Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-24
Chr FREEMAN.
For the Freeman.
Arctic Regions in New Hampshire.
BY DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING Z.


By DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING.
On the top of Mt. Washington, in lati-
mde Ar, 16', 25" north, and longitude
7lo. 16', &c" west from Greenwich is Sta
lion 46 of the United States signal service.
It's elevation of six thousand two hundred
and ninety three feet places it in reality
twenty-sx degrees nearer the north pole
than the region round about. This makes
the summit of this mountain correspond
in climate with the central portion of
Greenland. or about seventy degrees of
north latitude.
Its isolation up among the clouds, high
or than any other mountain in all New
England, gives the winds full sweep, and
does away almost entirely with the fitful
gusts usually felt at lower levels. Thus
during the winter season the observers at
this station have the frigid storms of the
polar currents brought frequently with
high winds at very low temperatures.
Terrible gales, which reach velocity of
one hundred and fifty miles per hour, are
not very uncommon. The buildings to
resist these gales are braced upon all
sides, and then tied down by timbers nine
inches square, boted together at the ridge,
and extending down on the roof until they
reach the mountain itself, where they are
made fast to the solid rock by bolts and
chains. Thus tied down, it would seem
impossible that buildings could be wrench
ed from their fastcnings by any tornado,
yet the experience of the past has shown
that they are not always secure.
In February, 1876, the velocity of wind
being one hundred and sixty-eight miles
per hour. the plank walk between the sta
ton and the hotel was torn up and blown
away. Though these planks were loaded
with ice, from three to six inches in thick
ness they were hurled about like straws,
shivered upon the rocks. and then blown
away. The buildings had thus far stood
the pressure brought upon them, but on
the 18th day of March, of this same year,
came storm of wind with an immense
fall of snow, which doubtless reached one
hundred and seventy-ive miles per hour,
as the depot that withstood the February
gale was wrcnched from its moorings and
scattered in the storm. Three of the
large timbers were carried over the brow
of the mountain toward the east, and
dumped. ends foremost, through the roof
of the barn that occupied Il more sheltered
position. Most of the depot. shivered to
atoms, found its resting place miles away,
at the bottom of an immense gorge, called
Tuckerman's ravine, upon the southeast t
Of the summit.
This premonitory storm doubtless saved
the lives Of the observers, as it led to the
Strengthening of their observatory by the
addition Of more braces fastened to the
solid rock of the mountain, and to massive
shutters so arranged as to be fastened over
the windows during storm.
But it was the winter of 1878 that put
all these contrivances to the test. This
storm was witnessed alone by the observ-
ers on the 10th and 1lth of January last.
At II 80 on the morning of the 10th the
wind blew fifty-four miles per hour, and
at o'clock, two hours later, it backed
round to the east. and attained velocity
of ninety-six miles per hour, accompanied
recorded the frightful velocity of one hun
dred and eighty-six miles per hour. This
is the highest record of wind ever made in
the United States. and probably in the
world. 1t was, of course, measured with
great difficulty, as no man could directly
stand the immense pressure, and though
it increased for some time atterward, no
other measurements were possible. 1t
was however, the opinion of the observ-
ers that it reached two hundred miles per
hour.
At the commencement of the storm it
came on as usual, only from the east. The
wind was steady and the pressure con-
slant. At II p. NJ the gale had become Sc
fearful that the inmates of the observatory
abandoned all thought of sleep, and lis
tened to the terrible seething of the stormy
tempest without. The massive props vi
brating in the wind gave forth peculiar
;ct,. h. -
rattle of the bombarding ice, torn from
the mountain and hurled against the house
was anything but agreeable to them The
creaking joints of the building, as it strove
to withstand the enormous pressure, gave
the observers grave thoughts of the time
when it might give way, and they be
hurled with the timbers that composed the
building into the valley below. At 2; sc
A NJ. the windows on the east side
though double, and barricaded with Stats
gave way, and the storm shutters were
with great difficulty adjusted and boltet
in place. In such case men work fol
life, and you can imagine the difficulty o
bringing shutters into place under pres.
sure Of nearly two thousand pounds; or
to be more definite, the pressure of on,
hundred and fifteen pounds to every square
foot of surface.
But the life of the officers upon that AL
pine peak is one of varied experience
after night of such danger came mos
beautiful day. The atmosphere, CLEARED
of all impurities by the fearful storm
seemed like that of another world. Th'
most distant objects were easily defined b,
the eye, and the observers enjoyed one o
those beautiful days that visit but seldom
the mountain SUBMITS, and perhaps neve
the lowands
During the past two years storms of re
mTkable severity have been quite fire
quent, but this exceeded all; yet at Lu
nenburgh, VT, but twenty miles distant
though the wind was easterly. at 9 P. NJ.