In closing, it may be said, that the Geological Survey's bulletin little more than hints at the fortitude and pluck of Mr. Birdseye and his party in their almost disastrous experiences on the peak. Survey men are so frequently confronted by peril in their daily work, that they are not apt to write or talk about it, and as a consequence the public seldom learns the intimate details. It is to be hoped that the history of this undertaking will some day appear in full.
Peter Rainier.
Admiral of the Blue, Royal Navy.
XIX. PLACE NAMES AND ELEVATIONS IN MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
Place names within a region like the Mount Rainier National Park are produced by three causes: The first and most important is the actual need of such names by those who work within the Park and by those who report upon or write about it. The second is the natural desire to honor those individuals whose achievements are worthy of commemoration. The third cause is found in the vanity of visitors. This is sometimes manifested in the harmless and often helpful desire just to be the one to name something, but usually it takes the form of a desire of visitors to write the names of themselves or their friends upon the map.
The ranger who discovers from a look-out peak a distant fire near some unnamed lake or cliff hastens to a telephone, but finds his work of sending fire fighters to the place of danger much more difficult than if he could use some definite place name. Trail builders and patrols continually find a similar need for names. For their own use they proceed to invent names which often stick. The Mountaineers in 1915 found that a trail builder had supplied such a need by giving a beautiful waterfall near his trail the name of his favorite brand of canned peaches. More care of such matters is now being exercised by those interested working through the United States Geographic Board.
The elevations given are taken from the official map and other Government publications. In time all important heights will be definitely determined and marked.
It is hoped that this compilation of the names may be improved from year to year. Further facts about any of the names would be welcomed by the editor of this work.
Ada Creek. A tributary of Huckleberry Creek near the northern boundary of the Park. Origin of name not ascertained.
Adelaide Lake. Near the north-central boundary of the Park. Origin of name not ascertained.