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Show 1 . i Party of Mountaineers From Fairbanks,Alaska, Make the Ascent and Prove That Dr. Cook Never Climbed the Mountain-American Flag Is Placed on the Peak Fairbanks, Alaaka, April 12. The Fairbanks expedition to Mount Me-Klnley, Me-Klnley, the tallest peak in Xorth America, reached the summit April 3, ; after a climb of one month from the lias o traces of Dr. Frederick A. Cook's alleged ascent were found. Thomas Lloyd, leader of the expedition, expedi-tion, arrived here last night. His companions com-panions were Daniel Patterson, W. R. Taylor and Charles McGonlgle, and all reached the top of tho great mountain. moun-tain. The expedition, which left Fairbanks Fair-banks December 15, while tho controversy contro-versy over Dr. Cook's disputed ascent was sU 11 raging, was financed by Gus Peterson and William McPhee of this city. Tho plan was to go Into camp on tho mountain as high as possible, and, probably about the middle of Mav, make a dash for the summit. The obstacles encountered were Dot fo groat as had boon predicted. Four ramps wcro established during the ascent and n trail was blazed all the way to the crest. Up to J 2.000 feet the climbing did not present unusual difficulties. For tho next 4.000 feet the wav led over a steep ice field, which at first seemed to forbid further progress, but through which, upon exploration, ex-ploration, it was found possible to locate lo-cate a path. The final dash to the top J was made from the 16,000-foot camp. Mount McKlnley terminates in twin I ppaks of equal hHght, one somewhat rounded and covered with snow, the other composed of bare and windswept wind-swept rocks. On the rock peak the. Fairbanks climbers paced an American Ameri-can flag In a monument of ptones. The expedlilon, which was provided with Dr. Cook's maps and hook, endeavored en-deavored to follow his alleged route, but utterly failed to verify any part of his story of an ascent The Mount McKlnley expedition, news of which has been receiver from -Fairbanks, was ruado up of Thoma Lloyd, Robert Horn. Harry Karsten and Charles McGonnlgle. all experienced experi-enced monntaJneers- The merubcra of the party agreed to forfeit ?r.oft0 if none of tbem reached the summit. One of their objects was to verify or disprove to their own satisfaction th? claim of Dr. Frederick A. Cook that he reached the pummlt in the fall of 1900. Dr. Cook claimed to have ascended Mt. McKlnley and to have reached the summit on September 16. He said he left at the top of the 1-iOuntaJn proofs that he had been there. Prof. Herzchel C. Parker of Columbia Colum-bia university waa a member of the expedition that Dr. Cook led to the, mountain, snd he later disproved Dr. Cook's assertion that he reached the, summit after the professor and other companions had turned back. Recently Professor Parker organized organ-ized an expedition to attempt the ascent as-cent of the mountain, and it wa planned that this party should leave New York April 23 next. They intended intend-ed to go to Seattle and then by steamship steam-ship to Cook Inlet. From that point the party planned to travel by motor boat to the Chutnlta. glacier, where a pc-rmaneut base would be established Mount ilcKinloy Is the assumed culminating cul-minating point of the North American continent and Is In the Alaskan range, latitude 63 degrees 4 minutes north, longtltude 151 west. Its height Is given as 20,464 feet. It Is eitenFlvelv glaclal and has always been regarded as mont difficult of ascent. |