The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-05
SIGNAL SERVICE PEserss.
What Pixies Peak Observers Fave
10 Endure On Small Poy-FrcaiSs
OF the Lightning nuA Terrors OF
the wind.

You understand that the United States
government has established n signal service
station on Pixies Peak. at IN altitude Of
Il 1886 feet, and excepting the one at Deu-
yer, is the only station in the territory of
Colorado. Its latitude is So 30 its
longitude west is 10j : %. lis time is not
quite two hours slower than Washington
time. Excepting the dwalfish, insecure.
rectangular house we have described, there
is no other visible property on the Peak
We submit that the government owes il to
itself to provide as well rs 1t can, for the
comfort and safety of those who are as
signed to duty at this most des0la,c and
forbidding point, for both arc in jeopardy
all the time. But for the house being in
sulated, the lightning would have long ago
shivereL It to fragments, Or consumed il by
its own fire. AS it is, the lightning has
struck the telegraph wire " Thin three feet
of the house. Thunder storms are frequent
in the summer, when the electricity gets
on the rampage and Overwhelmingly pursues
animate as well as inanimate objects, slrik-
ing teri or in all who behold it. Sometimes
its display is so vivid that no artificial igh:.
light is needed in the darkest hour of night
Sometimes it runs down the s,ovepipe like
molten iron, or escapes from bed posts,
cracking like discharged pistol Then il
will leap with fury upon The operators
head, and every hair will stand erect and
feel us if some one was pulling at it with
tremendous force. AT such times the pulse
Increases from rs 10 14O, palpuation of the
heart sets in, and it is no wonder that great
is the uueasiness that prevails.
AS to the duties of the officers in charge
of this station, they are various, Difficult, at
times to perform, but when performed are
of great service to the country Naming
the instruments necessary in their work, in
the order of their importance, there is the
mercurial barometer, whose uses are too
well known to be described, and the Their
mometer, of which three different kinds
seem to be required Without the hygrom-
eter they could not ascertain the amount of
moisture in the atmosphere. BY The aid of
sclf-registering thermometer an instiu-
ment peculiar TO the signal service, and in-
vented by one of its members, the velocity
OF the wind is recorded. To the anemos-
cope they are indebted for registry of the
| direction of the wind. A rain gauge is also
of value in determining the rainfall, which
| includes snow and sleet us well as ram
| Two telegraphlc batteries, the Eagle and
the Daniel, occupy the operators tables,
and are rca iy for use at any time. Now
it is a part OF the duties of these officers to
take seven daily observations OF the con.
dition of the weather, and to trans
init reports three times every day
to Washington. Considering that the
weather is often Indictment, and that the
observer must go upon the roof of the
house to take some of his observations. he
has before him every day an unpleasant
routine of duties. The appointed hours for
reporting are the following; 5.45 II. m.
700 n. m, 1907 a. M, 2. p. m, 2.42 p.
m, 900 p. m. 9.07 p. m. Recently one
of the observers had to plant his feet
against the parape, of the house TO prevent
himself from being blown away while in
the discharge of his perfunctory duties. In
the intervals they amuse themselves by
talking by telegraph with distant operators
or reading from scant library OF select
scientific works. They have no postal fa-
cilities, and receive no mail during the win
ter unless they come down On snow shoes
aud get 1t. For more than a mile the trail
Is covered with snow one hundred feet
deep. They wear the Norwegian snow
shoe, an elliptical shoe one yard in length,
and twenty inches at the greatest width. Ii
consists of an oblong frame of pine wood.
| not over two inches in thickness, with cord
(said to be made out Of the entrails of an
anmaD stretched over 1t in both directions,
and forming network, in the centre OF
which the feet is placed and fastened by a
strap. The price of one pair is $lS. A
single shoe looks like an oblong sieve.
How do they manage 70 live during tho