Philip Stanley Abbot facts for kids

Philip Stanley Abbot (born 1867, died 1896) was an American lawyer. He is remembered for a sad reason: he died while climbing Mount Lefroy. This made him the first person to die in a recorded mountaineering accident in North America.

About Philip Stanley Abbot

Philip Stanley Abbot was born in 1867. He grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. He went to Harvard University and then to Harvard Law School. After finishing his studies in 1893, he became a lawyer.

Abbot worked as a lawyer in Boston for a short time. Later, he moved to Milwaukee. There, he worked for the Wisconsin Central Railroad company. His father was the president of this company.

An Experienced Mountain Climber

Philip S. Abbot was known as a very skilled mountain climber in the United States. He had climbed many difficult mountains in the Alps in Europe. He even climbed famous peaks like the Matterhorn and the Weisshorn with a guide from Switzerland. In 1893, he wrote an article about his climb up the Weisshorn.

In 1895, Abbot went on a climbing trip with two friends, Professor Charles Ernest Fay and Charles Sproull Thompson. They tried to climb Mount Lefroy in Alberta, Canada, but it was too hard. However, they successfully climbed Mount Hector for the first time. The next year, another friend, Professor George Little, joined them for a new adventure.

The Tragic Accident on Mount Lefroy

On August 3, 1896, Philip Stanley Abbot was climbing Mount Lefroy again. This mountain is near Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. Sadly, he slipped from a rocky cliff. His friends watched as he fell a very long way down the mountain.

It took his friends a long time to climb down to where he had fallen. When they reached him, he was still alive but could not speak. He died very soon after. It was too dangerous to carry his body down the slippery mountain that day. So, his friends had to leave him and come back later.

A few days later, a rescue team went back up the mountain. They carefully brought Abbot's body down. It was then sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Remembering Philip S. Abbot

To remember Philip S. Abbot and his tragic death, a special place was named after him. The mountain pass where he died is now called Abbot Pass.

A small building called Abbot Pass Hut was built in his honor. This hut is located between Mount Lefroy and Mount Victoria (Bow Range). It sits right on the border between Alberta and British Columbia.

See also

In Spanish: Philip Stanley Abbot para niños