Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-02-03
Winter Life on the White Noun
fUiuS

tered in the railway station which, by
The way, is 4 great deal shaken by the
violent winds which sweep over that
high point ut this season Of the year.
They are by telegraph connected with
The world below. and every day send
dispatches concerning the slate OF the
weather, temperature, Sc. The follow.
ing is II description of Winter Life on
the White Mountains. by one OF The par.
ty, communicated to the Concord (N. ~
Moaio,:-
"Our room is finished in corner Of
the dcpos building, and is made very
c"mloriahIc-th thanks TO the energy of
Prof. Hitchcock anil the many who have
contributed funds to the undertaking
We have plenty oI provisions. luel and
almos. everything which could add 10
oar comfort, and willie our building
stands, we are al right. We were told
by many that i. would be impossible to
mako fire burn, but we have already
proved iLa mistaken idea; for wD never
have the least troubc in this line Some
times when the wind blows very hard we
are Obliged To shut Ill The drafts, and
! heH the lire rolrs like locomotive en-.
ginc. The depot is % by 60. aud % feet
high fastened securely by three chains
runnin. over the top, and fixed in solid
rocks on each side; and in additiun tn
these, there are ON each side. scvcn stout
timbcrs, fastened securely to the building
and extending about the same distance,
and these being fastened with large bolts
into the solid rocks. All Of the pcrpen
dicular timbers were fastened with equal
security. With all of these f,scnugs.
and the ice two lect thick al over the
building. It will be next To III mpo>si
biitl Ion lhc wind to disturb its luuud..
iiuns: the only fear bcin. that it might
Jc crushed.
Thursday December 10Th, We hal
probably rs severe tornado "a will visit
us during The wiut,r. The velocity ol
the wind WAS recorded At O'Clock in the
evening. ani twas 90 miles per hour.
After that lime it was net SAFE to venture
out with the ancnomc,cr, unless We
wanted 10 take III airline pas sage t.
Tuckerm4u's riyinc for the wind Kept
increasing until tuNard morning, when
! il blew terrific hurricane Prof. Hunt
ington and Nh Clou.h-bolh havin. had
considerable ot tits tinl of cNpcri' nee
sa, i; must have blown. at the highest
point. 10 To 10 miles per hour. We cX
prclcd al any moment to have the build
! inr come down about our h, ads, and
were pre- pared to make III cfiurl for our
lives, having put hard tack in ou' pocket
and aimed with axe aHl saw, ready. in
case we found it necessary, to cut our
way nut, getting also some ofour IlirkcSt
blankets ready for use. and preparing
with considerable excitement Tor any
emergency. The wind roared terribly,
~ if inspired with The power and spite OF
al the lurcs aud Ihc wild rage WAS 50
deafcnng that We were obliged to shout
20 our utmost in oldcl to lie heard.
I'VE watched all night, waiting anX-
iously tho effect or result of the hurli-
cane, and after a long night OF such fear
ful tumut, morning brought rs 4 little
relief, by reducing the velocity Of the
wind to 81 miles per hour. We were
daily thank rul for this slight change, and
at breakfast wc congratulated each other
on our narrow escape FOX, il The building
had been crushed, our claEces for wish
ing any one Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year would have been very
small; for The mercury was 10 degrees
hclow zero, and the barometer, the lowest
recorded so lar-22.196. This remark
able fall will moi happen often, but "hen
it does. wc shall keep housed.
"lhe imnrdia danger is passed.
however, and our good cover has been
severely tested, and has not been found
wanting in point OF strength. We have
more confidence in it than before the
storm.
eve have already made some fine
negatives Of different subjects Of interest
on the summt-some of the Tip Top
House, vi hich il 50 covered with frost
and snow as 10 look like monster snow
drift: and the frost has formed on this rs
on everything else, in beautiful forms
like feathers, varying in size from few
inches in length 10 scrc,al feet, always
forming with end or point toward the
wrd, and as the wind. nine days out 0i
ten is from the northwest, most OF them
point in that direction. When there arc
eddies in the wind, they sometimes pont
in several directions. We have 81 nc
very good photographs of them. which
will he pleasing to those interested in
such fantastic freaks of nature. 1t il
impossible To do justice to their splendor
by any imperfect description | can give.
On one of the two cables p,s sing over the
Tip Top House. the frost has formed
larger around than common barrel;
and it is like this everywhere here.
1T is only three miles Ircm the depot
at the base OF the mountain 10 the sum