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Edward Whymper

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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And deposited in the British Museum. Mr Whymper's report was published in the Report of the British Association for the year 1869. Though hampered by want of means and by the prevalence of an epidemic among the natives, he proved that the interior could be explored by the use of suitably constructed sledges, and thus contributed an important advance to Arctic exploration, Another expedition followed in 1872, and was devoted to a survey of the coast-line. He next organized an expedition to Ecuador, designed primarily to collect data for the study of mountainsickness and of the effect of diminished pressure on the human frame. He took as his chief guide Jean-Antoine Carrel, whose subsequent death from exhaustion on the Matterhorn after bringing his employers into safety through a snowstorm forms one of the noblest pages in the history of mountaineering. During 1880 Mr Whymper on two occasions ascended Chimborazo, whose summit, 20,500 ft. above sea-level, had never before been reached; spent a night on the summit of Cotopaxi, and made first ascents of half-a-dozen other great peaks. In 1892 he published the results of his journey in a volume, entitled Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator. His observations on mountain-sickness led him to conclude that it was caused by "diminution in atmospheric pressure, which operates in at least two ways - namely, (a) by lessening the value of the air that can be inspired in any given time, and ( b ) by causing the air or gas within the body to expand, and to press upon the internal organs"; and that "the effects produced by (b ) may be temporary and pass away when equilibrium has been restored between the internal and external pressure." The publication of his work was recognized on the part of the Royal Geographical Society by the award of the Patron's medal. His experiences in South America having convinced him of certain serious errors in the readings of aneroid barometers at high altitudes, he published a work, entitled How to Use the Aneroid Barometer, and succeeded in introducing important improvements in their construction. He afterwards published two guide-books to Zermatt and Chamonix. In 1901-1905 he undertook an expedition in the region of the Great Divide of the Canadian Rockies.