The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-11-20
THE THIN AIR AT LEADVILLE.

saw but very few cases of intoxica-
ton in the streets, Though tho 800 sa-
looms in the city held out their best in
ducements. was surprised at this, as
one of the notable effects of the great
altitude of the place [10,300 fest above
the level Of the sea is that all fermented
liquors intoxicate more quickly than at a
lower elevation. The boiling point ow-
ing to the decrease Of atmospheric pres
sure, is much lower than at Chicago, and
the alcohol is sooner vaporized and tax
en- into the circulation, producing intoxi-
cation quicker.
The boiling point of water here is
about $50 degrees, instead of 212 de-
grees, the effect of which in boiling
beans, potatoes, etc., is that it requires a
long while to'cook them in an open ves-
sci, and it is necessary to keep the vessel
well covered or the water will vaporize
and escape before being raised to the re-
quisite degree for cooking. AT this ele-
vation much air is required to fill and
satisfy the lungs, and breathing must be
quicker in order to properly oxygenize
the blood. 1t is said, too, that after one
has been here some time the coloring
matter Of the blood becomes darker, be-
ing changed from the peroxide to the
sesquioxide of iron. With a person suf-
fering under any difficulty or disease of
the heart the effect of any long continu-
ed eyertion is to cause dangerous de-
gree of palpitation, and even with per-
sons entirely well, the pulse runs ex-
tremely high.
There are other and notable facts con-
cerned with this altitude. There are few
birds seen here, particularly for the rea-
son that flying is difficult in the light air.
The common house fly, the summer pest
of our eastern housekeepers, is unknown
here. There are some of the outdoor
blue bottle variety here, but they seem
languid and tired. It is said also that
cats cannot live here. This is probably
owing to their delicate organization be-
ing unable to resist the rigor of the night
air. So the voices OF the night are not
heard in this locality and boot jacks are
reserved for their natural uses.
Another result of the Ightness of the
air is that, having SO little density, it is
easily heated by artificial means. Our
nights are universally cold-so cold that
it is uncomfortable to sit without fire,
but Q few pine chips or small sticks will
warm an apartment very quickly. At the
same time the suns rays do not seem to
have the heating power that they do in
the lower elevations. This seems 10 con-
firm the theory that there is no substan-
tial calorio in the rays of the sun, but
that heat is the result of chemical action,
generated by the direct rays with the ele-
ments of the atmosphere-the directness
of the rays and the density of the atmos-
phere. While standing high upon these
mountains, even at distance from any
snowdrifts, and where the air is still, the
summer sun has only sufficient power
to make the air refreshing and pleasant,
while you Oh the plains are sweItering
under torrid heat. In the shade Of
rock or two it is always cool enough.
The effect of the altitude is the >. me
as that experienced by balloonists, who,
in ascending from the surface of the
earth, even on the hottest 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 found. 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, while visiting q mine
close to the summit of Mount Bross, I
was compelled to cross field of snow
hanging over the edge, which must have
been mile in length and probably in
places twenty feet in depth.