Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-11-07
ssexa. Gazette & Virginia Advertiser
THE ARCTIC NIGHT AT NORWAY.

of Scotland, or even at Throndbjem 1854 deg
gives any adequate forecast Of the true arctic
night. Near the arctic circle you may, Tor
about fortnight at midsummer, see the sun
descend below the horizon at ten minutes to
twelve, leaving a subducd light, as if he were
behind cloud, aud rise again at teo minutes
past, nearly at the same spot, which, Of fcoursc,
is north, with enhanced spleudor. For the
few minutes of the su0' 5 abSeDce a night chill
is perceptble, which is dispelled directly by
his rising rays; but SO far we have not yet
reached the arctic summer. The next night,
if you have been voyaging on meanwhile
you must be a degree or so within the circle,
and if he weather is fine and the Dorthern
horisou free from high land. you may care
fully watch the golden orb not generally so
red as with us) descend toward the horizon,
but when about three times his own diameter
from the horizon, after few minutes OF appa-
rent s;andstil begin to rise again, moving
toward the east. The beat apd brilliaucy of
the sun this night are such that parasos are
generally used, till the interest OF few minutes
of crisis causes lhem to be discarded, aud that
if there be not to much wind holes may be
made in woeu cloths, pipes lighted, etc., by
ordinary burning glasses; the sun may be gazed
on, though with some PAIN, by the naked eye.
The further North YOU 20 the higher is the
.un's lowest poiut, till at Trouso (69 deg. 40
min,) he is FIVE or six times bis diameter above
the horiz IN, aud the longer is he period during
which he uever sets, which is full month at
Haumcrtest GO deg. 4O miu). The amount
of light of course dlmuishes during the eveu-
ing, but after half past ten remains the same,
and appears toward midnight rather to increase.
1t has greater Softuess than the light of day,
and sheds peculiar warm glow over the sea
and rocks, which must be seen to be thorough
!y understood. After midnight 1t is interest
lug to watch the evening light change its char
acer; about hall past twelve or rather later 1t
assumes whittier color, more like what We know
as early morning light an hour after sunrise.
The birds fly about, the fishes jump aud AMI
mated nature seems to know as little OF Dght
as uan,mate Ou shore, for instance, at from
so, people are out walking or standing at their
day. Perhaps they retire to sleep at one or
two; but sleep seems scarcely necessity to
them and they are up again early.
1t deserves TO be recorded also that photo
graphcr at Tromso took successful portraits of
a large group Of steamboat passengers exactly
at midnight Of Juue 27 1t need hardly be
mentioned that neither within the arctic circle
nor considerably south of it were any stars visl-
bic at midsummer, uor till the end OF July;
and the moon bur rarely, aud then as pale as
at noon in England Of course this descrip
lion is true only Of bright cloudless nights;
there are dull nights there, as there are dull
days with us; aud many traveller may steam
from Throudhjem to the North Cape without
ever seeing the sun at midnight or being able
to read the smallest print ali night through his
porthole, as the present writer could do shortly
after leaving Thropdtj,m.
~, nh nf
is often supposed. 1t varies to an extraordi-
nary degree with the clearness Of the day and
with the direction Of the wind. A north OF
northeast wind brings severe cold; yet it it be
not very strong the SUP shiuiug free from the
clouds couuteracts it so far as to make every
sunny seat very hot. Especially at night and
10 the early morning IS this heat remarkable.
because then We expect cold and dew. "A
south or west wind is of course mild, and
would cause great heat but that it generally
brings clouds and rain, as on the similarly
circumSauced west coast of Scotland On the
land the heat is felt IN the arctic region lar
more than on the sea- The soil undergoes no
cooling process In the nlgbt,a is therefore un'
trcshcd by any dew. The hills afford frequent
shelter from the wind, and enclose many
spot on which the sun pours his full hea;
while on board ship the wind is always present.
north have an iutolerable and worse than tropl-
cal heat. and large tracts are said to be actually
uninhabitable from mosquitoes, against which
NJ protection Is found to be OF the slightest
use-LonGon Saturday Reo,e,o.
HOW \ LIGHTHOUSE WAS BUILT.
The mountain system of Brittany has sort
Of continuation in series OF reefs and lgneous
rocks which ut out 10 broken llne westward
of Finisterre % one OF these rocks, called
l. Isle de Sain, there stands lighthouse, but
the real danger lies to the westward, and the
rocks there have literally brsted with wrecks
OF vessels making foS Brest. 10 1869 the com-
mittec tor lighting the coast OF France decided
TO erect lighthouse on the extreme end OF the
dagger, and after careful examination NJ
Piuix, the consulting engineer, decided on the
Armcu Rock as the best slte At the same
time he did not attempt to depreclate the pro.
digious difficulty of the task, and characterized
1t as nearly lmpractlcabe. The currents are
SO strong aud the sea runs so high that neither
NJ. Plox nor the other engineers, nor the d.
rector of lighthouses, was able to approach
nearer than fifty feet. All they were able to
ascertain was that the rock was gneiss, about
eight yards across and twelve in leugth, and
that it was just visible at low water. After
settling their plan of operations, they applied
to the fishermen of the neighboripg island of
Seiu, as most familiar with the locality and the
dang ger, to commence the necessary works
These men undertook the task, and, provided
with life belts. began to watch regularly for
the best opportunity of landing on the rock
As soon as they got their chance they
crouched down on TIE rock, and cliogng on
with one hand, with The other worked away
with cold chisel so as to sink suth-
ceut uumber of sockets for the Insertion
of the iron clamps Every now and then
wave would break over the rock, drenchlng
them with toau aud spray, and not unfrequent-r
ly one of the party would be carried rlght; OF
by the heavy sea, but would 5000 be picked up
by vessel kept purposeIy on the watch.
At the end Of the first season, 1867, seven
landings had been effected and eight hours
Work done, which suficed for the sinking Of