim b ing peaks in N o r t h A m erica. The
tw o m ost n o tab le glaciers in A la sk a are said to be the
M a l a s p i n a an d the M u i r . T h e question of n o m e n c la tu r e of the A la s k a n rang es is alw ays an in te re s tin g one. T h e article u n d e r review favors th e extension of the t e r m “ St. E lias r a n g e ” to in clu de “ n o t o n ly the m o u n ta in s betw een C ross S o u n d an d M t . St. E lias b u t th e C h u g a c h , W r a n g e l l and N u t z o t i n m o u n t a in s .”
I t is tr u e t h a t th e division betw een some
of these ran ges is ill-defined, n o ta b ly b e tw e e n the St. E lias ran g e p ro p e r a n d th e C h u g a c h m o u n ta in s , to a lesser degree b etw een the St. E lia s a n d W r a n g e l l ranges.
B u t by the sam e token the C o a st
ra n g e p ro p e r m erges w ith the so u th eastern end of the St. E lias ran ge a r o u n d the head of G la c ie r B ay a n d the L y n n C a n a l, an d the T a l keetna, K en ai a n d C h ig m it m o u n t a in s a re b u t in d istin c tly divided fr o m the C h u g a c h an d W r a n g e l l ranges in the w est.
As a m atter
of fact, the w h o le so u th e rn coast line of A la sk a is lined by an alm ost co n tin u o u s m o u n t a in system, of w h ich the. v ario us n am ed ranges arc p art.
T h e r e is need fo r a m o re precise n o m e n c la tu r e , b u t can this
need be m e t by m ere ly e x te n d in g the t e r m “ St. E lia s r a n g e ” to includ e t e r r i t o r y m o re and m o r e rem o te fro m M t. St. E lia s itself? T h e “ C o a s t r a n g e ” w o u ld be a b e tt e r generic te rm , an d has a c tu a lly som etim es been so used. B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a — T his u nsigned article retain s th e obsolete elevatio n fo r M t. R obson
(1 3 ,0 6 8 instead of
1 2,9 7 2 )
an d states
t h a t A lt. A l b e r t a is 13 ,500 ft. high instead of 11 ,8 74 as surveyed. A lt. F a i r w e a t h e r is given as 15,287 in stead of the B o u n d a r y C o m mission figure, 15,399.
T h e big u n clim b ed peak in the coast range,
A lt. W a d d i n g t o n , is called A lt. G e o r g e D a w s o n , b u t is accorded the c o rrect elevation.
N o m e n tio n is m a d e of an y of the in t e r i o r ranges
(S elkirk s, e tc .) . C a n a d a — T he
section
d e a lin g
h a n d le d by D r . A . P . C o le m a n . tioned.
w ith
the
m o u n ta in s
is ably
F e w specific elevations are m e n
T h o s e of M t. St. E lias a n d M t. M c K inley a re ro u n d ed
off to 18,000 an d 2 0 ,0 0 0 ft., respectively, a p ro c e d u r e w h ich m ig h t cre a te an u nju stifie d p r e s u m p tio n of u n c e r t a in t y in the case of the la tte r .
T h e accepted h e ig h t of 2 0 ,3 0 0 app ears to be w e ll- fo u n d e d .
S e l k i r k M o u n t a i n s — A brief a n d in a d e q u a te article.
“T h eir
o u tlin e is r o u n d e r an d less se r ra te d th a n t h a t of the Rockies. … T h e y do n o t rise m u c h above 10,0 00 f t . ”
T h e S elkirks c on tain 40
peaks above 1 0,00 0 ft., f o u r of w hic h rise above 11,000 ft. C a n a d i a n R o c k i e s — A lso a s h o r t an d q u ite insufficient article. I t gives M t . R o bso n a h eig h t of 12,975 ft. (possibly m i s p r i n t fo r 1 2 ,9 7 2 )
a n d speaks of all th e o t h e r C a n a d ia n
even the C o a s t r a n g e )
ran ges
(in c lu d i n g
as “ a d jo in in g g ro u p s .” A . C.
