Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-02-03
Winter Lifo on Mount Washington.

WINTER Lilo on Mount Washington.
Letters sent down ~ the photo
graphcrs Of the Mount Washington
party show that while life at the
summit is necessarily somewhat mo-
notonous, it is not devoid of interest
and adventure. The extreme cold
weather expected has yet to come;
while the thermometer at the Craw-
ford has fallen rs low as "a degrees
below zero, the minimum point on
tie summit as yet is but Is. Du-
ring the stay, no one has been in
disposed, even for short time, and
those suffering from colds on as
cending recovered on the succeed
ing day. 1t seems impossible to
take cold on the summit, even by
carelessness in going bareheaded.
After being out for moment one
grows frosted over and eye-winkers
rapidly become weighed down with
ice. As for whiskers and hair, they
are Santa-C -Claus-like in trice. The
wind comes so stiff at times that to
breathe it is necessary to lie down
and wait for lull in its force, and
in taking views the camera has to
be guved up like derrick and the
negative secured in the twinkling of
an eye. For amusements, plenty of
books are provided, and after p.
m.. Prof Hitchcock, from the head
quarters in Hanover, is accustomed
to telegraph war and other news to
the isolated adventures. On Christ
mas dinner of startling grandeur,
considering the limited lardcr, was
gotten up. Lamb, oyster soup, bis
cult, canned tomatoes and corn com
prised the bill Of fare. Canned
peaches and condensed milk formed
the dessert, after which all joined
in "blowing a cloud" such AS never
has been seen before on the summit
at such season. Beans form a
standing dish for Sunday. On New
Years dav ccremonious calls were
made at the Tip Top house. The
winter home of the party and some
Of their experiences are thus desert
bed by one Of them: The depot is
% by 90, and 25 feet high, fastened
securely by three chains running
over the top, and fixed IN the solid
rocks on each side: and, in addition
to these, there are on each side sew
en- stout timhers fastened securely
to the building about ten feet above
the foundations, and extending out
about the same distance, and there
being fastened with large bolts into
the solid rocks. All Of the perpen-
dicular timbers are fastened with
equal security. With all of these
faStenin@S, and ice two feet thick
all over the building, it will be next
to an impossibiitv for the wind to
disturb its foundations, the only fear
being that it might be crushed.
Thursday, Dee. 18th, we had prob
ably as severe Il tornado as will Wis
ii us during the winter. The vcloc-
ity OF the wind was % miles per
hour ut p. NJ. After that time il
was not safe to venture out with the
thermometer, unless we wanted to
take an airline passage to Tucker
mans ravinc: for the wind kept in
crcasing until toward morning,
when it blew terrific hurricane.
Prof. Huntington and Mr. Clough-
both having had considerable of
this kind Of eXpcrience-say ii must
have blown at the highest point, 10
to 100 miles per hour. We expect
ed at any moment to have the build
ing come down about our heads, and
were prepared /" make an effort for
our lives, having put bareback in
our pockets, and armed with ax and
saw, ready, in case we found it nee
essary, to cut our way out, getting
also some of our thickest blankets
ready for use, and preparing with
considers excitement, for any
emergency. The wind roared ter
riblv, as if inspired with the power
and spite Of all the furies, and the
wild rage WAS so deaiening that we
were Obliged to shout TO our utmost
in order to b heard. MeSsrs. Ham
ilioA and Clough were both very
cool, although ! believe they thought
the chances were more than even
that We would have quarters else
where before morning; and Mr..
Smith, the gcntemanly meteorolog-
zeal observer sent hy the govern
ment to this station, was quite Jolly,
offering such consolation as this
If we were blown down in Tucker
mans ravine, it would be for the
"bcnefit Of commerce." and so, Of
course, all right. 1t seemed too
much like cracking jokes while sit
ting up with y corpse, however, TO
be much relished We watched all
night, waiting anxiously the effect
or result of the hurricane, and after
long night of such fearful tumult,
the morning brought us Il little re-
lief by reducing the velocity of the
wind to 81 miles per hour. We
were duly thankful for this slight
change. and ut breakfast We con
graduated each other on our narrow
escape, for If the building had been
crushed our chances for wishing
any one "Mcrry Christmas" and
'Ilappy New Year. would have
been very small-for the mercury
Was Is degrees below zero, and the
barometer the lowest recorded thus
far, -, 2,796. This remarkable fall
will not happen often, but when it
does we shall keep housed.
MAKE NO MAN FEEL HIS INFERl-
oRIrY.-Nothing is more insulting
than to take pains to make man feel
his infuriority in knowledge, rank,
fortune, etc. In the first place it is
both iIl-bred and ill-natured: and
in the two latter articles it is un Just,
they not being in his power. Good
breeding and good nature incline us
rather to raise people up to our
selves than to mortity and deprcss
them. Besides, it is making our
selves 50 many friends instead Of so
many pnrmipS 4 constant effort