Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-27
HIGHEST INHABITED POINT.
Something About the Life of the Signal
Service Observers at the Top
of Pixies Peak.

A correspondent Of the Bosto-
Journal writingfrom Colorado Spring,
Col, says
The United States signal servic
station at Pixies Peak is the highes
signal station in the world it is ais
the highest inhabited portion of tn
globe. 1t was opened in the month 0
September, 1878. That it was a wis
provision Of the government in estab
fishing a signal station at this point /
no longer questioned, the facts havinI
lreadydemonstrated its p~racticability
and the present success promises tina
Pixies Peak signal station is yet t,
stand at the head of all Astronomical
and meteorological stations in tn,
world. This point is wonderfully ia
vored by nature for the study of as
tronOmy and meteorology. The rarit,
Of the atmosphere brings out a re,
markable brilliancy and ~clearness Il
the stars and all the heavenly bodies
The nights are almost always cloud.
less and cloudy days are the excep.
tion. Ninc-tenths of the storms arr
below the Peak. The best and mos
complete report Of the last tota.
eclipse Of the sun received at Wash.
ingtan was the report Of Prof. Loud.
of Colorado College, from obserya,
tions taken at Pixies Peak.
The signal station is now under
the charge of Sergeants Choate, Blake
and Sweeny. These officers are de-
tailed from the army because of their
peculiar adaptability and special dual.
hcations for the accurate execution OF
the nice duties of taking astronomical
and meteorological observations. To
Sergeant Rufus Choate I am greatly
indebted for the particulars embodied
in this article.
The sumit of Pixies Peak contains
sixty acres. 1t is 1896 feet above
the level Of the sea. On the highest
point of the summit stands the signal
station, a rough stone building, "a by
30, one story in hight. 1t is divided
into four roOms-oficers room, kitch.
en- store-rOom and wood-room. And
here in this bleak spot, nearly twenty
miles from the habitations of man,
though three miles nearer the heay,
emily regions than most parts of New
England, these men live the larger
part of the year. The station is three
miles from the timberline, where the
greater part of vegetation ceases.
Short grass, tufted with delicate AL
pine flowers, struggles for an existence
against the frigidity Ofthe atmosphere
and creeps to the mountain top: but
there are hundreds of acres of cold
gray and reddish rocks whore not d
Yestige Of yerdue exist.
Like the jewellers of the Arctic re-
giOns, the inhabitants Of Pixies Peak
have but two seasons-summeF aud
winter two months of summer, Au-
gust and September, and ten long cold
months Of winter. The summer sea.
son passes quickly. The atmosphere
is eOngeninl the many visitors at the
peak enhance its social life with Joy.
wondermelt and mirth, During the
summer of 1878 upward of 900 PEG.
pie, in parties of from FIVE to thirty
visited the peak, among them man,
ladies'. They registered from tho i6uI
quarters of The. Glabe, and they all
expressed admiration and astonish.
ment at the grandeur and submit,
Of the wonderful views as seen from
the peak. To behald q sunrise from
the peak IL an event of a lifetime
and for this purpose visitors often re.
main over night at the station, To BIZ
ready to catch the first glimpse Of The
sun as it appears above the horizon
gliding With It's bright rays the noun.
tains, bills, valleys and plains, to the
wonder and delight Of the amazed he.
holder.
The duties Of tho officers are vari.
Gus. seyon observations are taker
daily all storms are closely watched
and each special and distinctive char
acteristic duly recorded, Sunrise and
sunset demand close attention. Ever,
peculiarly Of the heavenly regions *
viewed and a record made Of the same
and monthly reports of these record,
are sent to headquarters at Washing.
ton. The present year has been unu.
sually prolific in suu-dogs, which arc
said to prognosticate earthquakes, sub.
terranean explosions, immense fresh.
cts and troubulous times. A govern.
ment Office at Pixies Peak is no sine.
cure, for the officer must buffet al
storms and brave all weathers. DC.
casionally an electric storm visits tn,
Peak. There is but little thunder ac.
companying these storms, but tn,
mountain seems all ON fire. SergeanI
Choate informs me that when he wa,
out observing one of these storms il
appeared as though the whole noun.
tain top was a sheet of electric fame
II came out Of every rock and dartet
around with wonderful audacity. /
played around him, and, as he OK.
pressed it, shot down his back anC
darted out of each bOot-toe, and sC
completely filed him with electricity
that he could not retain his foothoid
but bounded and rebounded from tn,
rock like a rubber ball he felt a.
though a powerful electric battery wal
pouring fiery darts through him, anC
deeming discretion the better part o
-. ~ n. L.I.l 80 IL. -.