Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-07-20

SESEils ~l2SlOi o. 4 III Z = u cstIA
On Pixies Peak their is the highest
habitatjun on the American c0ntiQent
Major Pike took tie altitude and le-
cor,Hd It at 1881 feet aIove lhQ level
Of the sea, but is now asCerjaiued to he
Only u ,3CG. II is not Rcrerally known
that on its summit is established an
army signal station. It is the highest
n0imt for scientific observation in the
world, and records Of the obstrvatlCns
are sent to almost every enlightened
EuTopean nation. On the summit is
q stone house. rudcly constructed, haV-
ing pighiepIi-inch .walis, and about
twelve feet nigh This is divided of
into an Office, which is used as sleep
ing room also, aud n Kitchen, which
al>o answers for Il dinipg-roOm and
Bedroom. < rl'Ie shed is attached,
where are stored prcvisi Jns, wood, etc
J. Y. brown. observing sergeant as in
chaIEe nt the station, which is the
/ ni0sl imrcTlaut in the service, and he
/ has two assistants. One, strangely
! crCugh, is J. n. O'KlItTe, news boy
and boot-blach nf New York, who
/ passed the competitive examination
aud forced his way by his Superior
/ schGiarSI .p into Annapolis, and was
/ subser 4enlly expelled for ha:ing the
/ Cc!arel cadet The other is r. B.
! Bowlus, Of Cleveland. 4 very capable
I and experienced man. Mr.. Brown
was our guide, and not content with
showing us to the summit, he took us
/ back To our lodgings. and the next day
went trudging home 10 his dreary
station.
II heve been here" said he in an
swer 10 my questions "since. last
/ March" [ did not open the station.
/ It was begun in August, 1878, when
the telegraph wire to Colorado Spring
w9s laid. It's object was to learn some
thing about upper currents of the at
mosphere. Little was known except
! from experience in balloons, There IS
much that is singular about this sta
ton" said he, continuing. For in
stance, at sea level it is well known
that az the barometer rises the ther-
mOmeter falls, and as the therm )me-
ter rises the barometer falls but at
this station rs the barometer rises SO
also does the thermometer"
"W hat instruments have you here?''
1--WE have the barometer, which
| gives the pressure of the atmosphere ;
I
! tenIperature the hYgrometer, which
indicates the humidity of the atmos'
phere the anemOmeter, with self
registering attacnment, which marks
the velocity of the wind. of which We
keep a continuous record and rain
guage, which marks the fall of rain
and snOw.H
"What is the lowest temperature
ever observed here
"At one time, | 30 not remember
tie date, the thermometer showed 81
degrees below zero. And at the same
time the wind was blowing 80 mile:
an hour. At Mount Washington
which is less than half as high as
Pixies Pike. the wind is often l0t
miles an hour. This shanty,1' con
tinued he. as ! ran my eye over tht
cIuinsily-built house, "is really un
! safe" / think 80 mile wind woulC
unroof it and blow, it down. The con,
tractor did not keep TO his specifica
tiOns."
do YOU send daily reports of your
observations to Washington"
Not now. because the appropriation
is exhausted. They were sent three
times day until last January, hat
I presume lDtN VIII DC lCSuhith OlA OAA'
lst of July
Continuing my inquiries, ] ascer
tanned that this desOlate station, whicE
in the best weather in summer re
duires q day to reach, is wholly cut of
from the world for seven months il
the year Early in November th'
three men house themselves. They
lay in provisions to last them unit
April or May--salt pork, corr ed beef
canned vegetables. lard, -four, and gro
ceries. They also keep fresh meat
beefand mutton. by burying il in thC
snow. Wood at seventeen dollars ;
cord is also laid in in bountiful supply
During these seven months not a hu-
man face do they see, They car
neither get down to the living world
nor can the living world get up L
them. Half the world may be drown
ed and tie. other half burned for augh
=. they know. Countries may change
war may have botted oct geographical
boundaries. II the telegraph wir'
works faithfully, which it does nQt al
wavs in that atmosphere, scrap o