Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-10-17

October Galaxy.

October Galaxy
One of the PARTIES attached to Hay
den's survey in the West had remark
able experience of electrical action.
Two members of n typographical party,
Mr.. A. ID. Wilson and Mr.. +. Rhodn,
assembled mountain in Colorado, stand
ing 1885, feet above the sea. and about
4,4oO feet above the valley. During the
ascent Il storm gathered and ragged IN
the valley below, and they had no soon
er set up the surveying instrument on
the summit than their novel expe-
riences began. Mr., Rhoda says I'VE
had scarcely got started to work when
we both began to feel peculiar tick
ling sensation along the roots of our
hair, just ut the edge of our hats, caused
by the electricity in the air. At first
this sensation was only perceptible, and
not at all troublesome. Still its strength
surprised us, since the cloud causing it
was yet several miles distant to the
southwest of us. In the early part of
the storm the tension of the electricity
increased quite slowly, as indicated by
the effect on our hair BY holding up
our hands above our heads a ticking
sound was produced, which was still
louder if we held hammer or other
instrument in our hands. The tickling
sensation above mentioned increased
quite regularly mt first, and presently
was accompanied by a peculiar sound
almost exactly like that produced 10y
the frying of bacon. This latter phe-
nomenon when continued for any
length of time becomes highly mono
Gus and disa reeablc. As the
force of the electricity increased, and
the rate Of increase became greater
the instrument ON the tripod began to
click like "A telegraph machine when il
is made to work rapidly mt the same
time we noticed that the pencils in our
fingers made similar but finer sound
whenever we let them lie back so rs to
touch the flesh of the hand between the
thumb and forc-iingcr. This sound is
IT first nothing but II continuous series
of clicks, distinctly separable one from
the other, but the intervals becoming
less and less, till finally musical sound
results. The effect on our hair became
more and more marked, till, ten or IF
teen minutes after its first appearance,
there was n sudden and instantaneous
relief, rs if all the electricity nad been
suddenly drawn from us. After the
lapse of II few seconds the cause be.
came apparent, rs a peal OF thunder
reached our ears. The lightning had
struck a neighboring peak, and the cleo,
FRI IN hn had hnnh a hnr fYaI
Almost before the sound reached us, the
tickling and frying in our hair began
again, and the same series of phcnome
ma was repeated, but III quicker success
sion mt the same time the sounds be
came louder"
During all this time the clouds were
boiling about III the valley, two thou
sand feet below them. They now began
to rise up the mountain sides. Strokes
of lightning came III increased mum
bers, and after each one the electrical
effects We're more marked. The hal
stood ON end when the Lat was raised
and the sharp points of the stones OF
the mountain top emitted n contlnu
Gus sound, while the instrument ont
sang everything else" and could b,
easily heard at II distance of fifty yards
The mountain was trachytic, and the
lnnumerablc sharp points of the vol
canic stones gave out such II medley o
sounds, that the general effect is likoneo
to "A heavy breeze blowing over the SUM
NIT. Sketches of surrounding noun
tains being secured, an attempt was
made to take barometric observation
But no sooner was the barometer held
up than it began to hum most alarm
ingly, and the telescope and tripoC
were so much affected that the two ob
servers retired a little way down til,
mountain, awaiting the result Of tn,
| lightning stroke that was evidently i'm
minent 1t came, fortunately striking
some distance off The tripod wa,
caught up in haste, but not so quickly
/ but that the observer received Il severe
shock. Both hurried down, but ncv
stroke fell on the place they left, be
fore they bad descended thirty feet
Similar experiences were had subsc
quently, bat not so strongly marked a,
! these.
ARCHDEACoS DENIsoN, Of England