MOUNTAINS’ ROMANCE

Evening Star, Issue 20863, 5 August 1931, Page 9

MOUNTAINS’ ROMANCE

MANY HONOUR FAMOUS MEN Out in tho Black Hills a mountain is being turned into a memorial by a sculptor working on a gigantic scale. But as history, both recent and remote, bears witness a mountain as Nature shaped it may also servo (says the New York ‘ Times ’). Down in the Great Smokies they are talking of naming a 6,000 ft peak Sequoyah in honour of an eighteenth century Indian _ artist, a Cherokee; and only a short time ago a whole range in Antarctica was named by Admiral Byrd for one of his backers, John D. Rockefeller, jun. The naming of mountains after persons goes back even' to the legendary. Do wo not find North Africa’s highest mountain named Atlas after tho giant who bears upon Iris ample shoulders the burden, of our earth? Are not the Pillars of Hercules—the Rock of Gibraltar, and Mount Ayela on tho opposite side of the straits—named for another mighty legendary hero who shouldered out the hills and let tho broad Atlantic sweep into the land? The Old World lias many mountains named for men, and in it an English name will always bo tho highest; for tho loftiest peak in all the world bears tho name of a rather modest English surveyor and geographer—Sir George Everest—who made a survey of many Himalayan peaks in 1841, and was the first accurately to fix the position of Mount Everest and to gauge its height So Mount Everest is his everlasting monument —and what a monument! It reaches up into space more than five miles above the sea level.

New Hampshire, it is believed, leads all other American States in tho number of mountains named for famous persons. Though her mountains are not such awe-inspiring ambassadors to heaven as are countless other peaks named for mortals, she makes up in numbers and in tho dignity of her names what she lacks in altitude; for New Hampshire is tho proud possessor of the Presidential Range. What a gallant company of 5,000 ft peaks she has —names to conjure with; names that take us back to the very birth of the Republic! Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe—all Presidents — and two peaks for men who very nearly became Presidents, Clay and Webster. A little distance off in the Franconia Range we find Mount Lincoln and an everlasting monument to a celebrated foreign friend of the young Republic in Mount Lafayette. In the Andes whoever named tho neaks seemed content almost to lot mortals alone. Many are named for saints, but wo find a fine 17,0001't mountain named in honour of a Spanish poet who was horn 200 years before Columbus began his first voyage. The poet Ruiz may bo otherwise forgotten, hut Mount luiz will keep his name fresh. The naming of mountains after people may sometimes bo accompanied by ceremony. Suck a ceremony took place not very long ago in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, when it was decided to do honour to tho memory of Edith Cave”, the English nurse who was executed by a German firing squad during the World War. In Jasper National Park a tremendous peak was chosen—a peak that looked down upon the Glacier of tho Angels and was a companion to Mount Sorrow and Throne Mountain—and with caudles and choir and clergy, representatives of the State,- and other dignitaries a great mountain was christened Mount Edith Cavell. The Canadian Rockies include several peaks named for pioneers or other men of distinction, so we find round about Mount Edith Cavell Mount Bryce, Mount Lycll, Mount Coleman, and others. Wherever explorers have penetrated tho continent of Antarctica one finds tho names of men—some prominent, others obscure —perpetuated in mountain peaks and areas of land. Ross, Scott, Shackleton, Mawson, and Wilkins all honoured their patrons and supporters and sometimes their ships. And perhaps tho roster of American names to ho conferred in Antarctica as a result of tho Byrd expedition is not yet complete.