Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-03-13
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The HIGHEST Inhabited Land in the
World---The Signal Station---AnE lec.
trio Storm.
Correspondence of the Boston Journal.
The United States signal station at
Pixies Peak is the highest signal station
in the world; it is also the highest in
habited portion of the globe. It was
opened in the month of September, 1873.
That it was wise provision of the gov
eminent in establishing signal station
at this point is no longer questioned, the
facts having already demonstrated its
practicability, and the present success
promises that Pixies Peak signal station
is yet TO stand at the head of all astron.
omical and meteorological stations in the
world. This point is wonderfully favor
ed by nature for the study of astronomy
and meteorology. The rarity of the at
mosphere brings out remarkable bril-
liancy and clearness to the stars and all
the heavenly bodies. The nights are
most always cloudless and cloudy days
are the exception. Nine-tenths of the
storms are below the peak. The best
and most complete report of the last
total eclipse of the sun received at WASH
ington was the report of Prof. Loud, of
Colorado College, from observations
taken at Pixies Peak.
The signal station is now under the
charge of Sergeants Ch0ate, Blake and
Sweeney. These officers are detailed
from the army because of their peculiar
adaptability and special qualifications
duties of taking astronomical and me-
neurological observations. To Sergeant
Rufus Choate 1 am greatly indebted for
the particulars embodied in this article.
The summit of Pixies Peak contains
sixty acres. 1t is Il, 1856 feet above the
level of the sea. On the highest point
of the summit stands the signal Office,
a rough stone building, "a by 80, one
story in height. It is divided into four
rooms--ofticers' room, kitchen, store
room and wood room. And here in this
bleak spot, nearly twenty miles from the
habitation Of man, though three miles
nearer the heavenly regions than most
parts of New England, these men live
the larger part of the year. The station
is three miles from the timber line,
where the greater part of vegetation
ceases. Short grass tufted with delicate
Alpine flowers struggle for an existence
against the frigidity Of the atmosphere
and creep towards the mountain top; but
there are hundreds of acres of cold gray
and reddish rocks where not a vestige of
verdure exists.
Like the jewellers of the Arctic re-
gions the inhabitants of Pixies Peak
have but two seasOns-summer and win
ter. Two months of summe1-August
and September-and ten long, cold
months of winter. The summer season
passed quickly. The atmosphere is con-
genial; the many visitors at the peak
embrace its social life with joy, wonder
ment and mirth. During the summer of
1878 upwards of 900 people, in parties
of from five to thirty, visited the peak,
among them many ladies. They reg
istered from the four quarters of the
globe and they all expressed admiration
and establishment at the grandeur and
sublimity Of the wonderful views as seen
from the peak. To behold a sunrise
from the peak is an event of lifetime,
and for the purpose visitors often remain
over night at the station to be ready to
catch the first glimpse of the sun as it
appears above the horizon, gliding with
its brig ht rays the mountains, hills, val
leys and plains, to the wonder and de-
light Of the amazed beholder.
The duties Of the officers are various
Seven observations are taken daily; all
storms are closely watched and each
special and distinctive characteristic
duty recorded. Sunrise and sunset de-
mand close attention. Every popularity
Of the heavenly regions is viewed aud a
record made Of the same, and monthly
reports Of these records are sent to head
quarters st Washington. The present
year has been unusually prolific in SUM-
dogs, which are said to prognosticate
earthquakes, subterranean explosions,
immense !reshets and troublous times. A
government office at Pixies Peak is no
sinecure, for the officer must buffet all
storms and brave all weathers. Occa-
sionally an electric storm visits the
peak. There is but little thunder &C.
companying these storms, but the noun
tain seems all on fire. Sergeant Choate
informs me that when he was out OBJ
serving one of these storms it appeared
as though the whole mountain top was
sheet of electric flame. It came out
of every rock and darted around with
wonderful audacity. It played around
him, and as he expressed it shot
down his back and darted out
of each boot toe, so completely filed
him with electricity that he could not
retain his foothold, but bounded and
rebounded from the rock like a rubber
ball; he felt as though powerful cleo
trio battery was pouring fiery darts all
through him, and deeming "discretion
the better part of valor," he bounded
into the signal station for preservation.
Sergeant Choate was at the springs in
December, and on December 2lst he left
for the peak wearing Norwegian snow
shoes twelve feet in length. It was a
weary task and a dreary trip. The first
night out he slept in the snow on the
mountains side. The second night the
mercury fell to 200 below zero. He
sought shelter in a deserted cabin.
through which the wind whistled tunes
anything but agreeable; here he built a
small fire, avoided sleep, fearing the ex-
IRENE cold might produce the sleep Of
death. The third day he reached the
station safely.
The summer months are also occupied
in preparing for the long siege of winter.
During the months of August and Sep.
TENDER upwards of 1900 pounds of the
usual variety of family stores and about
Is cords of firewood are snugly slowed
away. These are all carried to the Peak
in small quantities on the backs of the
poor, despised Burro, whose head has the
appearance of being encased in cloth and
whose ears are nearly the length of hit
legs, and who walks at the pace of 8
snail, and very slow snail at that.
A$75, 900 Dinner.
Gresham is good subject to begin 6
history with, for it has what is earlier
than history-tradition and romance
The story of the Grasahopper is pretty