Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-25
Darkenine the Blood.
SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE IN LEA
[Leadyille Letter.

VILE.
[Leadville letter.
/ saw but very few cases of intOXiCatiOn In
the streets, though the 300 saloons In the city
held out their best inducements. 1 was sur.
p1fSed at this as one OF the notable effects OF
The great altitude OF the place 10000 feet above
the level of the sea- Is that all ferInented liquors
1ntoXicate more quickly than lower elevation.
The boiling point, owing to the decrease of at
mospheric pressure is much lower than at Chca-
go, and the alcohol Is sooner vaporized and taken
INTO the circulation, producing mtoxication
quicker.
The boiling point of water here is about 1916
degrees, instead OF PIP degrees, the effect OF
which in boiling BEANS eggs, potatoes, &C., is
that it requires long while to cook them in an
open vessel, and 1t Is necessary to keep the YES
sci well covered or the water will vaporize and
escape before being raised to the requisite de-
gree for cooking. AT this elevation much air l.
required to fill and satisfy the lungs, and breath
ing must be quicker In order to properly oxygen
lie the blood. 1t Is said, too, that after one has
been here some time, the ColOring matter of the
blood becomes darker, being changed from the
peroxide to the sesquioNide OF iron. With per-
son suffering under any difficulty or disease OF
the heart, the effect Of any long-continued eXer-
ton is to cause a dangerous degree of palplta-
ton, and even with persons entirely Well the
pulse runs extremely high.
There are other and notable facts concerned
with this altitude. There are few birds seen
here-perhapS for the reason that flying Is ditii-
cult in the light air. The common house-t1y, The
summer pest OF our eastern hOuSekeeparS, Is I'M
known here. There are some OF the outdoor
blue-bottle variety here but they seem languid
and tired. 1t is said also that cats cannot live
here. This is probably owing to their delicate
organization being unable to resist the rigor OF
the night air. So the voices OF the night are
OF heard in this locality, and bOot-jackS are re-
served for their natural uses.
Another result OF the lightneSS of the air Is
that, having so little density, 1t Is easily heated
by artificial means. Our nights are universally
cod-So cold that 1t Is uncomfortable to sit with
out fire; but few pine chips or small sticks
will warm an apartment very quickly. At the
heating power that they do in the lower eleva-
lions. This seems to confirm the theory that
there is no substantial caloric in the rays of the
sun, but that heat Is the result OF chemical &C
ton, generated by the direct rays with the ele-
mentS OF the atmoSphere-the directneSS of the
rays and the density OF the atmosphere While
standing high upon these mountains even at a
distance from any SnowdriftS and where the air
is STILL the summer sun has only sufficient power
you on the plains are sweltering under torrid
heat. In the shade OF rock or Two 1t Is always
cool enough.
The effect of the altitude Is the same as that
experienced by balooniStS, who in ascending
from the surface OF the earth, even on the hot
test days, soon find it necessary to don their
overcoatS and warmeSt clothing. In the night
here good supply OF blankets Is always neces-
Sary, and nearly every morning heavy froStS are
found, and sometimes thick scales OF ice are
formed. The creStS OF some OF the mountains
and many OF the deep ravineS upon their sides
are still full of masses OF snow so compact that
one can walk over them without sinking. A day
or TWO ago, In visiting mine close to the sum-
init or Mount BroSS, was compelled to cross a
held of snow, hanging over the edge, which must
have been mile in length and probably In
places twenty feet in depth.